Start With A Plan
If you have decided to tackle the junk in your garage, then follow these quick and simple steps to decluttering it effectively:
Take Stock
Make sure that you know what stuff is in your garage and then decide what to keep or store. Only keep what you need and throw out the rest.
Categorize The Stuff
You need to categorize what items need to go together. For instance, you can put all automotive products in one category, toys in another and lawn/yard items in the next.
Make Enough Space
Larger items take up more space. so you need to know if there is enough space for them. If not you'll need to consider shelving them. If there is just one big item in the garage, then start there and work your way around it.
Make More Space
Now that you know how much space is left consider building kitchen style cabinets or shelves. Mounting things on the wall and ceiling helps to maximize space.
Remove And Clean
You will want to remove everything from inside of the garage, stack it outside where it is safe and start cleaning. It can take several days so make sure your stuff in the garage is safe. You will also want to eliminate any debris and waste. Finally, a fresh coat of paint should liven things up.
Build What Is Needed
Add a proper workbench, storage shelves, and a few other things to meet your needs. Make sure that what you build works with everything you already have like your car.
Winding Up
Put things back in their place.
Clean Up The Floor
Yes! Cleaning the floor is a difficult task especially if you've spilled grease and oil over the years. However, a combo of the right cleaners and the correct steps should help to restore your concrete floor back to new!
Start with Sweeping
Take a large broom and start sweeping up all the dirt. However, before doing that you'll want to remove all the vehicles and other items so that you can get to all those hard to reach spaces. Make sure to wear a dust mask which will prevent irritants from entering your airways.
Remove Grease and Oil Stains
Use a product that's primarily meant to remove grease stains. Most automotive retails stores should have it. Thoroughly coat the dark areas on the floor. This is just as effective but cheaper than kitty litter. Leave it overnight and sweep it away the following morning.
Use Chemical Cleaners
You will want to invest in a cleaner that is meant for heavy-duty cleaning jobs. Follow the instructions on the label but make sure not to use more than what is needed.
Winding Up
Just rinse the area with water and allow the floor to dry.
Using the Space Efficiently
If you have a single car garage, or you are trying to store many items in the garage with the car, it's time to organize everything to ensure that you have enough space for everything.
Storage on the Ceiling
Don't overlook the use of overhead storage. There are many storage devices which allow you to hang things. You can find and use the right sizes for your needs.
Wall Mounted Storage
It is a great place to store all your tools and other loose items which are otherwise lost on the floor. There are kits specially designed to be used as garage storage for tools, or you can even get bolted cabinets.
When in the process of organizing make sure to group all the items together. If you are using boxes, it should be labeled so that you don't have to dig through everything to find the right thing.
Waste Disposal
All old paint and cleaning products should be removed. Though it is more complicated than just throwing them in the trash or down the drain. The toxic chemicals can cause severe environmental damage if not disposed of correctly.
Information regarding how to dispose of these chemicals correctly will be mentioned on their labels. However, before you follow the steps on the label consult with the local municipality about rules regarding disposing chemicals. There should be a set of guidelines on correctly discarding a particular set of chemicals.
Ran K. is an experienced handyman who's been working for Elite Garage Door & Gate Repair of Tacoma for 10 years. When he's not fixing garage doors, he likes to share his repairment ideas and knowledge with others.
