Garages get cluttered fast, especially after an eventful summer season. Now is the perfect time to organize your garage before the colder months to make it a super usable space.
1. Declutter.
To truly organize a space, you have to get rid of the clutter. Pull everything out and get honest with yourself about what you really need to keep. Sell, donate or toss any items you don’t regularly use. Pay special attention to your outdoor and summer equipment, and fix anything that needs to be repaired. Pro tip: If you find yourself with a lot of items to get rid of, this is a great time for a yard sale!
2. Categorize.
Once you’ve pared back and have the things you want to keep, categorize them. Put your cleaning supplies with cleaning supplies, tools with tools, recreation equipment with your outdoor stuff. Categorizing will help limit the clutter because you’ll know exactly where everything is.
3. Contain.
After categorizing your items, put the smaller items in stackable storage containers and LABEL them. I love the black storage boxes from Costco because they’re so sturdy, but clean bins are also great because you can see exactly what’s in them.
4. Put away.
Your garage might not have a lot of built in storage, so take advantage of the vertical space. Wall pegboards are cheap and easy to use, making them perfect for tools and outdoor gear. Open shelves made from steel are great to store bins and heavy equipment. And if you want to keep hazardous tools or chemicals away from kids and pets, look into child-safe closed cabinetry. If you have the budget, overhead ceiling racks are an amazing way to reclaim the floor. They’re like shelving for your garage ceiling and are perfect for storing seasonal items like decorations or camping gear.
With a little bit of time and elbow grease, you can reclaim your garage and use it to its full potential this fall.
