Garage Organizing
After a long day, it’s a relief to pull into the garage and know that you’re finally home. That is, unless you are welcomed by a cluttered mess. Although the garage is a great place for storage, it can quickly become a disorganized nightmare without some routine maintenance. Once too many tools, hardware, and yard items have been misplaced, decluttering may seem like a daunting task. But not to worry — many of us have “skeletons” in our garage. Here are some tricks that will lead you on the path toward a neater and easier to manage garage:
Garage Sales – As organized as your garage may be, sometimes there is simply too much stuff and too little room. If this is the case, maybe it is time for a garage sale! Organizing a garage sale can be a fun way to get the family together. One of the first steps in any organizing project is to sort and purge all the items you no longer use. Find items in your garage and throughout the rest of your house that you may no longer need, but could still be useful for someone else. Team up with your neighbors and turn the sale into a neighborhood event. Who knows what treasures everyone will find!
If you only have a few unique items to get rid of, consider selling them on Ebay and Craig’s List.
Tool Storage – The garage offers the perfect opportunity to take advantage of vertical space by hanging your tools on the wall. A peg board is an inexpensive and easy option when you are considering where to store all of your most frequently used tools. Don’t forget to draw outlines of the shape of each tool on the pegboard with a thick permanent marker to make it easy to remember where each one belongs.
Wall Racks – The garage is the perfect place to store bikes, canoes, skis, and other outdoor gear. However, this bulky equipment can take up lots of space! Try a double stacking bike rack that will hang your bikes right on the wall. For canoes and other small boats, use ceiling racks specifically designed for canoes. Although some racks might be pricey, the square footage of space that you save is definitely worth the investment.
Under-Shelf Storage – Shelves are a great place to store items. But if you are only placing your items on top of your shelves, then you may be wasting up to half your total storage space. Attaching hooks to the underside of shelves, or along the wall underneath a shelf, provides great space for storing re-usable grocery bags, garden tools, or workout equipment, such as resistance bands and jump ropes. For larger, heavier items, try undershelf baskets, which practically doubles your storage space.
Storage Nooks – Some garages have overhangs at the top of the wall toward the ceiling, or in the corners of the room. Use this space to store items you use least frequently such as holiday decorations. Mount heavy duty hooks on the wall for extra storage. If there is space along the wall, hang a cork board or chalk board to keep reminders and track projects.
Trash & Recycling – Keep trash and recycling receptacles in the garage. You probably often fix the car or bike, perform home projects, or simply open packaging in the garage. Without trash & recycling bins nearby, the cardboard, paper towels, and broken parts easily become lost in the mess. Having these bins close makes it easy and convenient to immediately throw things away and keep them from creeping into the crevices of your garage.
Lighting – It is tempting to simply leave a tool where ever you last used it if you have to struggle in the dark to find where it belongs. Make sure your garage is well lit for all your late night projects. It is always easier to return things back to where they belong when your garage has adequate lighting.
Using these simple tips, you won’t have to dread what is behind the garage door the next time you pull into the driveway. Choose a cool summer day, break out the lemonade, and start organizing!
