For many people, the garage is not just a place to park the car. If you have a habit of using it to store tools, snow gear or even items you don't need, the situation is likely to get out of hand. Fortunately, you have the opportunity to understand how to put order, properly arranging the work tools and choosing an organization method that suits your needs.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Getting started
Step 1. Get to work, even if it will create even more confusion
Clearing and organizing a garage can be a chaotic process in and of itself, requiring you to remove everything and evaluate the work to be done. Depending on the clutter and the amount of accumulated items, it can take up a single afternoon or a whole weekend, with a few trips to the hardware store. Empty drawers, shelves, containers and start from scratch.
Don't quit your job halfway, moving something from one place to another and treating what you did as a real "rearrangement", even if the garage is relatively clear. It is always a good idea to evaluate the space you have to make the best use of it
Step 2. Start grouping stuff
When you are about to tidy up, put similar items together. How you go about classifying them will depend on what you have in the garage. For starters, you could stack all your mechanical tools on one side, your garden tools on the other, and your sporting goods on the other. You'll be able to create more precise categories the moment you start organizing stuff.
If the clutter is huge, spread a few tarps on the ground outside the garage or in the yard. In this way, you will be able to avoid some trouble especially if you have tools dirty with grease and oil
Step 3. Separate useful items from unusable ones
If the garage is crammed with stuff, it's important to get rid of anything that's broken, useless, or useless. By doing this, you can significantly reduce clutter and make it easier to organize the material you really need in a functional way. Below you will find some questions that will help you understand if a certain object is indispensable for your garage or not:
- Have you used it in the last year?
- It works properly? If not, do you plan to fix it over the next year?
- Is it a precious object or does it have an emotional value?
Step 4. Get rid of the unnecessary stuff
Whatever you end up putting in the pile of "unusable" items, get rid of them as soon as possible. Don't take it to landfill "when you have the time", but do it now. Getting rid of clutter is the only way to be able to organize the workspace inside the garage in a functional and efficient way. Don't keep a precious place occupied with items you don't need.
- Throw away any broken or damaged items that cannot be repaired and give away duplicates or obsolete material that you have replaced over time with newer models. You may want to consider giving away an old, ruined toolbox if you have a newer one. Recycle scrap metal and other valuables you might find lying around in the garage.
- Consider selling used items. If your garage is filled to the brim with old Christmas decorations, piles of music magazines from the mid-1980s, and bags full of baby clothes, it's probably time to price these items and try to sell them.
Step 5. Clean the items you are sure you are using
After you have evaluated all the stuff you are going to use, clean it as best you can. Don't put away dirty gear, mud-caked soccer shoes, and other sodden utensils in your newly refurbished garage. Spend some of your time cleaning everything.
- If it's been a few years since you last cleaned the garage, this is the right time to do it again. Clean the floor with a disinfectant and remove the dust accumulated over time.
- With a little acetone you can quickly remove stains from old, greasy stainless steel tools. Use an old rag and a small amount of acetone in a well-ventilated area.
Part 2 of 3: Getting the Right Tools to Store Items
Step 1. Store frequently used items in a visible place
One of the simplest ways to maximize space in your garage is to get tools, such as hooks and metal baskets, to mount on the walls in easily accessible places. You will also need some brackets to fix the storage stuff to the wall. This kind of arrangement can easily be adapted to the structure of the garage, prevents the accumulation of dust and allows objects to be moved if necessary. The hooks are very practical for everyday objects, but also for bulky or irregularly shaped pieces such as:
- Snow skis
- Bicycles
- Tennis rackets
- Leaf blowers
- Rakes
- Pipes
- Ropes
Step 2. Buy some plastic trays to store items
Purchase some plastic containers to organize sporting goods, decorations, and individual pieces to keep together. The clear plastic trays will ensure you can see everything inside, without having to dig inside.
Step 3. Hang some shelves
If you run out of space, consider mounting some shelves or buying some pre-made shelves so you can have somewhere else to store your garage items.
Perforated panels are also very practical for arranging things quickly and easily. Instead of drilling holes in the walls and hanging items directly on the wall, you can attach hooks or other supports to a pegboard to keep the walls clean
Step 4. Consider furniture with drawers
If you have several tools, buy a dresser or some large boxes to keep your tools organized and arranged correctly. Drawer cabinets with casters are great for keeping mechanical, garden and home repair tools clean and within reach.
Part 3 of 3: Get organized
Step 1. Separate all objects according to their usefulness
Classify them according to their use and separate them appropriately. For example, you can put together leisure gear, such as skateboards, roller skates, and tennis rackets in one area, and work tools, such as power saws and lawn mowers, in another. Once you've sorted everything out, you can decide the best way to organize them so they're within reach.
Organization depends on what you have, but it would be more practical to keep work gear separate from sporting goods or other things to keep. For some people the garage is a sacred place intended exclusively for the car, while for others it is more a sort of second storage room. Keep it organized based on the function it performs
Step 2. Consider storing items based on how often you use them
Put what you don't use often at the bottom or in the hardest to reach places. If you hardly ever play tennis, it is best to store this type of equipment behind other things you use more often, like your lawn mower or hex wrenches.
Step 3. Try to arrange the items according to the season
You can also organize the garage according to the season, so that you can alternate the use of summer and winter items. You probably won't need to have Christmas decorations on hand in the height of summer, so plan to rearrange the material throughout the year to keep the garage functional according to the season. It will only take you a few minutes.
Step 4. Label everything clearly
Finally, you can avoid getting disheartened by correctly labeling boxes, containers, or anything else you will need to open to access the contents. If you have small items, such as screws and nails of different sizes, you should put them in small containers and catalog them properly. It can be a rather tedious task at first, but later on it will make your life easier.
