Clutter in the garage! Oh no!

2008-08-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

Garages often are used as a repository for our odds and ends and other misc junk. The space is 'out of the way' and not in the house so it makes a convenient place to store things. The problem starts when we want to find something, or store something else in the garage only to find out we cannot. Maybe we want to do some work in the garage, put a work bench in there with some tools to fix something. Or perhaps we already do have a workbench and too many tools and to top it all off it is buried in other stuff. It is time to clean up the garage.

Think about what the garage is. Sure it is meant as a place for some storage but its ultimate purpose is a place of work, storing the car, and other things you wouldn't do in the house. Where else can you do them then? Why would you want to keep random boxes of stuff while the car, which is probably more valuable to you, is stuck outside to weather the elements? The space is so much more useful when it is neatly organized and open. The feeling you get when you walk into the garage and it is clean is a feeling of elation and satisfaction. Its the same feeling you may get when your bedroom is cleaned up. Its just a feeling of satisfaction and ultimately, peace.

To this end it really pays to keep your home clean. This means the garage too!

To begin we must take stock of what is in the garage. There may be some yard work tools hung on the walls, maybe tools plus a lot of odds and ends all over the work bench. Maybe the cabinets are overflowing with paint cans or an accumulation of Christmas and other holiday decorations. To top it all off, in the middle of the garage we have tons of boxes full of god only knows what. It really helps in future stages of cleaning to know all of what is in the garage so we can take better stock of how to clean it.

Be honest with yourself. After you know what is in the garage, ask yourself what do you need. What do you really need and use that you would want to keep? Do you need those broken tools? Perhaps pots of soil that are half full that you haven't seen for months. What about those boxes everywhere? Did you even remember you had all this stuff? If the conclusion, and the truthful conclusion is that you probably will never use it again, then get rid of it. If it is in good condition I would consider donating it to someone else. If not, then trash it.

I really emphasize being honest with yourself because people tend to cling to things. We rationalize why we need to keep something when the honest truth is we really don't need to keep that. Its one of the reasons why we accumulate so much stuff and clutter begins. I am guilty of this too. I have to reason with myself quite often before I throw something away. So just be truthful to yourself and get rid of it. You probably won't miss it.

What is the purpose of the garage going to be? Are you going to use it to park your car? Do you do a lot of work with tools? Organizing the garage around a purpose can help you decide your next steps as well as what to keep and what to throw away.

If you don't have any ideas of what to do with the garage, then why not turn it into another room? Or perhaps a game room for the kids? You don't need to do a lot of renovation to make it happen either.

Here is some advice on how to proceed and know how to store things.

Tools. Get a workbench that has a wall to store tools on, or get a tool chest that is large enough to store all your tools in an organized fashion.
Get a wall mount for garden tools. Shoves, rakes, and other tools can easily be put out of the way by hanging them on the wall. If you have a shed, then that is an even better place. Get them out of the garage completely.
Holiday decorations. First throw out the ones that are broke, or you don't want anymore. Put them in large tubs or bins if they are not already. Organize them based on holiday. Put them in cupboards if they fit. If not then put them out of the way and stack them. Better yet if you have a shed put them there, in an orderly fashion.
Family heirlooms or memorabilia. First ask yourself how much this stuff means to you. Then consider the type of environment the garage is. Its usually not insulated so its hot, cold, humid, dry, etc. This could damage a lot of stuff. That and insects might get into it. If the garage can be controlled in these areas then its alright to store them in the cupboards. Otherwise keep them in the house if possible.
Car equipment. This can also be organized into tubs or placed in cupboards. Devote a section of the cupboard for car stuff and keep it organized.

You can get an idea of how to do things from this. Think about things and stay organized. It may be worthwhile to have a friend over to help. They might be able to help you decide what you should keep or throw away and how to organize things.

It just takes takes time. Don't think you have to do it all in one day. Pace yourself and take things one step at a time, one box at a time and do not give up! Think of what the results could be!

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Clutter in the garage! Oh no!