Tackling The Garage
Submitted by Jodi Taylor, Whatta Mess Professional Organizing
Is your garage a dark and scary place? Do you park your car on the street because you just can’t fit it due to all the clutter? If you’ve said yes to either of these questions, be sure to keep reading. It’s time to tackle that garage!
For those of you, who are groaning don’t worry! This can be a fun project if you pick a sunny day, enlist the help of your family and have lots of snacks and beverages on hand.
* As always, the first step is to sort everything into categories. Take it all out onto the front lawn and start sorting. Some suggestions for categories are: sports, garden, auto, tools, camping, hazardous products and most importantly, recycling, donation and garbage. Be sure to purge anything that you no longer use, is broken or has a duplicate.
* Once you’ve got your “zones” established, it’s time to put everything back. Stick to these following storage tips and your garage will stay organized for years to come!
* Store all items from each category together.
* You may need to purchase some shelving and peg board if your garage does not have storage solutions in place (you want to be able to keep as many items off the floor as possible). When setting up the framework, try not to have an entire wall of shelves. Instead, have shelving and peg board options for each “zone” of the garage. This concept may not work for everything that you have so feel free to group multiple categories that don’t have a lot of content in the same zone. Just be sure to give them their own dedicated space within the zone.
* Put loose items into clear plastic bins, label the front of the bin (not the lid) and place on a shelf.
* Beside the bins, hang as many large items as possible (ex: rakes, roller blades, tools, extension cords).
* If you’ve got little, curious hands living in your home, make sure to lock up those hazardous products in a cool corner.
* Does the garage have an entrance to the home in it? You may want to hang a coat rack for bulky outdoor gear and put out a rubber mat for muddy boots.
* One key ingredient that is often forgotten about is workspace. Make sure to leave room for a work bench so that you have a space to use all the goodies in your garage!
When the day is over and you see the amazing transformation, you will want your garage to look this good forever! Once the systems are in place, it’s very easy to maintain. That being said, new (and old) items do accumulate so be sure to keep every zone within its parameters. If you start to overflow in one zone, purge! Keep a large bin in a corner and put a big “Donation” sign on it. If you use it regularly, staying on top of the clutter is easy.
This is one project that you must not procrastinate on! Just think of rooting around in the unknown abyss in the winter when it’s dark and cold versus knowing where everything is and being able to get to it easily (without the fear of sticking your hand into something furry). There, that should be all the motivation you need!
Good luck and please remember to have fun!
