Only a few people are happy with how their garage looks. Is yours packed with boxes from the last time you moved, or is now a place to throw away things you no longer want or need?
Please utilise your garage for what it was made for. If your car fits in your garage, you likely wish it was more organised. Consider opening the garage door without embarrassment and having enough space to park your car and still have room for storage.
The problem of too much stuff in the garage is a common one, but don’t worry! In this article, we’ll talk about easy-to-use storage ideas that will help you clear out your garage and turn it into a space you’ll love.
Why Should You Get Rid of the Mess in Your Garage?
Here are a handful of things that make a home look cluttered:
- A lot of cleaning products or oil containers left on the floor of your garage
- Why do you need to clean out your garage? A fridge door that is full of pictures, notes, memos, and lists
- Magazines stacked up on a coffee table
- Having excessive photos or pictures on your wall. Having frames that don’t match adds to the visual mess.
Visual clutter in your garage makes you feel stressed, just like in other areas of your home. It also makes the space less enjoyable and less useful.
Most people who own a home use the garage as their main entrance and exit. Because of this, it’s almost impossible not to have a cluttered garage. And when you use the garage as an office space, a place to work out, or a place to do a hobby, garage visual disarray can also make you less productive when you’re there.
Work on removing the visual clutter in your garage to make it more organised and nice to look at. Use the tips below to eliminate the mess and start turning your garage into a space that can be used.
How to Clean up a Cluttered Garage
Clear Everything Out
Your garage is one place where you should get rid of everything. Bring everything out onto the parking lot or, even better, to a tarp on the lawn. Touching and moving things quickly shows if they need to be fixed or are easier to use often. As you offer out the items, put things together. Check carefully for duplicates. Can you get rid of all but the best? Have you got all the pieces?
Give Your Extra Stuff a Second Chance.
Putting things you aren’t using in the garage is a good idea. But think about it this way: why store something if you won’t use it?
People keep things because they think they remain valuable or don’t know what to do with them. But if you keep something long, it’s less likely to be worth something to you.
Give your extra stuff a second chance at life by deciding to donate it. You’ll also be giving what’s grabbing up space in the garage to someone who might benefit from it, which is something you can feel good about.
What about the things that are no longer useful? You could hire a junk transporting service or rent a dumpster to remove damaged electronics, construction debris, yard waste, and other household junk.
Organise Your Belongings
Group the things you want to remain in the garage, like all your sports gear or gardening tools, and decide on which to put them so they stay together and are easy to get to when needed. For instance, if your family likes to ride bikes, put them close to the garage door so they’re easy to get to. A wall-hung bike hanger from a big-box retailer can save floor space. Items that aren’t used very often could go in a corner that’s out of the way.
FAQs About Garage
How long does it typically take to declutter and organise a garage?
The time necessary is proportional to the amount of clutter and your pace. It could be anywhere from one day to a few consecutive weekends.
What should I do with items I no longer need in the garage?
Think about giving them away, selling them, or recycling them. It is best not to throw away things that can still be used.
Are professional organising services for garages worth the investment?
If you have trouble staying organised, invest in the services of a professional organiser, who can save you both time and stress.
Can I use DIY solutions for garage storage?
Without a doubt! There are a lot of effective and inexpensive storage solutions that you can make yourself.
What’s the most important tip for maintaining an organised garage?
It is essential to perform routine maintenance and declutter consistently to stop clutter from accumulating again.
Focus On What You Currently Use
People’s garages are full of old projects and things they used to do, like jumping trampolines, aerobic exercise or tilling the lawn every summer. As you think about what to buy, remember that you can readily lease or borrow gardening and recreation equipment if you get the urge.
Shelves or Storage Units?
Metal cabinets look cool, but do you truly need to spend more money on them when wall-mounted, adjustable shelves are cheaper and make it easy to find everything? And remember that cabinet doors open out, making your garage even smaller each time you need to look for something. IKEA is a good place to find cheap and useful garage storage solutions.
Make Everything Visible
Fill up racks and wall hooks like you’re doing in a store: put the tallest things in the back, turn everything so the labels are apparent and use pieces of cardboard to keep things separate. As your budget allows, choose mesh containers for kids’ toys and outdoor gear and clear plastic for gardening, do-it-yourself projects, and decorating.
Specialty Storage Items
There are many clever specialty products and do-it-yourself ideas for reducing garage clutter and making the most of your space that you can buy at big box stores and hardware stores.
- A workbench that folds up gives you a place to work when you have to and more room when you don’t.
- Make your rectangular shelves out of plywood and brackets with angles, and put them in corners where they won’t get in the way.
- Hooks on the wall make storing sports gear like hockey netts easy.
- You can buy a long-handled landscaping tool caddy at hardware stores, other stores, or online. It keeps shovels, rakes, and other tools organised and easy to reach.
Label Them
You can label storage bins on masking tape with a wide felt tip marker. Put labels on the outside of boxes and bins so you can locate what you need without getting to move large containers. To get organised, tape a list of what’s inside to the front of the storage box.
Remember the Visual Clutter That Parking in Your Driveway Can Cause.
You may have forgotten about it, but leaving your cars in the driveway is another thing that makes the outside of your house look cluttered. That makes your house look bad from the outside.
And since our cars are parked 95 per cent of the time, that’s a further incentive to take breaks to make room for parking in your garage.
Reasons Why Your Garage Gets Cluttered
When asked what part of the home is the messiest, garages, closets, cellars, and entryways will likely be brought up. But why is it hard to keep a garage clean and tidy? Here are the most common reasons why your garage gets full of stuff:
Cleaning Your Garage Is Optional for You
Do you park your vehicle in the garage and keep the door open? Do you throw your trash in the garage or out of the car and never bring it inside?
You Don’t Have a Good Place to Get Rid of Old Stuff
Most people throw their trash in their garages, which makes them messy. The trash needs to have been taken outside. Having a specific place for waste is a good step forward.
You Struggle to Let Go of Your Belongings
We need to work on letting go of things, which is another big reason our garages get crowded. The pull of nostalgia is strong, but staying caught up in it is important.
You should keep important things, but what amount is too much? When the garage clutter grows into a constant problem, you’ll know it’s time to deal with how you feel about your things.
For everything else, ask yourself if you’ve used it in the last couple of years. If you last used it, give it away, sell it, or throw it away.
Garage Is Not Optimised
Many people could use their garages better. Most of the time, they have many tools they never use and use up space.
You Have No Designated Storage Space
If you don’t have a place to put everything in your garage, you will eventually run out of space and have to use the driveway or lawn.
Poor Garage Storage and Organisation
When you get right down to it, one of the primary causes you have so much stuff in your garage is that you need better storage and organisation systems.
Adding a closet organiser can clean up a cluttered closet, so adding storage systems to your garage can help keep things neat and tidy.
Smartly designed storage and organisation systems make keeping certain parts of your home clean and well-kept much easier.
You Don’t Invest Enough in Your Garage
Most people pay less attention to garages than bathrooms, bedrooms, and kitchens. Even if you’re willing to put more effort and cash into your garage, you sometimes need to figure out where to begin.
Your Garage and Home Are Too Small
Big garages can be a great place to store things, but small garages can make it hard to find extra space.
The problems worsen if a portion of your house needs more space. This makes it more likely that your one-car garage will be full of things other than a parked car.
Setting up a small garage as a good place to store things might be harder. You might be surprised how much you can store in a small garage using the walls and vertical area better.
Conclusion
The garage is often a cluttered space, filled with boxes, old items, and clutter. To make the space more organized and enjoyable, it is essential to clear out the clutter and organize it into a space that can be used for various purposes. Visual clutter in the garage can make the space less enjoyable and less useful, especially when used as an office, workout, or hobby space.
To clean up a cluttered garage, clear everything out, give extra stuff a second chance, organize belongings, and focus on what you currently use. For example, group sports gear or gardening tools together and decide on which to keep in the garage. For example, if your family likes to ride bikes, put them close to the garage door for easy access.
Finally, focus on what you currently use in your garage and consider leasing or borrowing gardening and recreation equipment if needed. By implementing these storage strategies, you can turn your garage into a space that is both functional and enjoyable.
To keep your garage clutter-free, consider using wall-mounted, adjustable shelves, racks, wall hooks, specialty storage items, and labeling bins. Wall hooks and shelves can be made of plywood and brackets, while hooks on the wall make storing sports gear easy. A long-handled landscaping tool caddy can keep shovels, rakes, and other tools organized and easy to reach. Labeling bins on masking tape and tape a list of what’s inside to the front of the storage box can help keep things organized.
Parking in your driveway can also cause visual clutter, making your house look bad from the outside. To keep your garage clean and tidy, consider cleaning it optionally, having a good place to get rid of old stuff, letting go of belongings, optimizing your garage, having designated storage space, and investing in better storage and organization systems.
Investing in your garage can help keep it organized and clutter-free. Big garages can be great for storing things, but small garages can make it difficult to find extra space. Small garages can be more efficient, as they can store more using the walls and vertical area.
In summary, keeping your garage clean and tidy can be achieved by implementing these tips and implementing better storage and organization systems. By focusing on these areas, you can create a clutter-free and organized space in your garage.
Content Summary
- Many people are dissatisfied with their garage’s cluttered state.
- The garage often becomes a storage dump for unwanted items.
- Ideal garages should accommodate cars and provide organised storage space.
- Decluttering your garage can significantly improve its functionality.
- Clutter in your garage can induce stress and reduce its usefulness.
- A lot of homeowners use their garage as the primary entrance to their home.
- The initial step to decluttering is to empty the garage completely.
- Evaluate items critically to determine their necessity.
- Consider donating items that you no longer use.
- Hire services to remove items that are damaged or unusable.
- Group similar items together for organised storage.
- Prioritise storing items that are frequently used.
- Rethink storing old, seldom-used items like trampolines or aerobics gear.
- Metal cabinets can be sleek, but wall-mounted shelves offer visibility and affordability.
- Cabinet doors that open out can further reduce available space in the garage.
- Aim to keep items visible, organising them for easy accessibility.
- Invest in specialty storage items for specific needs.
- Foldable workbenches save space when not in use.
- Utilise corner shelves and wall hooks for efficient storage.
- Tool caddies keep garden tools organised and within reach.
- Properly label storage bins for easy identification.
- Store items in a way that facilitates easy retrieval.
- Remember that cars parked in driveways can also create visual clutter.
- There are several reasons garages become cluttered.
- Treating garage cleaning as optional leads to clutter build-up.
- Without designated disposal areas, trash accumulates in garages.
- Emotional attachments can make decluttering challenging.
- Items not used in years should be considered for disposal.
- A poorly optimised garage contributes to clutter.
- The lack of designated storage areas compounds the clutter issue.
- Effective garage organisation and storage systems are often lacking.
- Just as closet organisers can declutter closets, garages need appropriate storage solutions.
- Many homeowners neglect their garages in favour of other rooms.
- Investing in the garage can greatly enhance its functionality.
- Small garages pose a unique challenge but can be efficiently organised.
- Use vertical space to maximise storage in smaller garages.
- Cluttered garages can hide hazards like loose oil containers.
- Excessive photos or mismatched frames can add to visual clutter.
- The main garage entrance should be clear and welcoming.
- Making everything visible can help with quick item retrieval.
- Donating unused items can give them new life elsewhere.
- Wall-hung bike hangers can save precious floor space.
- IKEA offers affordable and practical garage storage solutions.
- Hiring professional junk transporting services can ease the decluttering process.
- Specialised products can provide tailored storage solutions.
- Setting up task-specific storage areas can make work more efficient.
- Nostalgia can be a major roadblock in the decluttering process.
- Many people hold onto items thinking they hold value.
- Lack of designated spaces leads to unorganised piling up of items.
- Using walls and vertical space efficiently can transform even small garages.