Often, when looking to buy a home, we look for a garage. Why? Extra space and extra security for our cars, tools, bikes, and other belongings. Then, two years down the line, the garage is completely full of junk that we don’t need, horribly disorganised, and becomes an all-around stressful situation.
Does this sound like you? We know, it’s easy to fall into the garage junk trap. If you’re in this situation and find yourself desiring a neat and organized garage, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we are going to discuss all the steps you need to take to safely and properly organize your garage and everything in it.
Why Organize Your Garage?
There are myriad reasons why organizing your garage should be top of your priority list. As we have just said, a junk-filled, disorganized garage can be super stressful to deal with. Never being able to find what you’re looking for is frustrating and, at times, downright upsetting!
Aside from this, it can also be super dangerous to have a disorganized garage. Most of the things we store in the garage are in there because they are big, bulky, or dangerous. Whether you're housing brand new rides or reliable second-hand cars, the last thing you want is to be climbing over sharp tools and dirty surfaces to try and reach your car or bike. So, it’s time to create a neat, tidy, organized, clean and safe environment in your garage space.
Throw Stuff Out
This is hard for some of us, but it is essential. It’s time to get ruthless with all the junk you have accumulated over the years in your garage. Do you really need that tired socket wrench set you got when you were 19? Do you really need all four of your old bicycles? How about all the dust sheets you’ve not touched in years? Go through your garage with a fine-toothed comb and throw out anything you have not used, or are not likely to use for a long time. Then, and only then, can we start the organizing phase!
Get Some Shelving
One of the biggest issues people struggle with is adequately storing tools, paints, and other garage items. Open garage shelving is your best friend here. Proper shelving racks can be fixed to the wall and therefore run floor-to-ceiling. Open fronted shelves are better than drawers, too, as this way you’ll be able to quickly access and reorganize when needed. It also means you’ll always be able to see what you’ve got, meaning you won’t accidentally buy a third can of duck egg blue paint! This is one of the biggest problems disorganized garage owners face - not being able to see or find anything, making them purchase more and more items! So, get some decent rack shelving and start organizing items into categories.
image © Kerut
Build Or Buy A Workstation
Most of us keep our tools in the garage. While many of us use our tools quite sparingly, some people use tools regularly. In either case, a proper workstation is an essential garage item. Any kind of DIY, car mechanics, cutting materials, or other work can be done at or with the aid of a proper workstation. Without one, we often end up using the garden wall or the driveway as a cutting station, putting ourselves and our surfaces at great risk. So, choose an appropriate space in your garage and build a workstation.
Optimize Storage
There are some things that won’t suitably go up on high shelves, that’s for sure. Although we recommend putting as many things on display as possible in your garage, there are some things that require different kinds of storage. For example, small screws, drill bits, and other small tools will definitely not last if left out on shelves. For these kinds of items, you could consider a set of DIY drawers. These small units with tens of clear plastic drawers will make small items easy to find quickly. You may also consider a rolling toolbox or some large heavy-duty boxes for other bulky items. These can be rolled in and out from under your shelves or workstation. Space optimized.
Clean Everything
You might not like it, but your garage needs to be cleaned, just like your home. After all, your family will likely use the room as much as you do, so you don’t want the room full of dust and metal filings. While sorting your garage, make sure you clear the floor and thoroughly sweep or vacuum the whole space. Clean your shelving, workstation and other surfaces too. Then, you can fill up space well, while knowing everything has a place and will be kept clean. Regular maintenance and cleaning are also advised.
Utilize All Wall Space
So, you’ve got your shelves up, your floor-based storage optimization in place, and a lovely workstation, but there are still some loose items. Hopefully, you’ve still got a bit of wall space available, because there are some things that you can hang on the wall to save even more floor space. For example, bicycles and ladders are two large items that, with a few simple hooks, can be placed a few feet up on a wall, leaving space to walk around and work in the garage. You can buy specific bike hooks or simply make your own. Either way, it looks cool and saves space.
Make Sure Everything Is Safe
One of the most important things to consider at the end of all this is: is everything safe? We mean safe from the outside and from the inside. You need to make sure your garage doors are secure to stop anyone from entering your newly refurbished garage and taking whatever they like. You also need to make sure that all dangerous tools and items are stored safely. This is for your benefit as well as the benefit of anyone who enters your garage - especially family or children. There should be no loose tools, sharp objects, or hanging items that could cause damage to a person.
Once you’ve done all of the above, you should have a beautifully organized and suddenly spacious garage. Whether you use it for work, storage, or access, you’ll know it’s clean and safe for you and your whole family. It may seem like a huge task but we’ll say this now, it’ll be totally worth it.
While sorting your garage, make sure you clear the floor and thoroughly sweep or vacuum the whole space. If you find that you have a significant amount of waste to dispose of, consider hiring a service like 1300 Rubbish to help you with the process. Clean your shelving, workstation and other surfaces too.
