Garages may be meant for our cars but they can all too quickly become a home’s dumping ground for clothes the kids have grown out of, empty paint cans and things that are broken or that you just don’t want to deal with. As the time to give your garage a deep clean has finally come, a day (or two) is usually dedicated to clearing out and organizing your garage. It might look like a lot of work but imagine a world where you could actually park inside your garage. This dream could be a reality with just a weekend’s worth of work. Here are a few tips for cleaning out the garage so you can organize it better.
Declutter the Floor
Before you start on anything else, first declutter your garage floor. It doesn’t matter if these boxes are meant to stay in your garage and not to be thrown out; the first thing you need to do is get them off the ground. You can take time later to sort through them and organize the stuff you want to keep.
If you feel like you don’t have enough space in your garage to get everything off the ground, consider installing some shelves. Making use of all the vertical space you have in there will certainly help get all the clutter tucked away.
A good idea is to put everything outside on the driveway so you can sort through them later.
Sort Through Everything
Make a few piles: keep, donate, trash or sell. When cleaning out your closet, a common rule is if you have not worn it in over a year, it is time to say goodbye; the same guidelines can be applied to your garage.
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Keep
Keep items that spark joy. Organize them into categories like decorations, sports equipment, winter stuff and tools.
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Donate
Donate items that don’t spark joy for you but might for someone else because one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
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Trash
Trash or recycle junk like old papers, broken electronics or random wires.
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Sell
Sell the rest online or have a garage sale. If you want to sell online, you might want to take pictures of them in the driveway while there is good lighting.
Clean All Surfaces
Now that you have decluttered the floor, it is time to clean your garage.
First, you should sweep and vacuum. Make sure you get not only the floor but also your walls and ceiling. This can help get rid of old cobwebs.
Next, you should scrub the walls. Make a mixture of equal parts water and oxygen bleach and clean and disinfect these surfaces with it. You should wipe down the walls with the mixture for best results, wait 30 minutes and then scrub it down again. This is very effective for mold.
Last up is scrubbing the floor. Use a mixture of hot water and laundry detergent. This will get rid of any tough stains on the floor.
Divide and Conquer
Before you put everything you need back into your clean garage, you need to divide it into different zones. That way, it will be easier to find the things you need quickly and keep it clean for longer.
For example, if there are kids’ toys in there, you will probably need to slot them somewhere low so your children can get to them easily. The rest of your items should be put in the garage by both accessibility and frequency of use. For instance, if there is a tool you barely use, that should go at the back while the power drill you use weekly should go in the front.
Put In Shelves, Hooks and More
Once you have figured out where everything should go, you need to put in things to accommodate them. Shelves, boxes, hooks and pegboards are great for this. Not only will this make maximum use of your space but it will also make everything a lot neater.
Once you have put in the appropriate equipment, you can start putting everything back in its place. You might have to make some adjustments, as what you envision may not always work out. However, with a bit of trial and error, you are sure to find the right home for everything and end up with a clean and uncluttered garage in the end.
Cleaning out your garage doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With these tips, you can tackle it and reclaim your parking space. Have your own advice to share? Let us know in the comments.
