Despite leaving an expensive car exposed to the weather while keeping unwanted (and usually unpleasant) objects, over half of Australians say they have trouble finding a parking spot in their garage owing to clutter.
Do you have a Hoarders-style garage? Is there material stacked to the ceiling from which you cannot retrieve anything? Insufficient room to even park the car? It’s okay, and assistance is on the way. You can quickly and easily clear up the clutter in your garage by following these four simple steps.
Cleaning out the garage is about as challenging as it gets in terms of housekeeping. Because, let’s face it, the garage is where you put all the junk you don’t want in the rest of the house. Everything that doesn’t belong in your house ends up there. And if you get rid of it, where exactly are you going to put it?
The garage organisation process can seem daunting, but we’ll break it down for you in this instalment of our Declutter Your Home Guide. Follow these steps to make purging as easy as possible and transform this tired eyesore into a space you’ll be proud to show off.
Speak to us if you’re looking for premium garage storage solutions in Australia.
If you don’t have time to clean, tidy, and organise your garage, getting it in order can be a real challenge. Making the time to clear out your garage, however, can lead to numerous advantages, including better hygiene and a more effective use of space.
However, many residents quickly give up on organising their garages and keep utilising them as a catch-all storage space. What they don’t realise is that by making a few minor adjustments, like renting the best garage space in Temecula, you can make a huge impact on the quality of your garage.
The accumulation of junk in your garage will be replaced with plans to install a music studio or a modest workshop before you know it. Put in the effort to remodel your garage, and you’ll be rewarded. Learn more about our suggestions for cleaning out your garage.
Throw It All Out
To start clearing out your garage, you should inventory the items currently stored there. To begin, choose a specific area of your garage and bring all of the associated items out into the driveway. This garage cleaning hack will not only make your work easier, but it will also give you a better idea of how much room you have to manage with and what kind of storage solutions would be most effective when it comes time to organise the goods you’re keeping.
Choose The Specifics Of What You Want To Keep
Once you have everything laid out, you can begin to establish criteria for selecting what will be kept. This method of garage cleaning will save you time because you won’t have to carefully examine each thing. To help you decide what to keep and what to toss, ask yourself, “Is this thing in the garage for a purpose, or because we did not even know what to do with it?” If the second is true, you should either make use of it or get clear of it.
- Items to Retain in a Garage Sort
- Things you’ve used multiple times in the last calendar year.
- Things in working condition. Ditch all those gizmos you’ve been “meaning to fix.”
- Fully functional items. Get rid of the broken gadgets you’ve been meaning to repair.
- Expendable tools that are difficult to borrow or rent.
- Beth Levin, Closet Queen’s Professional Organizer
The garage should be zoned, but essentials and desires should be kept as well. If you’re a gardener, you know how important it is to have your own little work area set up with all your pots, soil, and tools. Some are automotive enthusiasts, some are multi-sport athletes, and still others are handymen who require a dedicated tool station. If, however, we discover four items that perform the same function, we will recommend that the homeowner donates two or three each of them in order to make more room.
Speak to us if you’re looking for elite garage storage solutions in Melbourne.
Sort Out The Clutter In The Garage
Nothing on your “keep” list should be considered anything else than unnecessary extra baggage. Leave the garage immediately.
Now that you have the goods you intend to keep out of the garage, you can begin sorting through the remaining objects. Start by making a list of the things you want to sell or give away. Prepare ahead of time by having plastic containers, cardboard boxes, or bags on hand to quickly and easily store items donated as you work.
If an item doesn’t go in one of your three piles (keep, sell, or donate), put it in a trash bag or box. Throw the trash bags into the dumpster as you go if you’ve rented one for your weekend cleanup.
The Best Guide To Cleaning Out Your Garage
Cleaning up the garage’s clutter is the first step towards getting it organised. Through the years, your garage has likely become a dumping ground for a wide variety of knickknacks. It’s a large job to clean up and organise all of this stuff, and it won’t help much if it doesn’t stay that way for long. Follow these first three suggestions.
Throw it out
Dedicate a whole day or week 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. Group like items together, such as camping supplies, sports equipment, etc., in your “keep” pile.
Organise your room in advance
Think about where you’ll put things before you begin putting them back. Measure your garage’s dimensions and draw out a plan. You should put things you don’t use regularly, like holiday decorations, towards the back and utilise the front for things you use frequently.
Making an investment in storage space is useful
Maintaining a clean and orderly garage requires keeping items off the floor. You can keep your belongings secure and organised with the help of shelves, hooks, and even ceiling storage.
Concepts for Garage Storage
After you’ve finished cleaning out the garage, it’s time to start thinking about how to best organise your belongings. It can be difficult to find a system that would allow you to maintain your garage neat and accessible. Here are some creative ways to make the most of your space.
Places To Put Things In The Ceiling
Don’t throw away potential attic space in the garage. Ladders and other long, flat things fit perfectly here. It is possible to install hanging shelves to keep camping equipment and other seasonal goods out of the way. A lot of clutter may be avoided, and things kept off the floor in this way. Installing shelves from the ceiling requires careful planning to ensure the garage door can open fully and your vehicles fit within.
Instead Of Cabinets, There Are Shelves
Instead of cabinets, make use of the wire and wood shelving available. Eliminate the clutter in your garage by installing open shelving so that you can see and access your belongings with ease. The quantity of available space in your garage will be severely reduced because cabinets require clearance room for the doors to slide open. Open shelving is an excellent long-term solution for garage organising since you will be more compelled to maintain everything neat if there are no cabinet doors to conceal your clutter.
Pegboards Can Be Quite Useful
When used to hang and organise tools and other commonly used things, pegboards are a great addition to any garage. Tools, equipment, and gardening implements can all be displayed with the help of hooks and pegs affixed to a sturdy pegboard. A pegboard can be a reliable and flexible storage solution. If you do not have a lot of wall space for shelves in your garage, you may make the most of it by installing as many pegboards as you like.
Slatwall Should Be Installed
Attached to the wall in a series of grooves, Slatwall panels create a storage and display system. The system’s adaptability stems from the fact that a wide variety of baskets, hooks, hooks, and shelves can be mounted in the grooves. Slatwall can be a practical and cost-effective alternative to cabinets because it is less permanent and can be easily modified.
Put Things In The Same Pile
You can organise your shelves by assigning each part to a certain category, such as “pet supplies,” “maintenance tools,” and so on. Having everything in its proper place facilitates long-term order and makes it simpler to locate certain goods.
Make Money By Leasing Out Your Garage
Don’t let the space sit vacant after you’ve cleaned it out. If you wouldn’t need it for your own storage needs, renting out your garage to a neighbour who does is a great way to bring in some additional cash every month. Neighbour is a free service that allows you to advertise your unused garage or other space. Potential tenants have the option to rent from you, increasing your monthly income.
Ways to Organise Your Garage for Particular Items
If you organise your garage appropriately, you should be able to store just about anything there. Before putting anything in your garage that could be damaged by extremes in humidity or temperature, ensure the space has proper climate control and other safeguards. The following is a listing of goods and suggestions for stowing them away in a garage.
Protecting Bicycles From The Elements In The Garage
A bike can take a lot of space on the ground, and it’s easy to get in the way of other things if they’re stored there. Hanging your bikes is the greatest option for storing them. Your bicycles will be safe, away from the way, and easy to reach. If you want to learn how to properly hang bicycles in your garage, check out This Old House guide.
Putting Away Sporting Goods
The most key thing to remember while putting away sporting gear is to separate items by sport. As a bonus, you’ll have a cleaner garage in no time. Once everything has been categorised, use shelves to store larger goods like headgear and skates, and wire or plastic bins to store smaller items. Keep your sports balls organised and prepared for transport by storing them in mesh laundry bags.
Speak to us if you’re looking for garage storage solutions in Sydney.
The Orderly Storage Of Hand Tools In The Basement Or Garage
If your tools are all mixed up in a box or drawer, you may never find the one you need again. The best method to keep tools neat and accessible is to hang them on the wall. Create the ideal tool display using the pegboard technique or the Slatwall system. Wrenches and other hand tools can be stored on belt and tie racks.
Putting Kayaks Away For The Winter
Keep your kayak out of direct sunshine and warm temperatures when not in use. You may either buy a premade suspension system or rig up your own using thick webbing straps to hang your kayak from the ceiling. Don’t forget to wipe down the kayak and cover the hull (the bottom) before putting it away for the winter. When storing a kayak in a garage, make sure the hull is facing upward at all times.
Golf Clubs Can Be Stored In The Garage
Before putting away your clubs, give them a good cleaning and dry them completely. Make sure your garage is temperature and humidity controlled if you intend to keep golf clubs there for an extended period of time. Because of how sensitive your clubs are to changes in humidity and temperature, storing them in a chilly, unheated garage during the winter could be detrimental. Your golf clubs should be stored in a covered box in a corner of your climate-controlled garage, away from the swinging door.
Maintaining A Garage Full With Gardening Equipment
In order to keep your lawn equipment in working order and available for use whenever you are, you need an efficient method of organising. Utilising a vertical storage system is the most effective method for preserving the condition of your instruments. Attach hooks or racks on the wall to store gardening implements like rakes, shovels, and hoses. A repurposed desk can serve as a potting bench or gardening station in the garage. Put tiny gardening equipment and gloves in baskets and hang them from hooks around your desk.
Sort Out Your Camping Supplies
While camping is a terrific way to spend time outdoors, it may be a pain to get everything ready for a trip if your supplies are spread out across the garage. Storing your camping equipment in totes is a terrific way to keep everything organised and ready with your next trip. Load up smaller containers with your belongings, mark them, and stack them neatly within your larger rolling containers. Once it’s time to leave, just wheel your totes into to the truck and go. It will save you money and prevent you from having to purchase new equipment if you clean it carefully after each trip.
Be sure to find a garage shelving solutions and work with GarageSmart Garage Storage Solutions when packing and storing your belongings. From a simple, one-room project to a cross-country move, a professional organiser like GarageSmart can help to make your life easier.
What Can I Do To Clear Out Some Room In My Garage?
Especially in households with many cars and a sizable family, garage space is at a premium. It doesn’t matter how much you try to clear the floor; more and more boxes keep building up.
Is there a method to alter this, then? There must be! You need to be determined to see your garage through to completion. In order to make additional room in your garage, you can take a few simple measures. What you need to do is as follows:
Clear The Clutter
Among the many issues that might arise for homeowners, clutter is particularly troublesome. You’ll fool yourself into thinking your garage is smaller than it actually is if you allow clutter to take over. You should get rid of whatever you won’t use or can’t fix, whether it’s unnecessary or broken.
Continually Scrub And Polish
You should give your garage a thorough cleaning after you’ve cleared out the clutter. Take care to clean every nook and cranny, including those that are hard to access. Your garage will feel more open and airier when you clean it.
Build Up Specific Areas
Creating designated areas in your garage is a simple method to keep things from getting cluttered again. Having a dedicated storage area for sports gear, say, would be preferable to sharing a shed with the gardening tools.
Put Up Mirrors
Although it’s not very popular, mirrors might help you make your garage feel more spacious. One of the most effective ways to provide the impression of more space in a cramped room is to use mirrors.
Helping a client in their own home to clear out clutter and organise their belongings is a very individual service. You must have Garage Smart Garage Storage Solutions the right team for this task.
Make Use Of Racks And Cabinets That Minimise Clutter
Finally, if you intend to free up space in your garage, you need to put in place effective storage options. Storage units, especially those with overhead racks, can help you make the most of your available vertical space, allowing you to clear the floor for other uses.
You should sweep and tidy the garage when you’ve finished decluttering it. The good part is about to begin. Get to work reorganising the garage but do it methodically: group like objects together and divide the space into zones.
To begin, group like goods together, such as sports gear, outdoor/backyard gear, tools, car gear, and so on.
The next step is to designate spaces for goods that are similar: a tool shed, a wall mounted tool rack, a designated area for the kids’ sports gear, etc. Make the best effort you can to keep everything contained and pushed up against the walls.
Conclusion
More than half of Australians claimed clutter in their garages made parking difficult. Decluttering your garage improves living conditions and storage. These techniques will simplify garage remodelling. After cleaning out your garage, you’ll know how much space you have and what storage options are best. This method lets you swiftly clean the garage without analysing each thing.
Start your sale or donation by listing all your stuff. Then, give yourself a few days to organise your garage. Keeping the garage clean requires not leaving stuff on the floor. Shelves, hooks, and even ceiling space can help you store and organise your items safely and efficiently. Open shelving is great for long-term garage storage.
Garage pegboards organise and hang tools. Hooks and pegs display tools, equipment, and gardening tools. Slatwall panels are cheaper and more practical than cabinets. If your belongings are scattered in the garage, camping may be difficult. Tools are best stored vertically or on the wall. Garage Smart’s storage solutions help you organise and maximise space. For example, it’s easier to store sports gear in its shed than with gardening supplies. Mirrors make small rooms look bigger.
Content Summary
- Despite leaving an expensive car exposed to the weather while keeping unwanted (and usually unpleasant) objects, over half of Australians say they have trouble finding parking in their garage owing to clutter.
- You can quickly and easily clear up the clutter in your garage by following these four simple steps.
- Getting it in order can be a real challenge if you have little time to clean, tidy, and organise your garage.
- However, clearing your garage can lead to numerous advantages, including better hygiene and more effective use of space.
- Put in the effort to remodel your garage, and you’ll be rewarded.
- To start clearing out your garage, you should inventory the items there.
- This garage cleaning hack will not only make your work easier, but it will also give you a better idea of how much room you have to manage and what kind of storage solutions would be most effective when it comes time to organise the goods you’re keeping.
- Speak to us if you’re looking for elite garage storage solutions in Melbourne.
- Leave the garage immediately.
- Now that you have the goods you intend to keep out of the garage, and you can begin sorting through the remaining objects.
- Start by listing the things you want to sell or give away.
- Cleaning up the garage’s clutter is the first step towards organising it.
- Dedicate a whole day or week to cleaning out your garage.
- After you’ve finished cleaning the garage, it’s time to start thinking about organising your belongings best.
- Here are some creative ways to make the most of your space.
- Save potential attic space in the garage.
- Eliminate the clutter in your garage by installing open shelving so you can easily see and access your belongings.
- Pegboards are a great addition to any garage when used to hang and organise tools and other commonly used things.
- A pegboard can be a reliable and flexible storage solution.
- If you have limited wall space for shelves in your garage, you may make the most of it by installing as many pegboards as you like.
- Attached to the wall in a series of grooves, Slatwall panels create a storage and display system.
- If you wouldn’t need it for storage, renting out your garage to a neighbour who does is a great way to bring in some additional cash every month.
- The following is a listing of goods and suggestions for stowing them away in a garage.
- Hanging your bikes is the greatest option for storing them.
- The best method to keep tools neat and accessible is to hang them on the wall.
- Keep your kayak out of direct sunshine and warm temperatures when not in use.
- Remember to wipe down the kayak and cover the hull (the bottom) before putting it away for the winter.
- When storing a kayak in a garage, ensure the hull is always facing upward.
- Ensure your garage is temperature and humidity controlled if you intend to keep golf clubs there for an extended period.
- Your golf clubs should be stored in a covered box in the corner of your climate-controlled garage, away from the swinging door.
- To keep your lawn equipment in working order and available whenever you are, you need an efficient method of organising.
- A vertical storage system is the most effective method for preserving the condition of your instruments.
- Attach hooks or racks on the wall to store gardening implements like rakes, shovels, and hoses.
- A repurposed desk can serve as a garage potting bench or gardening station.
- Put tiny gardening equipment and gloves in baskets and hang them from hooks around your desk.
- Storing your camping equipment in totes is a terrific way to keep everything organised and ready for your next trip.
- Be sure to find a garage shelving solution and work with GarageSmart Garage Storage Solutions when packing and storing your belongings.
- It would help if you were determined to see your garage through to completion.
- You can take a few simple measures to make additional room in your garage.
- You’ll fool yourself into thinking your garage is smaller than it is if you allow clutter to take over.
- You should give your garage a thorough cleaning after you’ve cleared out the clutter.
- Creating designated areas in your garage is a simple method to keep things from getting cluttered again.
- Finally, if you intend to free up space in your garage, you must put effective storage options in place.
- You should sweep and tidy the garage when you’ve finished decluttering it.
FAQs About Garage Decluttering
In what order should I begin clearing up my garage?
Instead of setting up a whole weekend to clean out the garage, try setting aside time every day. You should try to go out for at least 15 minutes every day. It’s okay if you have to skip a few days here and there because life becomes hectic.
Which items are appropriate for a garage?
Tools and equipment you only use outside should be stored in the garage. Typical examples of such items include flower pots, gardening tools, lawnmowers, hoses, and extension cords. Your garage is a great place to keep large outdoor materials like bags of potting soil, gallons of ice melt, and other items.
Is a garage a suitable place to keep clothing?
Temperature and humidity swings are not good for storing textiles. Mold grows on it, and rats prefer to chew it. There’s a temptation to keep sleeping bags and other cloth camping gear in the garage, but you shouldn’t give in to it. Keep all linens, clothes, and tents inside the home.
What is the best method for maintaining the cleanliness of wooden garage shelves?
You can use dish soap and water to clean cabinets made of painted wood, vinyl, laminate, or metal. If you use a light cleaning solution, you should be able to remove most fingerprints, dust, and grease accumulation. Using an all-purpose cleaner may be necessary if soap and water are ineffective in removing the oil or smudges.
How can I finish a garage wall without breaking the bank?
For the record, shiplap is the best material for a garage’s inside. It lasts a long time, doesn’t cost much, and is simple to set up. To begin with, what is this? The solid wood makes it ideal for fastening things like hooks and nails to it, unlike drywall which may easily be damaged by such methods.
