A lot of us struggle with keeping our garages free of clutter. In fact, it’s even gotten to the point where it feels like garages are no longer meant for cars. Why is that? Simply because too many of us use it for all the other stuff we need to be stored away from the home. But with a few organisational strategies in mind, you can use your garage for storage, and fit your car in there too. You’ll find that you’ll be much more productive when you’re not tripping over lawn tools and other random items in your garage.
So set aside a day, or at least half a day, when you’ll have no other commitments and can devote time towards clearing and cleaning your garage.
Here are ten of our best organisational tips and tricks to get things rolling.
- Create a plan
Sometimes the biggest challenge with cleaning out space is just knowing where to start. To help you with this, you can plan ahead of time what your intention is and what you’d like to do with the garage space. Do you want to use it for car storage, as a home office, or just to store all your other ‘stuff’ that doesn’t fit at home? Once you have your answer, plot out where you’d like everything in the garage to be stored. If you want to use your garage as a home office, always make sure it’s a safe and healthy environment. A Louvre garage door or sectional garage doors with windows can give a high level of airflow combined with natural light to any home office.
- Clear the space
It’s always best to start with a clean slate than try to rearrange things in a messy area. Make sure it’s a nice day, lay out some tarps on the lawn or driveway, and take every single thing out of your garage. Create three separate piles outside, one for ‘keeping’, one for ‘donating’, and a third for ‘selling’. Be ruthless and only hold onto the things you will actually use. You’ll be surprised by how many things you’ll find in your garage that you’ve forgotten about or no longer need. So why not make a few extra dollars while clearing out the garage? Once you’ve sorted everything you can assign each pile a place in the garage and take in the following organisation and storage tips to keep them neat in the garage.
- Use wall brackets as hanging storage
A key to keeping a space organised and looking neat is to work vertically. This will help conserve floor space. Install wall brackets to create more floor space so you can hang up lawn chairs, large garden tools, and other garage essentials. Along with the wall brackets, a wall-mounted pegboard is great for smaller tools.
- Overhead rack
Speaking of floor space, wouldn’t it be nice if the kayak leaning against the wall as well and truly out of the way? A great place for long, large items like that is up above the ceiling! Install some racks above your garage door to keep things hidden and out of the way. This is especially great for seasonal items that you won’t even look at during certain times of the year.
- Magnetic tool holder
A lot of people use magnets in the kitchen for easy access to knives and utensils. Why not use them in your garage as well? Fasten a strip magnet along with a board on your wall and stick to it tools like hammers and screwdrivers. This way you don’t have to dig around in a box or drawer to find what you need.
- Bungee cord ball holder
This is a great idea for sporty families or those with lots of kids. Attach 3 or 4 bungee cords vertically to some boards attached to your wall. Now you have a makeshift ‘basket’ in which to place all your rugby, basket, or bouncy balls. The bungee cords will hold them in place while also allowing for easy access to any ball, even if it’s at the bottom of the pile.
- Old lockers
This is a neat idea to give everyone in the family their own spot. Find a site where people sell used goods, such as Gumtree, and you could be likely to find some old-school lockers. Find a spot in your garage and assign a locker to each family member. You can then place all your bike helmets, sports equipment, tools, and even seasonal jackets in them.
- Fold-up worktable
A worktable can take up a lot of space, but it doesn’t need to. Create a handy table that stays folded up against the wall until it’s time to be used. All you’ll need is a few pieces of wood, some hinges, and you’re done.
- Pallet for sporting equipment
It’s so easy to find pallets lying around most warehouses and large stores. They’re usually free to take if left outside. You can paint over or varnish a pallet and place it on its side to create a great space for storing sports items such as field hockey and cricket sticks. For stylish designers, you can also decorate pallets quite easily.
- Label, label, label
When organising any space, it’s very important to label. This is especially true in the garage. Make sure that all boxes and drawers are clearly marked and that you’re always putting things back where they belong. It can be extremely frustrating trying to navigate a garage while searching for that certain type of nail or screw and having no idea where they may be.
Organising and cleaning a cluttered garage can be a daunting and intimidating task. Follow the tips in this article to make it easier to not only clean up but to maintain an organised system that stays clean for years to come.
Call Steel-Line Garage Doors on 1300 767 900 today and book a FREE measure and quote or garage door service.
