Having a junk-filled garage is not ideal. So, if your garage needs some decluttering, use the six tips below to help you.
Create Spaces to Organize on a Clear Day
When it is a clear day, and you have the time, call over your team of friends and family to help you and start setting up spaces in your driveway or yard dedicated to organizing your items. These spaces can be tarps or tables for items to give away, keep, and donate. You can also have an area for things you’d like to sell, such as vintage items. You can also make a note of where to sell old toys so that you can profit from your old toy collection if you have one.
Take Everything Out of the Garage
Taking out everything that clutters your garage and organizing it can have plenty of benefits. Not only can this action give you the benefit of having a clean and organized space, but it can also give you health benefits.
As you purge items, you can start to feel closure, and when you clean the garage, you can feel a weight lift off of you, and you’ll be a little lighter.
Taking everything out of the garage and separating each item into the sections you made will help you quickly decide how to get rid of things. If you have many items, you may want to permit others to help you figure out what piles your items should go in, so you can get the job done faster.
Only Store What You Use
When you review what is in the pile of things you want to keep, these things should be what you will use in your home. Also, the items that will return to the garage should belong there, such as bikes, tools, or trash bins. If you store things in your garage, they should be seasonal decorations or clothing you’ll use in other seasons.
Get Rid of Things
There are plenty of ideas on how to get rid of items. You can use social media to put free items on your local marketplace boards or distribute flyers around your community so people can take what they want from the piles of things you don’t want. If you have furniture, it is a great idea to post that these items are free in hopes that someone will take them, so you don’t have the added expense of hauling the stuff away.
Create Functional Storage Spaces
Before you put things back into the garage, you must have functional spaces to store items. You can have built-ins on the back wall that house everything you need to put on shelves and inside drawers. You can also install a work area and hang tools and items you need to grab quickly.
If you have bulky items to store, like bikes, these can easily hang up, so they are out of the way. Wire shelves are easy to install and put together if you don’t want to deal with wood shelving. Long tools can also easily store with just a simple board or two to help them stand up and stay organized.
A storage plan is crucial to have before you start organizing, and it will help you get everything you need ready before the big day.
Put Things Back Into the Garage
When you finish your storage plan, it is time to make sure the space is clean and ready for the items you need to store to come back into the garage. Placing everything in its proper place with your friends and family will help them remember where things go after they use them. If you still don’t have space for everything, consider storing the items in a closet or a shed or getting rid of more things.
Conclusion
Cleaning a garage can be a big project, so it is essential to do it in steps and have support. Making the project something fun you can do with friends and family will help it move along faster, and you won’t get overwhelmed as much. Besides, staying organized is a great way to maximize your productivity levels in other areas of your life.
