Keep Your Garage Tidy

It’s not hard for your garage or shed to quickly become a massive storage unit for everything from bikes, toys and tools to trash, unused knick-knacks and old furniture. But keeping these areas clean will not only make you feel more organized as a home owner, but it will also save you time in the future when you have to find the wrench and can’t sort through the mounds of unnecessary items.

Step #1: Remove Everything

That’s right. We mean clean out everything. Pick a sunny day and store everything temporarily on your lawn. This way, you can see exactly how much space you have to work with. This will help determine how much junk you will need to get rid of.

Step #2: Add Shelves

Whether wood shelves that can be screwed into walls or plastic tiers that can be simple rolled around, adding extra shelves is a must for any garage or shed. Bins and drawers are a great place to keep tools (and the plastic models often come with an insert for labels). Shelves are also great to keep things off of the floor that can easily be kicked over such as gasoline cans, paint and any pest control or sprays.

Step #3: Keep Like Items Together

Ideally, you should divide the space into kid-friendly and adult-only areas. This way, your children will not be clamoring over the lawn mower to reach the baseball mitts, and vice-versa. Dangerous objects should be further into your storage units, whereas quick finds like emergency kits, tools and of course sports equipment should be kept near the entrance.

Step #4: Stick With It!

The easiest way to unravel all your hard work is by slipping in increments on a day –to-day basis. By allowing a few misplaced items every now and again, you’ll never have the time or remember to put them back where you belong. That’s why its crucial that you stay ahead of the game and take the extra 45 seconds to find the proper area for each item each time you use it!