De-Cluttering Your Garage

How Do I Declutter My Garage?

Decluttering your Garage is about as hard as a home organization gets. The truth is, though, that the garage is where you put all the junk you don’t want in the rest of your house. All the unwanted household objects end up here, in this limbo. After the purge, where are you expected to put all of this thing?

Evict Everything

Locating the items already stored in your garage is the initial step in cleaning it out. To begin, choose a specific area of the garage and empty all of the contents onto the driveway. This garage cleaning trick will not only make your work easier, but it will also show you exactly how much room you have, which will help you determine what kind of storage units will be most effective. How to corral vehicles among toys, tools, recreational equipment, beach chairs, and cleaning supplies provides a special difficulty. There’s only one place?

GarageSmart Garage Storage Solutions

Every household store thing in their Garage they shouldn’t. For the most part, there is “simply too much of everything,” and it ends up being a “dumping ground for all kinds of things,” as Jumper puts it. If you, like many people, have a lot of unnecessary stuff lying around, you are not alone. And take heart, chances are your garage is nothing compared to what these professionals have seen while organising client’s garages, including dead and living animals, rotting food, photographs damaged by moisture, and termite-infested furniture that never made it to the garbage.

Speak to us if you’re looking for premium garage storage solutions in Melbourne.

Having the proper resources on hand is crucial before beginning the process of organisation. Have on hand the following materials: Super-sturdy garbage bags, Extreme suction, such as that produced by a shop vac or a broom, The proverbial “basket to throw everything in”

Dedicate a day or weekend to cleaning out your garage. Sort everything in your garage into three piles: items to keep, items to donate/sell, and items to trash away. Make piles for the things you’ll keep, such as camping supplies, sports equipment, etc.

Set Your “Keep” Standards

After you have gathered everything, you can begin to establish criteria to use in making your final decision. This method of garage cleaning will save you time because you won’t have to meticulously sort through everything. Asking yourself, “Is this thing in the Garage for a reason, or because we didn’t know what to do with it?” will help you decide what to keep and what to get rid of. If the second is true, you should either make use of it or get rid of it. However, before you dive into the decluttering process, you need have a firm grasp on the specific goals you have for the garage’s post-decluttering, post-organization use.

This will help you know what types of things should be removed from the space, what should be kept, how much room you’ve got for Storage or other tasks (such as parking your car, having a workshop area, etc.), and it will also make the process of making decisions a lot easier for you.

Garages are versatile rooms, or at least they have the potential to be. A car parking zone, workshop or workspace, and storage area are three of the most important “zones” to consider when designing your own garage (and are covered in greater detail in the challenge article referenced above). When you’ve decided what you’d like to do with the items in your garage once they’ve been cleared out, continue on for the decluttering process’s actual steps. Expert organiser at Modular Closets Marty Basher recommends preparing to purge thoroughly before taking on the garage.

You should go through everything and decide whether or not you need to keep it in long-term storage. Consider how simple and cheap it would be to replace an item if needed. Then it’s safe to say you can drop the issue. Drop it! The most challenging aspect of clearing out the garage is deciding what can go. It’s unlikely to be utilised again if it hasn’t been in the past few years. Drop it.

The “memory clutter” is even more of a hindrance.

Those are the things that serve as reminders of significant others or past accomplishments; letting go of them feels disrespectful. He suggests picking out those one-of-a-kind items that sum up an entire person or concept—”the ones that mean the absolute most”—and giving them a more prominent display case inside the house rather than a forgotten corner of the garage. A granddaughter kept boxes of her late grandmother’s belongings for years before Walsh helped her sort through them and choose the ones that were most meaningful to her. She displayed photos of her grandmother and a framed copy of her recipes for her most beloved dishes.

Make A Floor Plan

Think about where you’ll put things before you start putting them back. Measure your garage’s dimensions and draw out a plan. It’s a good idea to put seasonal decorations and other items you won’t be using often in the back of a closet so you have more room for everyday necessities up front.

We need to draw out a floor plan before we start shopping for furniture. Be sure to jot down the measurements of your garage, as well as the placement of any windows, doors, switches, or outlets, and the amount of space your automobile will require to enter and exit the garage.

Take measurements of the garage from above and from straight on at each of the walls. This is useful for determining how many and what size shelves you’ll need, as well as how high you can raise them, how many and what size containers you’ll need, and where and how wide you can slide in carts with drawers.

You should have a clear notion of how much room each category needs now that you’ve organised the items into groups.

Plan the layout of your garage such that the things you use most often are within easy reach. In most cases, the front door provides the simplest point of entry. Seasonal and holiday decorations should be stashed in inconvenient places, such as the back of a deep drawer or the very top shelf.

Keep bulky garden equipment, such as lawnmowers, either in an outdoor Storage unit or in a spot where they won’t get hit by the car we’re trying to fit back into the garage.

Determine A Destination For All That Junk In The Garage

Anything that doesn’t make the cut is automatically considered unnecessary. Please remove it from your garage immediately.

Now that you have the goods you intend to keep out of the garage, you can begin sorting through the rest of the objects. Start by making a list of the things you want to sell or give away. Set up some space for collecting donations, and have some plastic containers, cardboard boxes, or bags on ready to store them in as you go.

Check out the garage smart wall

Put in garbage bags or boxes anything that wasn’t designated for storage, sale, or donation. For your weekend clean up, you can make things easier on yourself by renting a dumpster.

Even though I’m going to show you a way to clean up your garage that’s meant to be relatively mess-free, it’s impossible to avoid creating some clutter as you go. After all, you’ll need a place to lay out your sorting materials and a place to put the various piles you’ll be creating, such as those for items to donate, trash, and selling.

To make it as easy on yourself as possible, create a staging area in your Garage, or if it’s a nice day, out on your driveway.

If you want to organise your garage in the recommended manner, you’ll need a clean, clutter-free staging area to work in. Bring the box you’re working on right now out to the staging area, sort through its contents, and place the items in the appropriate piles there.

If there are objects you plan to keep that are currently scattered around the staging area, I recommend bringing them back to their original spots in the garage and dealing with them after we have completed the decluttering process and before we begin organising the garage. Your staging space will start to seem crowded and disorganised after some time as you go through the debris in your garage. It’s completely normal to feel that way. You have consolidated all of your mess into one one area. When the staging space becomes too congested, it’s time to cease sorting and decluttering and deal with the resulting piles of debris.

Put away anything you’ve decided to keep but move to a different room. It’s also a good time to clean up the house, take out the trash and dispose of it, and maybe make a quick trip to the thrift store or a charity donation centre.

You haven’t really decluttered; at most, you’ve just shifted the piles around in your staging area. By clearing out the staging area, you may finally get rid of all that clutter once and for all.

Give It Away

Keep a shortlist of potential donation destinations as you work through your garage cleanout. Call beforehand to make sure your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Habitat for Humanity can receive your donations. Don’t quit up if the first organisation you contact says they can’t take your donations. You never know what other contribution opportunities might be hiding in plain sight in your own backyard. As an example, Leveling the Playing Field, located in the DC area, accepts donations of sports equipment in order to provide disadvantaged kids with access to sports.

Donate as much as you can while you sort through your garage belongings. Garden groups and neighbourhood green spaces will often take yard equipment, old pots, and unused soil, and Denny says that Habitat for Humanity is always happy to receive contributions of paint and tools.

Whenever possible, give to a local charity whose mission you support, even if you aren’t in dire need of the money yourself. Items that are too enormous or too expensive to move by yourself are the sole exceptions. Do not increase stress by trying to resell everything, especially if you are dealing with a huge space.

Procure A Sale

You can generate some extra cash by selling the items you remove from your garage at a yard sale or on eBay. You may find buyers and promote your yard sale on websites like Craigslist, Freecycle, and the Facebook Marketplace. It’s recommended that you do some online digging before settling on a pricing for your wares.

There’s more to a successful garage sale than just dumping your unwanted items in the driveway. Carefully disseminate information when you’ve finished sorting your goods. Step by step, identify and separate items that can be sold, such as used furniture, sports gear, household products, and baby gear.

Having a sale on the 15th or 30th of the month, when people are more willing to spend money, and advertising it on a website like Garagesalestracker.com, will bring in more customers.

Make Your Case

Get rid of the junk in your garage that you won’t be able to donate or sell. The quantity and kind of your trash necessitate a tailored approach to waste disposal. If you’re getting rid of a lot of bulky items like old patio furniture or lawn care equipment as part of your garage cleanup, you can end up with a mound of trash that’s too big for the kerb. More than a few pickup truck loads probably means you should rent a dumpster if you haven’t already. You should not, however, throw away any paint, garden sprays, or other lawn chemicals during this cleaning process.

Take care in how you dispose of liquids and fertilisers that could be harmful to the environment. If you need information on where to dispose of dangerous cleaning supplies, contact your local sanitation agency or health bureau.

Void And Clean Interior

Perhaps you should clean the garage well before restocking it now that it is completely devoid of all of its previous contents. When cleaning a Garage, it’s best to start at the top and work your way down. Start by dusting and cleaning off the tops of your cupboards, shelves, and fridge (if you have one). Finally, wipe off the insides of your garage’s fridge and cupboards with a warm moist towel and a mild household detergent. Then, sweep away the displaced dirt and debris. We recommend finishing up by mopping and hosing down the floor. Before putting anything back where it belongs, please give the flooring at least two to four hours to dry.

Always begin cleaning at the highest point and work your way down.
Clean the dust off with a dry rag, and then use a damp rag to finish the job.
If you’re using damp rags, keep a pail of hot water with dish detergent or vinegar handy to rinse them out.
Warm water containing bleach or vinegar can be used to wipe away mould.
The garage walls can be cleaned from top to bottom with a sponge mop.
Use a microfiber towel to dry the garage walls.
Using clay cat litter to soak up the oil, dish soap to cut the grease, and a wire scrub brush, mop the floor and get rid of the motor oil stains.
Optional: Use a floor fan to quickly dry the floor after mopping.
Cat litter, dish soap, and a wire scrub brush can be used to get rid of motor oil stains.
Use bleach or vinegar diluted in warm water to wipe away any mould.
Sponge mop the entire length of the garage’s walls to get rid of dust and grime. When you’re done, dry the wall using a flat-head mop fitted with a microfiber cloth. Use a floor fan to hasten the drying process after mopping.

Speak to us if you’re looking for elite garage storage solutions in Sydney.

Part Off The Garage Into Zones / Establish Divisions

You should try to divide, and then divide again. In order to keep track of everything, it’s important to designate specific spaces in the garage for each category.

Think about things like gardening supplies, athletic equipment, auto parts, and hand tools and power equipment.

Next, separate each pile using the tried-and-true decluttering method: keep, donate, and trash.

To save space, check the dates on your lawn and garden chemicals, get rid of any duplicates, and then merge any packages that contain the same items.
Now that you’ve cleared out the garage and reduced your stock, it’s important to take steps to prevent the mess from returning. Exactly how should one go about arranging their garage space? It’s going to rely on your storage requirements.
Make good use of shelving units to store commonly used products within easy reach.
Don’t only throw away cupboards and closets; put away objects you rarely use.
Hand tools like hammers and hacksaws can be kept in order on a pegboard.
Larger equipment, such as rakes and shovels, can be hung from the wall or stored upright in a strong container.
Sort things into piles by kind, so you can quickly find what you need and return it to its rightful spot after you’re done using it.

All three experts agree that zone organisation is the best strategy for a garage because of the wide variety of objects kept there. The first step is to sort everything into categories. We like to divide the store up into sections like those seen in hardware stores, auto shops, paint and home improvement stores, and so on. So, everyone can find their stuff because it has a permanent home. Check out garage storage cabinets

The scope of your planning is not limited to the three primary zones in this framework. Our favourite garage renovation was for a client who wanted seven distinct areas within her relatively small garage. These included: a laundry area; a site to store seasonal clothing; a place to work out; a place to store seasonal decorations; and a general storage room Storage for items that would not fit into her downsized space, a workbench for her husband, and a home office.

The aforementioned four zones should serve as a starting point from which further expansion can be made. Once you’ve got everything organised, you can start figuring out how much room you’ll need for each section. You may simply make a “beach gear zone,” for instance, if you’ve gathered all of your beach gear and have a good idea of how much space you’ll need.

Now that you’ve cleared space in your Garage, group remaining items into categories to make things easy to find.

Things like gardening tools, cleaning supplies, tools, bicycles, camping equipment, and accessories, etc.

The good part begins when everything has been organised into sensible piles. Shopping! Look for stackable bins and containers for smaller things, racks, hooks, and shelving for bigger things, and appropriate cupboards for locked-away stuff.

Make your garage more useful by partitioning it into various zones. Equipment, for instance, should be stored close to your workbench; you may free up bench space and keep your tools handy by hanging them on a pegboard nearby. Lockable cabinets are a wonderful option for securing your expensive power tool collection, while shelves above and below your workbench are perfect for storing hardware supplies.

Install racks high on the wall to create a storage zone for goods like rakes, shovels, and other gardening equipment, and keep your gardening materials in a slim cupboard close to the garage door to minimise the distance you have to carry them. Locking cabinets are ideal for securing chemicals used in the garden, the home, or the car, where they will be safe from curious little hands.

Walsh suggests providing a particular amount of space and designating certain areas for like items. For example, if you have 10 containers of seasonal decorations, you may stack them on the top shelves. The contents of the ten containers will need to be culled in order to make room for additional items. The concept of zones is based on the premise that one should always know where to place things and where to find them.

Organizing your garage’s contents into distinct zones for different purposes—Halloween, Christmas, camping, cleaning, kids’ mementoes, gardening, etc.—is a crucial step in the decluttering process. Walsh expands on this idea by suggesting that you only provide each category a certain amount of real estate on your site. That means making sure you have room for the goods you already have in stock, and no more. Any new camping gear or holiday decorations you bring in must fit in the available storage space, or else you’ll have to get rid of anything.

Avoid Floor Creep

Again, Peter Walsh suggests this. The top of the desk, the countertop, and the garage floor are not acceptable storage areas, he says. He then elaborates on the importance of making smart use of vertical space. Don’t let your garage’s vertical space go to waste by not making use of it. Put things where you can see them and reach them easily with tall shelving, hooks, and pegboards. Those used only once a year should be placed high and out of the way, while goods used more frequently should be placed at eye level and less frequently used and heavier items should be placed lower.

Invest in storage help

Keeping things off the floor is the single most effective method for maintaining a clean and orderly garage. Put in hooks, shelves, and a ceiling rack to organise your belongings.

Take Your Time When Cleaning Out Your Garage

It’s not necessary to feel overwhelmed by the task of cleaning out your garage. In just one weekend with these methods, you can have your parking spot back. Put aside some time. If you try to tackle this task while already pressed for time, you’ll give up and put it off till later.

Speak to us if you’re looking for garage storage solutions in Australia.

Preserve A Neat And Clean Garage

After you’ve finished setting up your zones, you’ll feel relieved and proud of yourself. Fifth, maintain this system of organisation by performing periodic thorough cleanings: Depending on the season, monthly, or even weekly. When you maintain a clean and well-organized garage on a regular basis, you’ll save both time and energy. Hoff says, “Once it’s arranged, it doesn’t take long to clean, just like any other room in your house.” We recommend doing this again once you have thoroughly gone through everything in your garage and have narrowed it down to the items you intend to keep.

Though you’ll be able to get through it much more quickly this time around, you might end up finding even more junk that needs to be discarded.

Adding objects to be discarded into piles in your staging area and then dealing with them once the staging area is filled is the same as the first time you did this.

Once you’ve gone through this procedure twice, your garage will include just the items you truly value, at which point you may move on from decluttering and start putting things where they go. It’s on this issue that the challenge article focuses, so read it, finish the project, and pat yourself on the back.

Clearing out a large, disorganised area requires diligence and patience. You, however, are capable of accomplishing this. Believe me, you won’t regret it.

Conclusion

The garage is where you can store household junk. After cleaning out your garage, you can choose storage containers based on space. Garages are versatile.

Keep holiday decorations and other items in a closet. List your discards. Rent a dumpster for weekend cleaning. Clearing the garage shouldn’t be messy, but it usually is. You’ll need a clean place to store your tools and supplies to organise your garage.

Clearing the staging area may allow you to get rid of everything. Cleaning up your garage and selling the items on eBay or having a yard sale can bring you money. Only objects too big or expensive to move are exempt. Garagesalestracker.com details successful garage sales. Before cleaning, empty the garage!

A sponge mop will clean the garage walls. Keep regularly used goods on your shelves. You need how much parking? Estimate your space needs and divide them into portions. Group like objects to find and return them.

He suggests separating seasonal decorations (Halloween, Christmas, gardening, cleaning), children’s treasures, and home essentials. You’ll feel good after cleaning out the garage. Keep your garage organised to save time and energy. Australians seeking garage storage have an article.

Content Summary

The truth is that the garage is where you put all the junk you don’t want in the rest of your house.
Speak to us if you’re looking for premium garage storage solutions in Melbourne.
Having the proper resources is crucial before beginning the organisation process.
Sort everything in your garage into three piles: items to keep, donate/sell, and trash away.
However, before diving into the decluttering process, you must have a firm grasp on your goals for the garage’s post-decluttering and post-organization use.
When you’ve decided what to do with the items in your garage once they’ve been cleared out, continue with the decluttering process’s actual steps.
Expert organiser at Modular Closets Marty Basher recommends preparing to purge thoroughly before taking on the garage.
The most challenging aspect of clearing the garage is deciding where to go.
Think about where you’ll put things before you start putting them back.
Measure your garage’s dimensions and draw out a plan.
Plan the layout of your garage such that the things you use most often are within easy reach.
Now that you have the goods you intend to keep out of the garage, and you can begin sorting through the rest of the objects.
Start by listing the things you want to sell or give away.
To make it as easy on yourself as possible, create a staging area in your Garage; if it’s a nice day, out on your driveway.
If you want to organise your garage in the recommended manner, you’ll need a clean, clutter-free staging area to work in.
Clearing out the staging area may eliminate all that clutter once and for all.
Keep a shortlist of potential donation destinations as you work through your garage cleanout.
Donate as much as you can while you sort through your garage belongings.
You can generate extra cash by selling the items you remove from your garage at a yard sale or on eBay.
There’s more to a successful garage sale than just dumping unwanted items in the driveway.
Before putting anything back where it belongs, please give the flooring at least two to four hours to dry.
Clean the dust off with a dry rag, and then use a damp rag to finish the job.
Sponge mop the entire length of the garage’s walls to get rid of dust and grime.
Speak to us if you’re looking for elite garage storage solutions in Sydney.
To keep track of everything, it’s important to designate specific spaces in the garage for each category.
Now that you’ve cleared out the garage and reduced your stock, preventing the mess from returning is important.
Check out garage storage cabinets. The scope of your planning is wider than the three primary zones in this framework.
For instance, you may make a “beach gear zone” if you’ve gathered all your beach gear and have a good idea of how much space you’ll need.
Now that you’ve cleared space in your Garage, group the remaining items into categories to make things easy to find.
Make your garage more useful by partitioning it into various zones.
Install racks high on the wall to create a storage zone for goods like rakes, shovels, and other gardening equipment, and keep your gardening materials in a slim cupboard close to the garage door to minimise the distance you have to carry them.
Walsh suggests providing a particular space and designating certain areas for items.
Organizing your garage’s contents into distinct zones for different purposes—Halloween, Christmas, camping, cleaning, kids’ mementoes, gardening, etc.—is a crucial step in decluttering.
He says the top of the desk, the countertop, and the garage floor are not acceptable storage areas.
Don’t let your garage’s vertical space go to waste by not making use of it.
Put in hooks, shelves, and a ceiling rack to organise your belongings.
Speak to us if you’re looking for garage storage solutions in Australia.
After setting up your zones, you’ll feel relieved and proud of yourself.
Fifth, maintain this system of organisation by performing periodic thorough cleanings: Depending on the season, monthly, or even weekly.
When you maintain a clean and well-organized garage regularly, you’ll save both time and energy.
Adding objects to be discarded into piles in your staging area and then dealing with them once the staging area is filled is the same as the first time you did this.
It’s on this issue that the challenge article focuses, so read it, finish the project, and pat yourself on the back.
Clearing out a large, disorganised area requires diligence and patience.

FAQs About Garage Declutter

Is it risky to spend the night in the carport?

To begin, there’s a chance that carbon monoxide from the car has filled the garage. The potential of carbon monoxide poisoning is real, therefore it’s crucial to keep the garage well-ventilated and free of vehicles when you sleep there.

What’s the best way to stack boxes in the cellar?

In particular, cardboard should not be stored in garages. You should move your belongings out of cardboard boxes and into plastic containers and cartons. Spending a little more on sturdy containers ensures that your belongings will remain organised and out of harm’s way for a long time.

How do I clean my garage door?

Sponges or soft cloths should be used to wash the surface using lukewarm water, a little soap or detergent, and a clean surface. To avoid water marks, it is recommended to rinse with clean water and then dry completely using a chamois or damp cellulose sponge. This product must not be scuffed or brushed.

What method do you use to clean the walls in your garage?

Start by vacuuming the dust and cobwebs from the garage walls with a shop vac. For those without access to a shop vac, a standard broom will do. When you’ve finished vacuuming up the dust, use a damp rag and some dish soapy water to clean up the mess that’s left behind.

Is it possible to use a pressure washer to clean a garage’s interior?

Also, never use a gas-powered pressure washer in an enclosed space like a garage. Carbon monoxide, which has no smell, is produced by them and is extremely lethal. The pressure washer unit should be kept in a well-ventilated area outside the garage at all times.