The garage is that one place in the house that is the most cluttered. You can simply toss anything in there and forget it. It is near impossible to find something once it gets lost in the piles and piles of junk lying in the garage.
Besides the car and car tools you can find the hardware store, boxes of old clothes and shoes, old sport equipment and a lot more in a garage. If you think your garage is not big enough, think again. Most probably it’s the disorganisation in the garage that is eating up the space. The basic idea of decluttering your garage is to organize and to create some extra space and to make it look neat.
Here are some ideas that will help you to declutter your garage and organize it in a best possible way:
1.Toss away trash
When it comes to decluttering, the first and the most foremost step is to throw away the junk piled up in the garage. Every time you have things you don’t need in the house, garage is the only place to store them for the time being. We all know that when something goes in the garage, it’s there to stay.
A lot of our garage space is taken up by unnecessary garbage that you will never need or even use, so to organise your garage, it is important to throw out these things. Old cardboard boxes, garden tools, unwanted furniture and tonnes of old books. It may seem like a difficult decision but think of it this way: If you aren’t using something, why store it at all?
Take your time to sort out the things you don’t need anymore in your garage and toss them out.
2. Workflow Guide
Where should I start? That’s the question that haunts anyone who enters a messy overloaded garage. Often, you go to your garage with the intention of getting work done but this frustration demotivates you and you leave it for another day.
The trick to tackle this decision fatigue is to develop a workflow, devise a plan and stick to it. It makes the work a lot easier when you are orderly working your way through the clutter. Right to left is the most recommended order, it puts things into perspective and when you finally start to see results on one side, it motivates you to keep going.
3. Mission Clean Sweep
This is the best time for you to thoroughly clean your space. That may include going down on your hands and knees and scrubbing each and every surface. Vacuum all the nooks and crannies for the dust that has been settling for years. Use insecticides as well to drive away any insects and termites
4. Clutter to Cash
Two of the biggest reasons we hold onto things are because we think they will be of use someday or because we don’t know what else to do with them. Use this opportunity to earn some cash by selling away the things you don’t need. If you have old furniture, children toys and books that you no longer need but are in good condition simply sell them in a yard sale or enlist them on Craigslist.
5. Recycle the Unwanted
Going green is the way to go, saves time and the environment. Pick out the recyclable things and give them a second life. For instance empty paint buckets can be very efficient containers. Recycling helps you get rid of extra and useless stuff responsibly. If you cannot possibly revamp an item, just give it away to recycling facilities.
6. Relocate
You may stumble across items that do not belong in the garage at all. Find a new place for those items and move them. Old pictures and Christmas decor can easily be put away in the basement, seasonal clothes can be packed and stored under the bed. This just means that you don’t use our garage as a warehouse, only things that belong get to stay.
7. Donate Preloved Tools
A lot of stuff in your garage that is useless for you can be useful to others. Giving away your preloved items to charity will not only declutter your garage but it is an act of goodwill as well. Children toys and old books, old clothes and even furniture can help a lot of people out there who cannot afford to buy new ones. Make sure they are in good condition.
8. Supermarket aisle
Now, sort the things into different categories and divide your garage into zones for these respective categories. Just like in a supermarket, these segmented areas will make it easier to locate things when you need them. For instance all the garden tools are on the right entrance of the garage. This also makes it simple for other people to use your garage.
9. Screwdriver cum Coat Hanger
This two-in-one solution can easily be made at home. All you need isa wooden plank and two L shaped brackets. Simply drill 7-8 holes on the wooden plank and attach it to the L shaped brackets installed on the wall like a shelf. Use the holes to insert and store the screwdrivers upside down.
The upright screwdrivers can then be used to hang coats, rain coats for the rain or your jacket as you work. This keeps the sharp assorted objects in a unified arrangement that makes it easier to locate. No more, hustling around in a box full of assorted tools.
10. Garbage Bags on a Roll
This is the simplest hack which you should just use right away. Garbage bags are one of the things that don’t really belong anywhere. Giving them a drawer of their own seems like too much luxury for a garbage bag. So eventually they end up in a plastic bag in the garage. This towel roll dispenser will not only give you a place for your garbage bags but also help you pull one out with ease.
11. Magnetic Strips to Stick your Metal
This is as simple as it sounds. Put a magnetic trip on the wall, laws of physics will take care of the rest. You can easily find the strip from any hardware store, it’s advisable to drill the magnetic strip in the wall instead of glueing it so it can carry a lot more weight. All your steel handy tools can be stuck on the strip, out of your way and in your view.
12. Shoe organizer revamped
Shoe organiser has lots of pockets which can be used to store many things in addition to shoes. We suggest you arrange your spray paints lying around on shelves in these pockets. This way the cap of the bottle pops out from the top and you can see the color of the spray paint and easily pull the one you need out. You can even get a transparent shoe organiser to be able to read the names as well. This is a design that prevents them from being hidden. That ultimately saves you a ton of frustration.
13. Suspended Nail Storage Jars
This hack is a simple DIY project that is excellent for keeping screws and nails in an accessible and safe way. All you need is plastic jars and glue.Just use super glow to stick the jar lids on the bottom of any shelf or the upper inner side of any rack. Make sure to get screw on lids.
Fill your jar with screws or nails and screw them on the lids and there you have it, a hanging storage for your little tools. Also since these jars are airtight, your nails won’t get rusted!
14. Space-saving Fold Away Workbench.
If you like to get your hands dirty, this is a project you should definitely do. It does require some time and effort but the result is totally worth it. A fold down table is all you need for a space saving workstation. You need a few tools you may not own like a saw or an electric drill machine but worry not, you can easily rent them from a local workshop.
However, if you like the solution but want to avoid the handy work, you can invest a little to buy a fold down workbench from the store.
15. Upcycled crates
Crates are usually lying around in the basement or garage taking up space and are apparently useless pieces of wood. You will be surprised at how useful they can be when propped up on the wall or piled on top of each other to make a makeshift rack or shelf.
If you want them to look neat and tidy, just coat them with a layer of white paint. These are extremely lightweight so you can even shift them here and there without any trouble.
16. Containers to contain
Plastic bins and containers can be bought from any supermarket. They are cheap, they are durable and they are lightweight. All these qualities make them the perfect storage for the things in your garage that you can’t seem to fit anywhere else.
Seasonal clothes can be a perfect pile for these containers, instead of using cardboard boxes that are vulnerable to moisture, use these containers instead.
These plastic tubs can be stacked one on top of another to save space as well..
17. PVC Stands
PVC Pipes are easily available and they are a perfect material to make a stand for your long handled tools such as a rake and a shovel. Tie a bunch of PVC pipes and make them stand upright or you can place them on the wall adjacent to each other. All you need to do is slide in your tools and you’re done.
18. Store bicycles up and out of traffic zones
Bikes are an essential in every garage, to store them we have this fabulous idea. Bikes can be suspended from walls with simple clips, available in hardware stores, or on racks sold in bicycle shops. Fasten the racks into wall studs with screws and your bicycle is out of your way. They can even look aesthetically pleasing if placed neatly on the wall
19. Locate with labels
Label storage bins and containers using wide felt tip markers on masking tape. Make sure that the labels are facing out so you can find what you’re looking for with ease. If you really want to get organized, you can also stick on a list of items in the container as well. You can even make bigger board labels for your sections.
20. Vertical Space Vs Horizontal Space
This is the foremost rule you will be applying if you want to get the most out of your garage space. Utilise vertical space to store away your stuff. It looks neat and it leaves space in the middle for you to park your car or get things done.
21. Hook Away
Hooks can be used to suspend bikes, hang coats, hold chainsaws and hedge trimmers, and much more. These are the most readily available items in any store, this is because they are easy to install and affordable. If you are too lazy to invest your time and energy on a DIY hack just buy hooks.
22. Wheel Away Your Things
When you are out to buy tables, try to invest in wheeled cabinets or trolleys. That way, you can easily wheel things around your garage or outdoors as required without having to lift heavy boxes. It may not be easy for a layman to make one, so it’s best if you buy them instead.
23. Overhead Storage Rack
If you look up, there is probably a lot of space up there that isn’t being utilised, and that is a waste of space. Install overhead storage racks for items that you do not require frequently. This keeps your valuable safe yet out of your way.
These are the 23 simple ingenious hacks that can help you declutter your garage. These tricks will help you organise your garage and make your life much easier.
