Cleaning and organizing your garage may feel like an overwhelming task, however, creating a mess-free, ordered space will help you make better use of your garage. Organize your garage easily with these four steps.
The Benefits of an Organized Space
Right now, you may not have a clear idea of exactly what is in your garage. If you’ve been unable to find an item that you thought was stored in the garage, you may have unnecessarily purchased a duplicate of the item. Also, when your garage is cluttered, you cannot use this space for vehicle storage or as a work area. It may take some time to organize your garage, but the project doesn’t have to be complicated. Follow these steps to better organize your space.
1. Set Aside a Full Weekend
Cleaning and organizing a garage is not something that you can tackle in a few extra minutes. To make real progress, allow at least one or two full days to get the job done. This project involves getting rid of unwanted items and organizing the items that you choose to keep. Because you may need to use some of your driveway space for at least a few hours, it’s good to organize your garage on a nice sunny day.
2. Remove Unwanted Items
To organize your garage, start by removing items that you no longer need or want. Use the rule to touch each item only once. As you encounter an item, decide if you will sell it, donate it, throw it out, or keep it. Create piles for each of these categories. For the items that you intend to keep, create sub-piles of things you can store together. There may be sub-piles for holiday décor, sports equipment, and gardening tools.
3. Haul Away the Junk
Before you can begin organizing the items you want to keep, the unwanted items must be removed. Take items to a nearby donation center or schedule a pickup. List some items for sale online or plan to host a garage sale soon. Hire a junk removal service to pick up your trash if your pile is too large for curbside pickup.
4. Set Up a System to Organize Your Garage
After you have freed up some space in your garage, assess the contents of the piles you’re keeping to determine the best organizational features to invest in. For example, open shelves, bins, drawers, and pegboards are a few storage options that will help to organize your garage. Each item should have a dedicated place of its own so that you can find it later when needed.
Organizing your garage allows you to better use this area of your home. Items will be easier to find and you’ll free up more usable space for storage.
American Home Inspection Services provides home inspections and related services to Southeast Michigan. Contact us to request an appointment.