There are those of us who use the garage strictly as a place to park the cars. The rest of us use it as overflow storage from the house, the perfect place to keep all the bikes, snowboards, camping equipment, tools, and out-of-season footwear. We dare you to park the lawn mower there, let alone a car.
There is nothing wrong with using the garage as a storage facility- I wouldn’t keep my chainsaw in the living room either, but having the space organized enough to access things as you need them and not risk getting cut by something sharp or having an avalanche of stuff fall is definitely a necessity.
Here are 7 Quick and Easy Hacks that will have your garage clean, organized, and maybe even clear enough to park that car!
Declutter
The first thing you need to do is get rid of all the junk. Garages tend to be magnets for unnecessary things that haven’t quite made it to the curb yet, for some reason or another. Go carefully through your garage, bit by bit and make quick yet firm decisions about what stays and what goes.
Suspend
Garages usually have high ceilings, and that’s definitely something to take advance of. Use platforms, pullies and rope to hang up items that take up a lot of room but you only use seasonally or infrequently. Examples of this include surf boards, ski equipment or suitcases. They can easily hang out up there without bothering anyone and you get to clear a lot of space on the garage floor.
Hang
Now turn your attention to the walls. Pretty clear, aren’t they? That’s about to change as garage walls are prime real estate and you’re about to claim them for your needs. There are all kinds of storage solutions made for walls so that you can hang your rakes, golfing equipment, baseball bats, hammers, and even bikes on the walls. This makes them super easy to find, easily accessible, and looks pretty neat!
Invest in Storage Cabinets
Most organizing and decluttering experts will agree that a complete line of modular drawer storage cabinets that provide the maximum use of space will make your life easier and your garage seem bigger. Instead of loose screws, nails, wrenches and keys scattering the shelves or floor, keep them sorted in a cabinet or large tool box.
Storage Boxes
Purchase several plastic storage bins with lids and start filling them with related objects like skates, hockey equipment or even small gardening tools. Label them on the outside so you won’t have to open every box later on to find what you are looking for.
Shelving
Heavy-duty shelving is always a joy to see in a garage. It’s perfect for keeping those large, bulky items off the ground and for keeping our storage bins on. This way, you don’t have to move your tower of boxes to reach the one you want- you see it on the shelf and go for it directly. Now that’s hassle-free!
Give it Time
Even with the perfect set up, clutter likes to creep up on us after a while. That’s why it’s important to dedicate a few hoursseveral times a year to doing some routine cleaning. This will keep the garage from going back to its original state and give you a chance to think of any further improvements that can be made.
Organizing the garage can be hard work, but it’s definitely rewarding to be able to use it as storage as well as park the car inside. Especially during those chilly winter mornings!
