It used to be garages were a place to shield your automobile from harsh weather conditions or possible sun damage. For whatever reason, that practical use has all but vanished in suburbs across the country, where homeowners have widely adopted the practice of using their garage more as an all-purpose storage unit as opposed to a place to keep their cars.
For some homeowners, making their way through their garages can seem like finding your way through a jungle, with all sorts of surprises popping up. For those thinking of turning the garage into something more than a private landfill, here's a few tips on taking back that valuable garage space.
·Take it all out. The best way to start cleaning out your garage is to remove your car or cars from the driveway and then take everything out of the garage. As you're taking stuff out, sort out what you and what you don't need. Chances are, you'll have plenty of items that fall into the latter category.
But the sorting shouldn't start and stop with just things you'll be keeping or throwing away. Lawncare items such as rakes, mowers and garden shears should be sorted and kept together, while other items such as sporting equipment or vehicle-maintenance products should be sorted and stored together as well. It's important to note as well that old vehicle maintenance products or auto parts such as a car battery cannot simply be thrown out like other trash that might have accumulated in your garage. Items such as these can be very bad for the environment and should be disposed of in accordance with the law.
·There's a season for everything. Chances are, your garage is filled with seasonal items, from lawn mowers to kiddie pools to snow shovels. A good way to reduce both clutter and confusion is to place all seasonal items together depending on what season they're used. For instance, store snow shovels and snow blowers together and garden hoses and gardening tools together as well. This will make it infinitely easier to find things when you need them and will also make you less inclined to just toss items in your garage and create a bigger mess.
Another good idea is to make the items you'll be using during a specific season more accessible. For example, don't store the snow shovels back in the corner in winter so you need to look hard for them once the first snowfall touches down. Keep the seasonal items you'll be using most in the most easily accessible area of your garage during that season.
·Make more room. If you really want to use your garage as a place to store your car as well as tools and other items, you can create more space by adding a few shelves or even cabinets. Keeping items along the walls in your garage is a good way to clean and ensure that your vehicle will always fit in the garage.
·Have a trash area. When you first take everything out of your garage, you'll likely realize you've really let the place go. Old items not seen or used in years have been known to populate many a garage across the country. Whether you're a textbook packrat or just found it easier to throw stuff in the garage as opposed to out at the curb, you may have trash throughout your garage. After you've cleaned out the garage and found a place for everything, find a place for trash as well. A good way to avoid trash piling up again after you've cleaned the garage is to have a designated place to put the trash before it can get out of control.
·Don't get sentimental. While nearly everyone finds stuff they feel has sentimental value when cleaning out their garage, if it's covered in dirt and you haven't seen it in decades, chances are it's not that valuable. Throwing things out is essential when trying to create space in your garage. When you find old items in your garage, give yourself some time to look at them and reflect if need be, but keep in mind the goal is to clear away the clutter, not just clear a new space for it.
·Take it all out. The best way to start cleaning out your garage is to remove your car or cars from the driveway and then take everything out of the garage. As you're taking stuff out, sort out what you and what you don't need. Chances are, you'll have plenty of items that fall into the latter category.
But the sorting shouldn't start and stop with just things you'll be keeping or throwing away. Lawncare items such as rakes, mowers and garden shears should be sorted and kept together, while other items such as sporting equipment or vehicle-maintenance products should be sorted and stored together as well. It's important to note as well that old vehicle maintenance products or auto parts such as a car battery cannot simply be thrown out like other trash that might have accumulated in your garage. Items such as these can be very bad for the environment and should be disposed of in accordance with the law.
·There's a season for everything. Chances are, your garage is filled with seasonal items, from lawn mowers to kiddie pools to snow shovels. A good way to reduce both clutter and confusion is to place all seasonal items together depending on what season they're used. For instance, store snow shovels and snow blowers together and garden hoses and gardening tools together as well. This will make it infinitely easier to find things when you need them and will also make you less inclined to just toss items in your garage and create a bigger mess.
Another good idea is to make the items you'll be using during a specific season more accessible. For example, don't store the snow shovels back in the corner in winter so you need to look hard for them once the first snowfall touches down. Keep the seasonal items you'll be using most in the most easily accessible area of your garage during that season.
·Make more room. If you really want to use your garage as a place to store your car as well as tools and other items, you can create more space by adding a few shelves or even cabinets. Keeping items along the walls in your garage is a good way to clean and ensure that your vehicle will always fit in the garage.
·Have a trash area. When you first take everything out of your garage, you'll likely realize you've really let the place go. Old items not seen or used in years have been known to populate many a garage across the country. Whether you're a textbook packrat or just found it easier to throw stuff in the garage as opposed to out at the curb, you may have trash throughout your garage. After you've cleaned out the garage and found a place for everything, find a place for trash as well. A good way to avoid trash piling up again after you've cleaned the garage is to have a designated place to put the trash before it can get out of control.
·Don't get sentimental. While nearly everyone finds stuff they feel has sentimental value when cleaning out their garage, if it's covered in dirt and you haven't seen it in decades, chances are it's not that valuable. Throwing things out is essential when trying to create space in your garage. When you find old items in your garage, give yourself some time to look at them and reflect if need be, but keep in mind the goal is to clear away the clutter, not just clear a new space for it.
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