Most frequently, garages are used as additional, if not primary, storage spaces. Here you bring anything you don’t want to see in the house — from out-of-season decorations and winter sports equipment to household and gardening tools and things you are just not mentally ready to throw away.
All of these items contribute to turning your garage door maintenance into the most cluttered place in your house, making it hard to even think about finding something there, let alone actually looking for it. If it’s your case, we’re here to help you deal with it and implement some much-needed changes!
In this article, you will find four easy steps for decluttering your garage space, including dividing all the items into four piles (keep, donate, sell, toss), deep cleaning your garage space, and organizing it in more efficient ways like getting cabinets or shelves. Read on and keep your garage clutter-free!
Implement Simple Time-Saving Solutions
Time is money, so we’ll start by talking about saving your time. No matter the purpose of your garage — storage, workshop, or parking — you have to face the fact that it is still a room, and its most precious commodity is space. How you use this space can drastically impact how much time you spend there.
Moreover, adding a few time-saving solutions might also determine how much your home will be worth. After all, people do not offer much cash for houses that are cluttered and in bad shape. As such, if you want to sell your home, you need to have a good-looking garage.
The main idea here is to develop a plan and stick with it. Take a look at your garage layout and plan how to use the space in the best way possible. If you have limited options, the best solution is to maximize vertical space by hanging items on hooks, shelves, or wall racks.
As for the horizontal space, try to avoid having items lying around. Instead, get some shelves and drawers. They are perfect for storing seasonal items out of sight and out of mind. Alternatively, you can try exchanging your garage door for a newer model. For instance, if you live in the Mountain West, you can contact garage door service and repair in Denver, Colorado, to learn what garage door type can save you the most space.
Divide Your Items Into Four Piles
Now that you made some time-saving adjustments, it’s time to deal with all the things you currently store in your garage. Start by sorting all the items into four piles: Keep, Donate, Sell and Toss.
‘Keep pile’ contains those items that you want to keep in your life for some reason or another. Obviously, your garage is not the perfect place for storing expensive or fragile things, but there are many cases when you have no other choice. Good examples of ‘keep pile’ items would be gardening tools and sports equipment like winter skis, snowboards, bikes, and canoes.
‘Donate pile’ is never-ending. There’s always something to donate. If you are not using it, surely someone else will find it valuable. The only problem you might encounter is finding a charity. If you aren’t sure where you could donate your unused items, search online for “donation centre near me” and find a location nearby. Many schools can also benefit from things like books or toys that are no longer needed at home.
‘Sell pile’ consists primarily of things that are still in good condition but are no longer needed by the owner. Selling items online is one of the easiest ways to get rid of your possessions fast. An alternative option is organizing a garage sale. You can sell anything from electronics to furniture — it all depends on what you want to sell.
‘Toss pile’ consists of items that are broken beyond repair or damaged beyond usefulness. It should be the smallest pile of them all. Always take a closer look at your items before discarding them altogether. Chances are, you can reuse them for some other purpose. Remember that recycling is always better than throwing away.
Clean Your Garage Space
Now that you’ve managed to sort out and label your items according to the Keep, Donate, Sell and Toss principle, you’re ready to deep clean your garage. Here are some tips on how to make it more efficient:
- Make sure to dispose of any trash and broken or useless items.
- Put all the items that have to be kept in the garage back where they belong.
- Clean the floor thoroughly — sweep up all dust and debris and then mop the floor. It will ensure that your garage doesn’t become a dirt-trap.
- Take a look at your shelves, hooks and drawers and make sure they are all in good condition. If there’s something that needs fixing, take care of it as soon as possible.
- Clean any shelves and hang things up again.
- When cleaning your garage, consider any toxic materials stored there, such as paints, solvents, or paint thinners. Carefully read the instructions on how to dispose of them and follow them to a tee.
Organize Your Garage Space
Once you’ve finished decluttering your garage space, it’s time to organize it! Make sure to get rid of everything excess. Then you’ll be able to see everything you have stored in there and can put it into its proper place.
Once you’re done with this step, you’ll need to choose between two methodologies – either go with one big organization project or divide the space into smaller parts and organize your whole garage bit by bit. The choice is yours! Either way, the most important thing is to start doing it right away. Don’t wait months until you feel you have enough time for this process. Remember, the sooner you start, the better.
If you decide on going with a one-time organization project, here are some helpful tips:
- Start with clearing out everything from every corner of the garage — don’t leave anything lying around!
- Create separate storage spaces for different items — one shelf for tools, another for seasonal decorations and so on. This method will help you keep things organized more efficiently.
- Label every shelf, hook or drawer, so it’s easier to find something when needed. If you want to get really fancy, you can even print out labels with photos to quickly recognize what is stored in each compartment.
- Make use of clear plastic storage boxes for storing small stuff like screws, bolts, or nails.
- Hang up hooks and wall racks for storing gardening tools or other equipment that should be easy to reach but out of sight.
- Prepare some extra storage space if necessary — hang an additional shelf or buy a few wall racks or cabinets if needed.
Alternatively, if you’ve decided on dividing the space into small parts instead of doing one big organization project, divide the area according to its purpose. For example, if your garage serves as a parking lot, consider creating separate spaces for cars and bicycles.
The key here is to make use of every inch of your garage space. Having everything organized will help you feel better about your garage and will make it easier to find things when needed.
The Bottom Line
Decluttering your garage can be a long and challenging process. Nevertheless, every homeowner has to go through it sooner or later. Hopefully, after reading this article, you have got your concerns out of the way and are ready to act.
Remember to use the Keep, Donate, Sell, and Toss principle, as it can save you a lot of time organizing the items you own. Additionally, make sure to thoroughly clean every corner of your garage and create dedicated spaces for your gardening tools, bicycles, etc.
Now that you know what you need to do to make your garage a much cleaner place, you should have no problems reaching this goal. Follow our advice, and you should enjoy a perfect garage before you know it. Good luck!
