Spring and summer is the perfect time to haul out the patio furniture from its storage space in the garage to get ready for all of those summer BBQ's and gatherings with friends and family. That is when it hits you: your garage looks like a disaster area! You probably have been meaning to clean it up and get it organized for years, but you never seem to find the time to get this massive job done.
Garages are usually not the most enjoyable places to spend your time, especially in the spring after a very cold and damp winter. It is completely natural that you procrastinate and put off cleaning the garage until the warmer, summer months. Unfortunately, when summer finally does roll around, it either seems too hot to even think about cleaning out your garage, or you are out having too much fun with summer-time activities, leaving you with no time.
Over the years, your garage items and mess seem to accumulate. With items being stored in random places, and with spills and messes contributing, you can often get overwhelmed with the feeling of chaos. By the time your garage gets to this stage, the thought of cleaning it up begins to feel intimidating because there is so much that needs to be done.
If you find yourself in this situation, or heading towards it, your first step is to try not to worry. It may seem like cleaning up your garage and keeping it in good shape is an impossible dream, but with the right attitude, the right tools, and plenty of motivation, it will be easy as one, two, three, and four!
Step One: Make a Start
Step one is usually the hardest part of the entire process. Making a start on cleaning out the cave that is your garage is the only way to get the job done at all. When your motivation is at an all time low, this can be a very tricky task. The ideal way to approach this situation is to schedule a weekend, or another time when you know you are going to have at least two consecutive days free, to work in the garage. The night before, gather together all of the things you need to start in the garage, such as trash bags, old clothes to wear, gloves, and comfortable shoes. Wake up the next morning and, after enjoying a healthy breakfast that will give you energy and motivation, get in the garage and make a start. After you start it is smooth sailing from there!
Step Two: Tame Your Messy Garage
If your garage is particularly large and unruly, step two will probably be completed over the course of several sessions. Once you have completed the worst of the mess, and are somewhat cleaned up, you might find yourself actually enjoying this process. It is definitely a satisfying feeling to see a clean and orderly garage emerge from the clutter that you once had to deal with.
During your first cleaning sessions, it is a good idea to simply sift through all of the items stored in your garage and decide what you want to keep and what you no longer need. Once you have removed all the unwanted items and have either donated them to charities or disposed of them, organizing what is left is much easier. Devote your next session to cleaning up the space, including walls, floors, and the ceiling if possible. If your garage is prone to dampness, use an anti-mold treatment on the walls.
Step Three: Organize Your Garage
Step three is what is considered the fun part. With your garage de-cluttered, stripped, and cleaned, now you are finally ready to start to think about ways to organize everything you need to store in there. Below are a few great options for garage storage including helpful ways to keep all of your tools, sports equipment, and other items in good condition, and to keep your garage free from mess and clutter.
?Wall-mounted Tool Holders: Perfect for brooms, brushes, rakes, hoes, and other garden tools. ?Free-standing Garage Shelves: Can help you use up the vertical space in your garage where most of the floor space is usually taken up by the car. ?Hose Organizer: The garden hose is one item that typically sits in a messy pile in the corner of your garage. Using the hose organize will help it remain in a neat coil to make sure it does not get any punctures. ?Sports Equipment Organizers: You can keep your sports equipment looking great with items such as a movable fishing rod rack or a ceiling-mounted fishing rod holder. Grab yourself a sports garage EZNET to hold balls, mitts, bats, and other items.
Step Four: Maintenance
Your garage is now finally clean and looks fantastic. The most important part now, is to not let it slowly descend back into chaos over the next few years. Keeping your garage looking good is an ongoing process, but it is important to remember that you have got the hard part out of the way. After the initial cleaning and organizing process, maintenance is definitely much easier. Return items to their proper place when you use them, clean up spills and messes as soon as they occur, and give your garage a good airing to keep it smelling fresh.
Cleaning the garage is often a demanding task because of the clutter that builds up during the winter months. For those who lack help, or prefer to work alone, the solution is more difficult. The problem that comes with cleaning your garage is that you have a limited window of time to complete the job. Countless items always seem to end up in the garage and this makes organization is a true challenge. The garage is often used as a household storage room and anything can end up out there. This type of situation requires extra planning to figure out what is being stored in the garage and where everything is going to be when the job is complete. For example, a can of paint should not be stored beside scuba gear or ski equipment. Proper planning can prevent this from happening.
There are many ways to solve your cleaning needs in the garage, but the best way is to invest in the right types of storage products to easily and efficiently handle the various items that you are storing. Before you begin worrying about what kinds of storage to buy, take inventory of what is in your garage. You should ask yourself several questions before deciding on how to deal with a particular item: How often do you use the item? Is it something that is almost never used, and should just be thrown away or stored in a less accessible place? Remember, there is a good chance that you will be in and out of your garage often using the various items that are stored there. If an item that you no longer use is in the way, you should consider getting rid of it. You can either throw it out, or store it in a new location.
Another important issue to consider is whether the items in your garage are seasonal. Try storing summer items in an accessible location during the summer while winter items can be stored someplace out of sight. Then you can swap their storage locations when the seasons change. This simple practice helps remove substantial clutter.
If you have items that are used all the time, they must be stored in an accessible way, but also need to be organized logically based on function and size. Consideration must be given to chemicals, tools and other items that could be harmful if stored incorrectly. Having a can of paint spill can be a frustrating event. However, storing these items in a separate area can prevent future disasters. The process of taking inventory can be quite time consuming, but it can be spread out into short sessions over the course of a few weeks. This can help you avoid any scheduling conflicts, and it should be closely followed by the purchase of appropriate storage devices that meet your needs.
One of the best storage solutions for your garage is a rack that can be placed above the door. This area often has a lot of space that is left unused. By placing a rack above the door, you can easily hide items that are not often used. Placing a storage rack above the door also provides easy access to your items when the right time arrives.
An especially productive rack, at least for some, is a fishing pole holder. These devices can often hold six or more rods, while keeping them safely out of the way near the ceiling. Accompany this rack with a simple shelf, and all of your fishing items can be stored away safely in the rafters. You can easily reach those items with the help of a stepladder. Over the door racks can also be incredibly useful places to keep skis, snowboards, surfboards and other similar items.
Shelving is also a great way to keep everything in order. Simple shelves can have nets attached to them to conveniently store various types of sporting equipment that do not easily stay in one place. Pegboards are great for hanging certain items such as gardening tools. They also take up very little space. If you are concerned with having items stored on open shelves because of dust, moisture and general wear and tear, try stackable cubes with doors. These cubes can be moved around to fit within your space limitations, and can store almost anything very well.
Once you have a good inventory of your belongings, and have installed shelving and other storage products, you have taken the first steps toward organizing your garage. If you have planned well, this process can be finished quickly. However, some problems may still need to be resolved.
Awkwardly shaped items can be a problem when organizing your garage. Also, many individuals tend to underestimate how much stuff they have. However, if the most important items are stored well, solving these smaller problems should be relatively easy. Try thinking of other locations to store awkwardly shaped items, until you find one which works well.
By following these guidelines, your garage should be neat, organized and looking as good as new in no time. Also, creating a plan and utilizing certain storage products will help ensure that your system remains intact. This helps to keep further cleaning to a minimum, and can make your garage as organized as the rest of your home.
Both Shannon Mccoy & Nickkakolowski are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Shannon Mccoy has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family, Parenting and Family. Shannon McCoy is a freelance writer who writes about home organization often focusing on a specific kind of item such as