How to Declutter and Organize Your Garage or Garage Space

Not everyone has a garage, but most have a place where they store garage-like items, such as house paint, automotive supplies like snow tires or all weather tires depending on the season, shovels, indoor/outdoor gardening supplies, and tools. This is how to declutter and organize your garage or garage space.

Proper supplies – Gather large trash bags, broom & dustpan, shop vac (if you have one), and containers for sorting.

Dividing and conquering – As with any organizing project, create spaces/bags/containers for items to either donate, toss, or keep. The keepers will be further divided into categories in the next phase.

Keepers – Items you are keeping in the garage will have common themes such as gardening, sports, winter shovels, seasonal decorations, and tools. Place items of each theme together so you will be able to determine the best storage solution.

Zones – Based on the quantity of items you have for each category; you can then determine which area of the garage is best suited for each. Think of your child’s kindergarten classroom where there was an area for reading, coloring, and games. Use this same concept in your garage for storing like items together in zones.

Storage – Like most garages, floor space may be limited. Think vertically. What items are best hung on the wall? Tools such as ladders, rakes, and shovels are best stored on the wall. Before investing in an elaborate system, see what containers you have and repurpose them to make sure you are happy with the layout and storage space in your garage.

Maintenance – Use seasonal changes as opportunities to reset your garage back to its proper order. You may have to reshuffle the winter/summer items to make it easier to grab what you need for the current season.

Revisit your garage organization at least twice a year to avoid another laborious task. To be truly efficient as you do so, continue to edit out items you no longer use or want.

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