So you've got a really, really cluttered garage and you can never find stuff when you need it. If you've ever watched the Oprah show and/or those organizing shows on Lifestyle Network, you've seen what home makeovers look like - neat, fabulous, and "I wanna have that too!" With a little diligence, determination and a lot of discipline, you too can have a garage that looks like a designer showcase - even on a budget - if you follow these tips.
Plan. First, determine what it is that you want to store in the garage, aside from your car. Unless you have a den or basement that you and/or your spouse can use as a workshop, the garage is it, of course. You'll probably want to keep the gardening stuff, holiday decorations, and kids' toys there too. Sit down and make a list of everything that's going to be in there, and a list of what you're going to have to throw out, give away, or sell.
Bathroom Towel Hangers
Categorize. Separate the stuff you want to keep and those that you're going to get rid of. Place the to-get-rid-off things in boxes then schedule a garage sale pronto or donate it to charity. For the things you're going to keep, put similar things together - gardening tools in one box, toys in another, etc.
A place for everything. Now that you've got your lists down pat, you'll need to assign space and storage to keep everything in. Very often, we neglect to realize that clutter begins because there's no proper place for things. Use plastic bins or containers for storage. Each bin becomes a toolkit - you can have a Gardening toolkit with a trowel, gardening scissors, gloves, etc; a Repair toolkit with screwdrivers, pliers, etc.; a Cleaning toolkit with all the cleaning solutions and rags; and so on and so forth. Tools that are too big or too long to put inside the bins, such as brooms and mops, can be hung on rods (a bathroom towel rod and S hooks would make a nifty hanger for these). Don't forget to use hooks where you can (you could hang your bicycle from the wall with heavy duty hooks), and don't forget to label each bin!
Vertical storage. Maximize the use of your garage walls. Storing things vertically will use up less actual space in the garage than if you were to store them horizontally. Install wall mounted units and put the bins there. The shelving can be as high as you want (even up to the ceiling if you wish), and you could keep rarely used items - like holiday decor - on the top shelves. Consider getting a 3-step or higher stepladder to reach high shelves if you don't have one.
Safety first. Store chemicals and other hazardous stuff like paint and pesticides in their original containers on higher shelves where the kids can't reach them or in locked cabinets. Make sure they're properly labelled.
Put everything back in its place. The one thing that will spell success for decluttering and organization is your ability to put back everything in its proper place. If you used the screwdriver to tighten a screw somewhere in the house, place it back in the Repair toolkit afterwards. Cleaned the house? Put back the broom and vacuum cleaner where you got them from. If you force yourself to do this each time, it'll eventually become a habit, and you'll never have to waste time hunting for stuff again. And, if you planned your organizing project carefully, you'll have a showcase garage that won't look like a garage, basement, or clutterville.