The Ultimate Garage Storage & Organization Guide
If you’ve allowed belongings like tools, toys, old furniture, and workout equipment to slowly edge your car out of its intended parking space, it is probably time to get a fresh start. And don’t beat yourself up about the clutter. You are not alone. We all are in the habit of casting out items and leaving them to languish in the garage. In fact, 57% of homeowners with two-car garages don’t have room to park their cars inside them – let alone cram anything else in. Most of us simply use the garage as a glorified shed. Where everything from knickknacks and seasonal decorations to sports gear and lawn equipment is stored. Our endless piles of belongings often render the space impossible to utilize for its intended purpose – protecting the vehicle we drive. Suzanne O’Donnell, a professional organizer, shares her philosophy on creating a space that is functional and stress-free. “My philosophy: If you want to get organized and stay organized you must create a home for everything. If you are not able to create a home for all that you have, then it’s time to edit. Your garage is a great place to store archival or long-term storage. Creating space in the garage for this category will allow more space in your home for all of those things you use on a regular basis. When choosing what you’ll store for an extended period of time, be ruthless, think about what you really wish to hang on to. And be sure to leave room to grow.” Cleaning out and organizing your garage is not for the faint of heart. It can be downright overwhelming and intimidating to stare down a room full of boxes, odds and ends. But worry not, we are here to help you declutter like a pro. No need to keep shutting the door on your dreams of having a well-organized garage. Clutter-Busting Guide for Your Garage You’ll be shocked to find out that only 30% of Americans park their car in the garage. Why might you ask? Because of clutter. An overwhelming number of homeowners have pushed themselves out of their own garages because they have too much ‘stuff’. Do you have crates of miscellaneous ‘junk’ or unmarked boxes piled high against the walls? Worry not, this is a common problem, and we’re here to help. But before we dish all of our garage organization tips, let’s prep your garage for its transformation. Step 1: Start Throwing Things Out! It may seem easy, but for some people, it is the hardest part of organizing the garage. A good rule of thumb is to start separating things into 3 piles. Keep – Donate – Sell. If you haven’t worn or used something in years, are you actually going to start now? You can have a yard sale for items that still have value, but no longer serve a purpose in your life. Outgrown toys are a great item to purge because they can be recycled and given to a family with young children or donated. Expired paints, chemicals, and other household products that have been sitting collecting dust, it’s time to give them the old heave-ho. Step 2: Remove Items That Should Not Be Stored in the Garage. There are certain things that you should probably not store in the garage to begin with. So if you see them, either toss it or find another home for them. Things like paint and propane tanks could emit fumes, explode or catch fire depending on the temperature. It’s best to store propane tanks outside and paint should be stored in a part of the home that is more temperate. Paper products and dog food attract insects and rodents. Both should be stored in sealed containers inside the pantry, mudroom or hall closet space. Step 3: Sorting. It’s helpful to start out by making three piles that you’ll find useful during this step: store, get rid of, and trash. For the items you wish to get rid of, consider having a yard sale or donating to charity. The latter is tax-deductible. Once you’ve sorted out all of your items, we find it particularly beneficial, to sort “like with like.” We suggest sorting the items you wish to keep in the following categories: Tools Seasonal Keepsake Frequently-used Sports gear and camping Lawn equipment and gardening Step 4: Take Everything Out. Now that you have things sorted into categories, it’s time to remove the piles of stuff from your garage. Take out everything, right down to the last loose screw. An empty garage is the only way you’ll be able to rediscover all of the long lost treasures you may have missed when you were sorting through larger items. This makes cleaning, purging, sorting, and organizing more efficient; thus saving you time. Just make sure that if you’re going to make this a weekend project, that the valuables go back in each night. Step 5: Deep Clean the Garage. Typically, the only room of the house exempt from routine, let alone deep cleaning is that of the garage. Because of this, the garage is often full of dust, and cobwebs. Gross! Now that you’ve removed all of the contents of your garage, it’s time to break out the dry vacuum, and pressure washer. After you’ve thoroughly vacuumed up all the dust bunnies and cobwebs, turn the pressure washer on full blast, and really let loose. Step 6: Create a Floorplan & Layout. You don’t have to be a sketch artist or draftsman to draw a floorplan. Getting a rough idea of your new garage layout will help when it’s time to buy garage storage products, which is the next thing you’ll be doing. Helpful tip: You will find that most garage organizing systems and products will come with a free space planning template or an online system that you can use to draft a loose layout. Remember to notate the dimensions of your garage and the space your car would take