Having a garage is all fun and games until you have to clean and organize it. This is because most of us use our garages as a place to store our cars, bikes, and tools and as a place where we store all the stuff that can’t fit into our homes. We keep on putting stuff inside until the garage starts to overflow and until there is no way in and out. Yes, this does happen to everybody, but don’t let that be the reason to suffocate your garage even more. You can use your garage space for so many good things (you can turn it into a workshop, a hobby room, an office, or a nicely organized storage, for example). Don’t let this valuable space go to waste. Do your best to organize your garage from top to bottom instead!
Declutter First
Your garage is a mess because it is full of stuff. In most cases, that stuff is the items you don’t need and want, items you forgot about, items that have no place in your home, etc. Let us get one thing clear – you will not be able to organize your garage from top to bottom if you plan on keeping all that stuff! You need to declutter! You need to decide what to keep, what to store, and what to toss as soon as possible. Doing this is not easy, but it is far easier than having a garage so cluttered that it becomes useless.
So, go through your garage and start sorting out. Put the items that you absolutely can’t live without in one corner. Then, take a look at all that is left. Maybe there are some items that you can give away to friends and family members, maybe there are some items you can donate to your local charity, and perhaps you can sell some things.
Have a Garage Sale
Speaking of items that you can sell, your garage is probably full of them. If you can’t find a new home for the things you don’t plan to keep anymore, you might want to consider selling them. Doing this is a great way to get rid of everything while also earning some money on the side – money that can help you organize your garage even further. To do this, you have two options – sell your items online or schedule a garage sale. We recommend doing the latter as it will be a lot faster and more efficient.
However, if you can’t part ways with some of your garage items, it is not the end of the world. What you can do, for instance, is rent a storage unit nearby and move your items here. If, after some time, you see that you don’t miss those items at all, you can sell them too.
Clean It Thoroughly
Now that your garage is clutter-free, it is time to clean it. We know you dread this task. There are oil stains everywhere; there’s a mess from your last project, dust that hasn’t been cleaned in a decade, etc. So, yes, cleaning garages can easily turn into a nightmare. But don’t think about this – instead, think about how amazing your garage will look afterward!
Plus, cleaning your garage will be easier when you get rid of all the unwanted stuff. When you don’t have anything standing in your way, you will need a broom, a mop, some cloth, some strong cleaning solutions, and a day off.
Invest in Some Good Shelves
All the tedious tasks are over! Now comes the fun part – using shelves to organize your garage from top to bottom. If you already have some shelves in your garage, use them. But, if you don’t, buy some. Shelves will be your best friends when it comes to having an organized garage. You can put them all over the garage space – on every wall, all the way from the bottom to the top.
However, you can’t use just any shelves – you need good quality ones! You need some sturdy shelves so that they don’t break once you put all your tools, boxes, and bins on them. So, invest in some quality shelving systems. This will help you organize your entire house too! You can put the household items you don’t use currently in bins and then place those bins on the shelves.
Be Creative When Storing
Moreover, other things you should invest in when trying to organize your garage from top to bottom are good quality boxes and bins. Fairfax Transfer and Storage experts advise getting them from your local movers, although you can get them at a hardware store or even at a stationery shop. They believe that professional movers offer containers that are sure to withstand the weight and keep your belongings safe in a garage.
Besides boxes and bins, don’t forget to install some pegboards on the walls. These are great for your tools, for example. You can hang the tools you frequently use and not clutter the working space. It will save you a lot of space, but it will also make your garage more functional.
Final Thought
We hope that this text motivated you to organize your garage from top to bottom this weekend! If it didn’t, don’t push yourself. Organize one part at a time – one day at a time. Otherwise, you will make an even bigger mess. If you need some more motivation, think about how you will maximize your storage space, how great your car will look in there, etc. Moreover, if your garage is full of items from your entire family, don’t hesitate to include them in these decluttering and cleaning projects. This way, you will finish everything in one day and have a garage that will work in everybody’s favor.
