Every garage is a mysterious place. You know what you’re using it for, but probably more than often, you’re not able to find things you need at the time – you may not even be sure what’s inside anymore. If you use it as a parking spot and a storage space for all kinds of items, it can easily get messy with time. As such, it’s important to take action before the disorder in the garage takes over.
In this article, you’ll find tips on how to approach this challenging task. It may be daunting, but it’s definitely doable and worth all the effort. Without any further ado, let’s jump right into it!
Take Everything Out
First, assess how big your garage is and how many things you managed to accumulate. Then, choose either one day or an entire weekend to get things done, once and for all. Experts from A1garage.com advise asking your friends or family for help; this way, you’ll go through everything much faster without the risk of running out of time.
Park your car outside, pick a starting point, and go further from there. Take everything onto the driveway to make the sorting process more manageable. Don’t leave anything for later – it’s a huge project, and you may have no time or energy to deal with it again.
Decide What Stays and What Goes
Once you get all the clutter out, it’s time to categorize it. Keep in mind how much space is taken by your car (or cars) and then get down to organizing. You can divide your items according to the following categories:
- Frequently used. In case of items you use regularly, consider storing them in a place that’s easy to reach, such as shelves or hooks by the door.
- Rarely used. For such items, shelving units or even a ceiling storage system are a perfect solution. Consider placing things such as Christmas decorations or snow tires in a place that ensures they won’t get in your way.
- Bulky items. If you have bigger tools or appliances, like a lawnmower or a snow thrower, consider putting them in your garage’s back corners.
- Gardening tools and bicycles. These items can be hung on the walls, making more space for other things.
- Things that need to be repaired. Things break, and it’s completely natural. However, maybe your “to-be-fixed” pile has gotten out of control. If that’s the case, make sure you finally do these repairs.
- Things you can no longer use. If something’s beyond repair or you simply don’t need it anymore, make sure it doesn’t get mixed in the pile of items you want to keep.
Deep Clean
Congratulations, you’ve cleared everything out! Now’s the time for the deep cleanse before you put the things back in. A good rule of thumb is to clean your garage from top to bottom: start by dusting off and wiping down the tops of shelves, cabinets, and other furniture. Then, take a cloth, a bucket of water, and a mild household detergent, and wipe down all the doors, windows, and garage doors. Finally, sweep the floor to get rid of dust, hose it off, and mop it. Wait at least two hours for the garage space to dry off before putting your things back in.
Decide What to Do with the Clutter
Now that you have decided which items you want to keep and which ones you no longer need, it’s time to deal with the latter. Basically, you have three choices:
- Throw it away. As simple as that – if you see a thing that’s too damaged to use again and you’re sure you don’t need it, don’t hesitate. Get rid of it and don’t look back.
- Donate it. In case you have something in good condition that still can be used, consider donating it to your local charity organizations. You’ll contribute to a good cause and help make someone’s life easier or better. Just make sure the organizations you choose to support actually accept your donated items.
- Sell it. If you have some items that, in your opinion, are too valuable to donate or throw away, you can try to find them new owners. Organizing a garage sale is a great idea to sell things that can be useful to someone. You can also consider posting an ad on social media or other local advertising sites.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, decluttering and organizing your garage can turn into a huge project, especially if you haven’t done it in ages. However, it’s definitely worth the time and effort, and you can even earn some money if you come across some items that are fit for sale. Nevertheless, the biggest challenge is maintaining the order of things and keeping your garage space clean on a regular basis. Good luck!
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