Keeping Your Garage Organized Begins With Decluttering
To organize your garage, you first need to downsize. Spend a weekend sorting your belongings and get rid of things you no longer need or use. As you sort, throw away anything that is trash. Discard broken sporting equipment, old paint, and damaged children’s toys. Use a box to gather items that are in good shape and can be donated. Make a separate pile of things that should be stored elsewhere in the home. After sorting, take your donation items to a local charity as soon as possible.
When Garage Storage Isn’t Ideal
When making a plan to organize your garage, keep in mind that there are things that you should not store there. Because the garage isn’t usually climate-controlled and the area could be damp, you don’t want to store expensive or sentimental items there. Find room inside your home for things like scrapbooks, musical instruments, clothing, linens, and electronics.
Group Items Together
After you’ve determined what will be stored in your garage, group similar items in categories. Depending on your household, you might have craft supplies, sporting equipment, garden tools, and car care products. When you determine what categories of items you own, it becomes easier to decide how to store your belongings.
Storage for Keeping Your Garage Organized
Now that you have your belongings sorted into categories, start planning storage for each group. Long-handled garden tools can be kept in a large trash can or hung from the wall. Install pegboard along one wall to hang hand tools. With hooks, bins, shelves, baskets, and even specialized tool holders, pegboard can be used to store a wide variety of items. Add pulley-controlled storage to your garage ceiling for stowing heavier items like bicycles or kayaks. Shelving on the walls adds more storage area without taking up floor space. Look for places to add corner shelving, too. This will maximize storage in the garage.
Use Labels
Labels are helpful for any type of home organization system. Labels on plastic totes, bins, and drawers tell you what’s inside with a quick glance. Your labeling system could be as simple as masking tape and a marker or printed labels. Labels also serve as a helpful reminder of where things go when you’re tidying up the area.
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