Every Which Way Organizing: Organizing Your Garage

Ah the Garage. The space where you should be able to park your cars.
Though your garage space should be used for some storage, it sometimes ends up being used solely as a storage space and overtaking its main purpose. But cleaning out your garage does not have to be a daunting task. I will give you a few tips to get you started!

* Plan the Space- Most rooms you organize you can start separating items and cleaning out right away. Unfortunately, the garage is not one of those spaces. It is important to take an inventory of what you have before starting. Use a piece of paper to start listing and categorizing the items you have. Decide if anything can be tossed or donated. Also decide if some items would function better in another space in your home. Then draw a sketch of the space (does not have to be perfect just a basic idea) and start deciding where things should be grouped and placed.

* Hang it, Shelve it, and Label it- One of the most important steps to getting organized in your garage is to create extra space on the floor by hanging and shelving items.

Hang it- Bikes, Ladders and Large tools can be stored on your garage wall to create more space and give these items a designated, organized home.

Shelve it- Installing shelves onto garage walls is a great way to store smaller items. Rather than just putting items on the shelf as is, try categorizing the items and storing them in clear plastic containers. Make sure to measure your shelves before buying the containers, and label each container clearly.

* Don’t Forget the Kids! If you have kids it is likely that many of their toys and sports items are stored in the garage. Therefore it is important to create an area designated for their items. It does not have to be a large space, but by creating this space they will know their items should not just be thrown anywhere they land in the garage. An easy idea is to use a toy chest or large clear storage containers. Lowe's also carries a great item called a “Sports Center Rack” by Real Organized ,where you can store helmets ,balls, knee pads et. Also it would be wise to hang their bikes on the walls surrounding this space.

*Outside Storage- If everything simply won’t fit into your space after reconfiguring and organizing, it may be time to think about an outside storage unit. These can be purchased in many sizes and might be the solution you need to take back your garage space! See the “recommended links” for more ideas on these spaces.

I know garage cleaning is not always fun, but get your whole family involved and make a day of it! Start with planning and shopping for items and give each family member a task to complete. You will be done in no time!
Below you will find this week’s recommended links, and some pictures from a recent garage project I completed to give you some inspiration!