How to Organise Your Garage from Top to Bottom

So, you've bought your new car, but now you've got a problem that, let's be honest, you should have foreseen – your garage is full, and you've got no space. "No worries", you think, "I'll just leave the car out in the driveway for a few days while I get the garage organized". But then you go in, and you find out there's so much stuff, and you kind of give it up, saying “I’ll finish tomorrow”, and tomorrow turns into next week, and next week turns into next month… You see where this is going, no?

It's time you organized that garage, and that time is now. And, if you feel like it's too daunting a task to do it yourself, don't worry – we've got some slick tips and tricks that are sure to leave you with a garage your car deserves. Let's check them out!

Find the Time, Find the Team

You have to make time. You just have to. The clutter won’t clean itself out by itself. We know you have better things to do on your weekend, but you’ll just have to sacrifice one to clear out your garage. Back to back days are the best, as you can clear out the garage on one day, and then organise and touch-up the next.

With that being said, be sure to ruin other people’s weekend too! You don’t have to do it all alone – if you’ve got family and friends willing to sacrifice their free time, have them join you in your colossal endeavour. This way, you won’t get tired and quit halfway through – you’ll be driven by the guilt you’re taking up your team’s time!

Keep, Sell, Toss

The three words spearheading your success! When cleaning out your garage, your first step is to determine which items you should keep or toss, and which items you don’t need but are still good to be sold/donated.

The best way to do this is to make simple chalk outlines on your driveway. Create three zones then put your items in them. Work your way from the toss pile – put the stuff in trash bags and bins, and put them where your garbage service will pick them up. Then, organise the stuff you’d like to sell/donate and put it somewhere it won’t get in the way. Finally, devote the most of your time on the keep pile – this will the content of your garage, and you’ll need a thorough plan on where to put all this stuff.

Create a Floor Plan

Now that you know what you’re keeping, it’s time to start organising. Naturally, you’ll need a plan on where to put your things. And the best way to go about it is to create zones, just like you did with the keep, sell, and toss piles.

With that being said, you’ll probably want to organise similar items into groups. Consider creating zones similar to isles in department stores. Gardening tools and chemicals should go together and sports equipment should comprise a separate zone. When it comes to tools, you’ll probably have to create several smaller sub-zones for items of similar nature, like manual tools (hammers, screwdrivers, etc.) and power tools. Finally, create a zone for your car supplies – antifreeze, extra wipers, wiper fluid, pair of winter/summer tires, tire chains, etc.

Finally, think vertical. A good idea for keeping your garage organised and clean at all times is to hang items on your walls. If your garage has rafters, use them – put screw-in hooks to hang heavier items on them, especially ones that aren't frequently used. Think about introducing shelves to walls, as well as pegboards for smaller things, with a track-based system supporting heavier items. Finally, if you use your garage as a workshop, it might be a good idea to invest in a quality site box where you can keep your biggest, heaviest, most dangerous and most expensive tools and items.

Don’t Stop Organising

And, for the final step, don’t stop organising your garage. Every time you buy a new tool or piece of equipment, find a place for it next to its kin. Run monthly inspections and cleaning runs to keep your garage free of clutter and in top shape. A garage can be a high-traffic area, so make sure your family respects the order you’ve established there too, and you are sure to keep a clean environment for your iron pet.

Conclusion

And that's pretty much it for our little guide on how to keep your garage clean and clutter-free. All you've got to do now is roll up your sleeves and get cracking. Cheers!