Spring is upon us and that means spring cleaning is underway. While we typically think about deep cleaning our house, we often forget that the garage is an important part of our home. Some of our most expensive material possessions are kept in the garage, so it only makes sense that we’d want it to be organized, clean, and efficient. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to open your car all the way in your garage? We think so. As you make your spring cleaning to-do list this season, remember
Decide What Stays and What Goes
The first step of any true organization project is the purge step. Taking everything off of shelves, out of boxes, and down from walls makes it easier to see everything you’ve collected in your garage. Create three piles: keep, donate (or sell), and toss. Anything you use at least once a year can be placed in the “keep” pile. Items that are in good, usable shape, but that you aren’t using go into the “donate” section. This leaves items to toss or recycle, which are those that are damaged, rusty, or otherwise unusable.
Organize Your Tools
Drawers full of disorganized tools can cause headaches for many reasons. Of course, it’s not aesthetically pleasing, but it’s also aggravating when you actually need to find a specific tool. The most popular option is the classic pegboard wall, which can turn your wall into a vertical shelving system. A slatwall system can also help keep smaller items on shelves and hooks, plus there’s the added potential to move items around easily. Keep track of smaller metal items, such as drill bits, in place with a magnetic strip. You can find magnetic strips/tape at your local hardware or craft store. Take it even further with small jars to hold screws, bolts, nails, and other smaller parts.
Declutter with PVC
By installing PVC pipes to your walls in a vertical position, you can create a quick and effective organization system for any yard and garden tools that may otherwise just be propped up in a corner haphazardly. You’ll need to screw 12-inch PVC pipes (one for each tool) to a couple of furring strips attached to your garage wall. These can also be attached to a pegboard wall, if it extends to the floor. Shovels, rakes, garden hoes, and any other large garden or yard tools can slide bottom-first into each pipe for a more put together look.
Garage Ceiling Storage
If your garage is home to quite a bit of holiday items that you only really use for a couple of weeks out of the year, you probably have several boxes taking up valuable space in your garage. Overhead storage space could mean you have much more room to park your vehicle(s). Depending on the size needed, garage ceiling storage shelves can be purchased for around $100.
Wrap Up Cords
Extension cord chaos is seemingly inevitable—even when we try our best to wrap them carefully. Let’s put an end to that, shall we? Getting them off the garage floor, out of boxes, or off shelves is step one. Step two is using multipurpose hooks to keep your cords organized. These can be found at any hardware store or garden center. Look for hooks wrapped in rubber to protect your cords from damage.
Whether your goal is to have more space for storage or just to be able to open your garage door and see a clean area, these tips can help you achieve a much more organized garage. Happy cleaning!