Decluttering any space is a hassle, but the garage presents its own unique set of challenges. Every single household with a garage ends up storing items in there that they shouldn’t, and it slowly becomes a dumping ground for all kinds of things that you may or may not use again in the future. Where else would you store that box of rarely used toys? There’s also no place inside the house for your collection of nails and screws or the holiday decorations. And what about that second refrigerator? Isn’t the garage your go-to storage unit for each and every item that has no place in your tidy home? Sooner or later, this organizational issue must be dealt with, so if you’re ready to take on the challenge of neatly arranging your garage, take the following tips into consideration and ease your way into the process:
1. Organize Your Garage into Zones
First and foremost, in order to steer clear of confusion and time wasting, you have to come up with a plan. Take a good look at the space on your hands and figure out how many different zones you want to divide it up into. The best way to start this process is to take every single thing out of the garage, laying them out on the driveway, and then take a look at it empty. Once you have the space cleaned up (because, let’s face it, you probably haven’t mopped the floor behind those bicycles in a long time) you can proceed with creating a system. The most common items stored in a garage include the following: garden equipment, sports equipment, tools and car supplies. In this way, you can divide it into four basic zones (or more, depending on your preferences), just like in a typical department store. Once you have this sorted, think how much space you need for each set of items and begin putting them back in your garage accordingly, but not before considering the next tip on our list.
2. Declutter Your Unwanted Stuff
Chances are you’ve accumulated much more than just tools and equipment in your garage since it’s been last organized, so, as you take a look at your belongings, you’ll surely notice plenty of things you don’t need or want anymore. The most efficient solution is to go through absolutely all the items you own and sort them into the four well-known piles: keep, donate, sell and throw away. You might find yourself wanting to keep more items than necessary, so, throughout the cleansing procedure, you should constantly ask yourself: Have I used this in the past year? If the answer is no, definitely don’t put it in the keep pile. Even if you are emotionally attached to some objects, as we all are, there comes a time when you have to think objectively and efficiently, and to realize that you’d rather use the space for something more useful than keeping an item just because they have memories attached to them (important family heirlooms or old pictures are certainly an exception).
If you have many items that you want to sell, schedule a yard sale. If you want someone else to enjoy your once-cherished belongings, pack up some items to be donated and drop them off at the local donation center. If you stumble upon important items that you only occasionally use but would rather not store in your garage, rent a storage unit near you and free up your space at home. There are so many possibilities, and with a little bit (or maybe a lot of) patience and organizational skills, you can easily reach your goal to have a neat, airy and uncluttered garage.
3. Maintain it Tidy
Once you’re done decluttering and you’ve organized your remaining items into separate zones, you’ll certainly feel a well-deserved sense of accomplishment. However, if you’re not careful, after a short while, you might fall back into the old habits. To keep that from happening, you have to do a quick sweep as often as it is required, whether you think that should be every season, monthly or even weekly. Because the garage is used most days, unlike a separate storage unit, the more often you declutter and organize the space, the less time it takes.
The two key points that you should keep in mind when thinking about maintaining any space clean are these: keep the floor space as free as possible and store your things on shelving units so that your frequently used items are within easy reach.
All in all, decluttering doesn’t have to be an overwhelming chore. By following the tips above and applying them to your own way of living, you can turn your garage from a catch-all storage closet into a neat, tidy space within a couple of hours.
