Ah, the garage — the last bastion of organizing, right?
When all else fails, put it in the garage….for now…..or until someday…….
Sound familiar?
So let’s get off the procrastination wagon and get that garage done, okay?
I promise you it won’t be that bad and you will be soooooooo thrilled and happy when it’s done. Garage goals!!
Let’s get down to brass tacks. What is the first step to garage organization?
PURGING THE CLUTTER, of course. How do we do this?
This can be the hardest part for some people, particularly for things stored in the garage, as they don’t necessarily impact the environment in your home. But they do create visual clutter in your garage and may prevent you from parking your car there, so be honest with yourself:
- Do you really need a gazillion electronic cords you have no idea whether they belong to any equipment you still own?
- Are you holding onto old furniture that is never going back in your home?
- Does the paint on your walls match up with the paint cans in your garage?
- Keep
- Donate
- General recycling (items you can toss in your recycling bin)
- e-waste recycling (electronics, batteries, metals, paint, hazardous waste)
- Trash
- Sell (optional)
- Seasonal/Holiday
- Sports equipment
- Tools
- Paint
- Memorabilia
- Household (lightbulbs, cords, etc.)
- Costco overflow (extra paper towels, tissues, TP, etc.)
Determine your categories and start placing items in each zone. If you have workable storage in your garage — cabinets and/or shelving, then the next step is to store the remaining items by category. For open shelving I recommend using clear, waterproof bins and label each one with the contents. You can use painters tape and a sharpie to identify contents, or a label maker.
If you don’t have cabinets or shelving and don’t have the budget or desire to invest in more permanent storage solutions at this time, I recommend getting Metro shelving or something similar. You can then store items either in labeled bins or directly on the shelves. Metro shelving has some weight to it, able to hold heavy items. It’s also durable and won’t get damaged by the elements.
Storing large items, like bicycles, gardening equipment, etc. is a bit more challenging but there are so many options out there for accomplishing this piece. To save space I recommend getting everything off the ground and onto the walls or utilizing space under the ceiling.
If you’re looking for options to outfit your garage with storage solutions one of the companies I recommend is Monkey Bars offers a full range of garage products and systems that can be customized to meet your space and needs.
Another great garage storage solutions outfit is OrganizIT! Inc., based in Los Angeles. Like Monkey Bars, they offer customizable storage solutions, including cabinets, flooring, slat walls, shelving, etc.
So who’s excited to get started? Now that summer is here, start early in the morning, have plenty of water, have some empty boxes for donated items, wear gloves and don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Pretty soon you’ll be pulling into your garage and seeing everything perfectly organized and out of the way. You’ll be the envy of all your neighbors!
Hi Cindy,
This blog was most helpful to me in getting my garage out of the clutter zone and into the serene organized zone! Thank you for all of your helpful and useful tips and information!!
Cheers,
Judd