Five kinds of shovels, four types of hoses, three bicycles, two minivans, and a push lawnmower…No, this is not a holiday song – it’s what is facing you when you enter your garage every day. But there is hope, let’s look at what you can do to take control of your clutter, take control of your garage, and take control of your life.
Be aware that to get to a point of ultimate organization, you must first create chaos. To begin with you need to first assess what you have. You may do this by creating a list, putting things in groups on the lawn or garage floor, or whatever method suits you. It may seem overwhelming at first, but hang in there because it’s not going to improve on its own.
After you decide what you have, you need to decide what you can and can’t live without. If you are like my husband, your inclination will be that you need everything in the garage, even if it hasn’t been used or seen for decades. I have to undertake events such as this when he is not at home. You must be strong; you must be ruthless. If this is extremely difficult for you, ask a friend to help. Let them be your backbone and your wisdom when it comes to deciding to part with the hoses with holes and the rakes with the split handles.
Set a goal for yourself and see if you can meet, or beat, it. Try and eliminate at least a third of the garage clutter at a very minimum. If items are badly damaged and beyond repair, put them on a trash heap. If they are still useable, you have two options: you can either donate them, or earn a few dollars by having a garage sale.
After you have eliminated all that you can part with, it’s time to organize what’s left. Shelves, racks, cabinets, pegboards, and hooks all will come in handy and serve different purposes in the process. Determine how you want the completed project to look, as well as what areas will serve what purposes. The finished garage should have like items, such as all small tools, all large tools, all gardening tools, etc. grouped together. This will make it easier to find things when you need them.
Pegboards are perfect for storing small tools. This keeps everything visible and easily accessible. You can use different pegboards for different categories, a hand tool board, a gardening board, and a barbecue tool board. For tools that are too large for the pegboard, use shelving or cabinets. Also use higher shelving and cabinets to hold such things as chemicals, paint and supplies, and automotive products that may be hazardous to young children. Small jars with lids can be used to hold small items like nails and screws. Keep them handy by attaching the lids to the undersides of the higher shelves and cabinets with screws.
For large tools, such as shovels and rakes, consider purchasing a pre-made rack made for this purpose. If it is not in your budget, use scrap wood and make your own. I built one several years ago with two by fours that is still serving its purpose. The same holds true for sports equipment, either purchase a rack or build one. Other large items, such as stepladders, folding lawn chairs, and wheelbarrows can be mounted on the walls with large hooks.
Consider thinking outside the box for alternative storage ideas. Mount racks along the walls that made for holding hoses on the outside of the house by the faucets. These can be used for both hoses and extension cords. One often overlooked space for storage in the garage is overhead. Most garages are significantly taller than the clearance needed for vehicles. Hooks and shelving allow for storage of items not often used, like bicycles in the winter, tarps, or camping equipment.
It takes a lot of hard work to go from a cluttered garage to a useable and organized space. It’s almost just as difficult to keep that space clean afterward. You will need to think of your garage as an extension of your interior and put forth a conscious effort to doing so. It will definitely pay off - think of how many times you had to go out and buy something you were sure you already had, simply because you couldn’t find it? Now is the time for action.
