Step 1: Clean
- Everything starts with a clean and hygienic working area. Take everything out of garage and give it a thorough cleaning, especially by wiping off dust, cleaning up oil spills, changing burnt-out lightbulbs, and potentially repainting the garage walls.
- Go through your belongings. Decide what to keep, and what to discard or donate to charity. A good method is to discard the items you haven't used in two years and, of course, those that are broken or trash (such as empty paint cans or cleaning supply bottles).
- Group items together by their purpose. Have separate sections for home improvement tools, sports equipment, seasonal items, gardening tools, et cetera.
- Always place items where they are easy to see and reach. Put the the items you use most frequently below eye level, and seasonal items (such as Christmas lights) higher up.
- Smaller miscellaneous items can be placed in see-through storage containers or baskets that can be labeled and stacked, while larger items (such as sports equipment or gardening/handling tools) can be placed on durable hooks on pegboards or slatted wall panels. Other items (such as boots, watering cans, and soil) can be placed on adjustable shelves to accommodate different-sized items by remounting.
Step 5: Maintain
- Make a commitment and be conscientious in returning items to their designated spaces after use. Those extra few seconds could be the difference between a clean, tidy garage space and one that is, once again, dirty, cluttered, and chaotic. Having an organized garage will not only make you feel better, both physically and mentally, but it will also make your life a lot easier!
Picture courtesy: http://stagetecture.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/organized-garage2-e1342443677697.jpg
