The U.S Department of Energy reports that a quarter of households with two-car garages fail to fit either vehicle in their storage space due to an accumulation of objects such as Lawnmowers, gardening tools, paint cans, decorations, sporting gear, leftovers from home improvement projects, and a plethora of containers stuffed with the mess.
If you cannot get your car inside the garage, here are some ideas for organizing it.
Declutter and Organize Your Garage Ideas
Before diving straight in, have a ground plan. You might make a bigger mess if you do it without a plan. Make sure you know how you want your space to be utilized. Some people want to get rid of the messy garage because they want to set up a workspace i-e a workshop. Others wish to declutter quickly to move to a new place, while some aim to park their car inside.
You want to determine all of the factors before starting the organizing process. Other than that, all we have are boxes and boxes filled with clutter to the brim that needs to be sorted out.
Declutter Your Garage by Getting Rid of Unused Items
If you can’t park your cars in the garage, it’s wise to let go of items you don’t use or won’t require in the future. This could be your children’s outgrown playthings, outdated apparel, and holiday decorations from last year. If you don’t clear these things away now, they could easily accumulate into an array of storage boxes obstructing the area.
Garage Decluttering is Not a One-Day Chore
The process of decluttering might seem like a huge deal spiralling you into a frenzy of stalling and procrastinating. It is not a 30-minute task that will be completed in a day. But trust me, we have got this. We could declutter with the proper techniques and mindset in a few sessions. Learn how to declutter the garage in several mini-sessions to help organize stuff.
Your To-Do Checklist to Get Rid of Garage Clutter
It would help if you have a permanent marker to label the cardboard boxes with different stuff as follows:
- To sell (You can sell stuff that you do not use anymore but might be helpful to somebody else in a garage/yard sale or a thrift store.
- To relocate or organize
- Trash bags for disposing of stuff
- Boxes for stuff that needs to be recycled
- Clear plastic bins with lids to store things you want to keep.
Declutter Your Garage by Disposing of Trash
If you can’t walk around because of limited space and want to see visible results while decluttering your garage, start by discarding all the apparent trash you see and putting them into trash bags. You will immediately see the results if you dispose of all the garbage, and then you can move forward with decluttering the garage. If you keep stumbling on stuff, you will not be able to focus on the decluttering process. Your focus will shift back to organizing when the sight is clear.
Easy Steps for Organizing Your Garage Today
- Get your garage organized by moving large items against the wall,, so there is enough walking space in between.
- Pick up the easy clutter and put items into relevant categories or boxes. For example, all the tools, such as hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, and hardware tools, should be put into a separate container.
- More oversized items should be kept in another corner. Place items in the same category separately if they are too big to be put into boxes.
- Label the storage units with a marker so you remember where you put various stuff.
- Have a garage sale to sell your used stuff and make a few extra bucks.
- Sell or donate usable things that you do not use anymore to a thrift store like The Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
- If you are charitable enough to put a ‘curb alert’ on Craigslist, all the clutter you put on will disappear like hotcakes.
- Feel free to donate or give away items you last used a while ago or do not intend to use.
Maximize Garage Vertical Space with Tracking System
You can declutter your garage; you come across many irregularly shaped objects, i.e., shovels that occupy the floor space. A track system is the best way to keep them organized, providing enough storage space to hang things against the wall.
Declutter Your Garage with Shelves and Neat Categories
Have you ever noticed things are stored and organized in departmental stores?
They are organized according to relevant zones, making it easier for us to pick out stuff. Shelving is one of the best garage storage solutions when you want to utilize the space in your garage correctly. There are two types of options available in garage shelving; hanging and metal. You can place all the cardboard boxes or clear containers on the shelves and clear up the maximum space on the floor. It would help to organize stuff according to a logical storage system for similar group products. For example, you can put items belonging to the same group in one area.
Organizing a Garage with Shelving Units
It should have different areas to store products for Gardening tools, car & bike maintenance tools, Home cleaning tools, Sporting goods, Food items, Clothes and shoes, Children’s accessories or toys, etc.
Another thing to keep in mind while organizing the garage is maintaining maximum stuff off the floor. A track system is all you need to hang things like brooms, shovels, and various other irregularly shaped items. It will give your garage an elegant appearance.
Avoid Deep Cleaning During Garage Decluttering
While sorting out the clutter in your garage, don’t get sucked into the black hole of mopping, dusting, and cleaning the entire garage. The garage is your practical dumpster if you have not decluttered in a while, and there is no point in cleaning and mopping. You will start feeling burnt out earlier than you expect. Instead, concentrate on disposing of and organizing items.
Avoid Throwing Away Others’ Belongings
While decluttering, avoid getting tempted to throw away stuff that belongs to your spouse or your kids. This is something you are going to regret later. You will feel tempted to clear up all the garage space after you see some progress but shake it away. Do not move other family members’ items without their consent, even if they have not used them for a while. You can’t decide whether to keep the stuff or throw it away in separate containers. The to-be-decided about later should be stored separately and removed with other family members’ consent.
Safely Managing Toxic Materials and Items
Batteries, old paint, cleaning products, fertilizers, and waste oil must be disposed of properly. Don’t pour anything chemical down your drains! Many countries have dumps for disposing of toxic items at far-off locations. Instead, consider moving the stuff you don’t need to a storage unit while removing your garage clutter.
Storage Units are the Best Solution for Decluttering
The best thing about storage units is that they keep your valuables safe. So you do not have to worry about it being theft or taken away. You can store goods ranging in all sizes in a storage unit, whereas at-home storage options are limited.
They maintain the temperature and climate inside the warehouse for your item to be safe. For example, expensive books or goods like paper only thrive well above humidity love,r 60%.
Therefore, such goods like that are given suitable and controlled climatic conditions. Pick Up, and delivery services are available for most of the storage units that are helpful for older adults. The items you decided to keep in the storage unit will always be kept clean and pest-free/ rodent free
Final Thoughts
Acts of God and disasters are possible everywhere, and despite all the safety options available for your goods, they might still get destroyed. The best thing about a storage unit is that they insure your item.
Equipment like frisbees, baseball bats, rugby, helmets, and balls can be stored in garbage cans to protect them from rusting. Buy a giant garbage can. It is budget-friendly and can hold a lot of your stuff. Garbage cans can also be used to store other stuff. It will keep your items dry and clean and the clutter away. You will have enough space in the garage to sort out different items once you get done with smaller objects. And trust us when we say bins and garbage cans are the most friendly and safe options for storing other things.
There is nothing more cheerful than watching your progress in the form of a clutter-free garage. Declutter your garage at least once every six months to keep it organized. One of the most important things people need to remember is to fix the garage door. It can put you into life-alarming situations if your garage door is broken. Ensure you get it fixed to keep the garage in order and safe. Nobody likes a messy garage; we hope you find what you need in our decluttering guides; happy decluttering.
