We often clutter our lives without even realizing it. What can seem like harmlessly putting away gardening tools, sporting equipment, or outdoor furniture for a later date, can quickly spiral into unorganized chaos. But fear not, it’s never too late to introduce a little organization into your life!
The best way to start is by only getting to work on just ONE section of your house. Once you’ve mastered that area, you’ll have both the confidence and the impetus to carry your organizational spree throughout your home. For most of us, the best place to start is the garage.
Did you know that one in every four Americans is physically unable to use their garage to store their car? Why is this the case? Yep, you guessed it, all that junk you’ve been absent-mindedly piling up prevents you from even thinking about bringing that car inside. So let’s dig into how to correctly organize your garage so that you can declutter and use the space as intended.
- Get The Necessary Tools Together for the Job
True garage organization starts with the preparation phase. You’re going to need a roll of trash bags, ready to fill with either literal garbage or things that you’re going to toss. Next, you’re going to need a cleaning device such as a strong vacuum, or a long-handled broom (given this is a garage) as well as some cleaning supplies. Finally, you need to have some baskets or storage boxes (such as plastic stackable storage boxes) to put items into when you’re deciding what to keep and what to toss.
- Start by Cleaning
That’s right; it’s time to sweep the floors and scrub the sides. This process should help to get rid of items such as old nails or any other knick-knacks that shouldn’t be there. You should also use this opportunity to clean up old oil or chemical spills, as well as getting rid of signs of animal life such as cobwebs and droppings. Once the initial cleaning has been taken care of, it’s time to start your garage organization in earnest.
- Sort Your Items into Piles
Now it’s time to get down to work. Take everything out of your garage one-by-one and lay items out into three distinct piles on either your driveway or lawn: keep, donate/sell, toss. It’s important to be ruthless during this stage, the more you can get rid, the more decluttered your new garage will be. For the sentimental types amongst you, if you have a hard time letting go, a top tip is to snap a photo of the item as a keepsake and then discard it.
A good test for those of you unsure of what to keep and what to get rid of is to ask yourself when the last time you used an item was. If it was more than two years ago, you need to get rid of it either by taking it to the local dump or by donating/selling the item in question. Outgrown toys, things that are broken beyond repair, and unused sports equipment are all ripe candidates for having their elongated stay at your place brought to an abrupt end.
Now once you’ve sorted out what you are going to get rid of one way or another, it’s time to organize your “keep” items into further categories (such as hand tools or sports equipment). For items that fit, place them within stackable plastic boxes. However, for more significant tools and sports equipment, you’re going to need to install another solution (more on this later).
- Clean Again and Rethink Your Garage Layout
With everything out of the garage, this is the perfect time to clean any of those hard-to-reach spots. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to draw up a layout that allows room for your car. This is where wall-mounted storage becomes a game-changer.
Larger tools can be cumbersome and impossible to stack, so invest in a wall-mounted Garden and Garage Tool Organizer System to stop them from getting in the way. Likewise, for sports equipment and in particular bikes, it’s a good idea to invest in a wall-mounted Bike Storage Rack. That way, you can neatly store as many as six bikes in an out-of-the-way spot, allowing plenty of room for your car.
- Move Items Back In
With regards to your discard pile, ideally, you should box this up and take them for donation, sale, or dumping as soon as possible. You could even place a sign outside your home advertising a garage sale with a date and a time so you can have people take items off your hands as soon as they’re removed from the garage.
Organize Your Garage with Helpful Products from Koova
Here at Koova, our mantra is simple: Put Your Stuff in Its Place! By developing and engineering our innovative and easy-to-use products, you can now do just that. From surfboards to grease guns, our storage solutions help you achieve organization within your home. All of our products are proudly American-made and come complete with a lifetime warranty.
If you’re passionate about your possessions having a proper place of their own, then our products are for you. Why not shop our online store today to receive free domestic shipping on items over $20?