When you first moved into your home, you might have had visions of a garage organization system dancing in your head. At the very least, you probably anticipated being able to park your car in your garage! As the years go by, the garage is the area in the home most likely to become overrun with clutter and chaos. If this describes your garage, follow these tips on getting it whipped back into shape.
Custom Garage Organization Techniques
Plan a Garage-Cleaning Party
One method for getting your garage back from the depths of extreme clutter is to invite a bunch of friends over, spring for pizza and the beverages of your choices and get everyone to pitch in and get the clutter monster tamed, together. You’ll need to gather supplies ranging from big garbage bags and boxes to packing tape, work gloves and maybe a hand truck. While cleaning out the garage on your own isn’t much fun, turning up some music and having friends or neighbors help can ease the sting a little.
Use the garbage bags for trash, and put items that need to be donated in the boxes (then seal them up with the tape and put them someone’s car to be delivered to the thrift shop as soon as possible; you don’t want to be tempted to dip back into the boxes!). Once you have most of the junk removed from your garage, it will be much easier to corral the rest of your items into appropriate storage.
Use the One-Bite-At-A-Time Method
If the idea of a garage-cleaning spree does not appeal to you, try carving out as little as 30 minutes per day to work on your garage. Alternatively, bring a bag or box with you and work until it’s full (then, as before, put garbage at the curb and boxes into the car to go to your nearest donation facility). This method will take much longer than the party method, but some find it less overwhelming to work at a steady, albeit gradual, pace.
Use Garage Organizers to Help You Stay in Control
Garage shelving, overhead storage units and garage cabinets are your friends here. If you have shelving, try adding in some bins or baskets to hold smaller items so they don’t fall off of the shelves. Think logically about which items should go together; all of your gardening supplies should be in the same area, for example, as should all of your kids’ yard toys. Things that you don’t need to access regularly can go overhead and items that you use weekly should be within easy reach.
Consulting with a professional garage organizer can not only give you good ideas for keeping your items stored safely and appropriately but can also show you what’s available in terms of garage organization products. Investing in high-quality products now can mean that you won’t have to deal with the frustration of an out-of-control garage again later. Once there is a place for everything, it will be so much easier to keep everything in its place. If you are in the areas of Grand Rapids, Duluth, and other Minnesota cities.
