There are many reasons that having an organized, decluttered garage space is important. In this article, we will discuss 6 tips for decluttering garage. A cluttered garage can be a safety hazard for your family and can make it challenging to find certain belongings when you need them. Additionally, when hazardous weather strikes, like a hail or snowstorm, you’ll need a safe place to put your vehicle.
If your garage is cluttered, it’s time to reclaim the space and use it for its intended purpose. Consider the following garage decluttering tips as you look to reorganize your garage space.
1. Create a Plan of Action
Decluttering your garage is a big project, so you’ll want to set aside a decent amount of time for it. To be successful, you’ll first need to decide what your ultimate goal is for this project. Is it so you can find your belongings more easily? Do you want to fit your car in the garage? Or do you simply want your garage to look visually appealing?
After establishing your goal, it’s time to create a plan of action. First, prepare for this project by getting together the things you’ll need to be successful. Get some cardboard boxes and trash bags for the throwaway and giveaway items, plastic bins for organizing the things that will stay in your garage, and shelving, pegboard, slat wall, or whatever else you think you need to manage your stuff.
Inevitably, you may decide that you need more organizational materials and tools than you initially bought to complete the project, but it’s always good to start out with just enough to make some headway.
Finally, take a picture of your garage before the decluttering begins. This will give you a sense of accomplishment when it’s done, motivate you to keep it clean, and potentially inspire your friends and family to clean their garages.
2. Assess What You Have
The next step to clearing out the junk in your garage is to assess what you have and what you want to do with it. First, try to get as much of the easily accessible big stuff out of the garage, even if you plan to keep it. Old appliances, unused furniture, lawnmowers, bicycles, wagons, and other large items may need to be moved out of the way to give you room to think about your organizational strategy.
Next, you’ll want to fully assess what exactly you have and designate where you want to start placing piles. Consider creating piles for items to:
- Keep in the Garage
- Keep Elsewhere in Your Home
- Sell
- Donate
- Throw Away
For belongings you are unsure about or may need help deciding on, put these items together in a miscellaneous pile. There may be sentimental items you’re having difficulty giving up, or your spouse may have items they wish to keep. Double-check these items and distribute them into the other piles as needed until the miscellaneous pile is gone.
If you need help deciding what to get rid of during your garage cleanout, here are some good rules of thumb:
- Have you used it in the last one to two years?
- Do you even remember that you owned it?
- Have you put up or used the decorations you own?
- Do you have toys, sporting goods, or other items that kids have outgrown or your family doesn’t use anymore?
For belongings you are planning to sell, find out if your neighborhood holds regular, annual yard sales, as this can be a great way to purge certain belongings and declutter your garage. Additionally, if you have a few oversized items and don’t want to wait for a yard sale, consider selling them on platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
If the value of any item in your garage is less than forty dollars or so, consider donating it and saving yourself the time and hassle of selling it. Find a local thrift store to drop off your donations, or schedule a donation pickup for larger items like furniture.
3. Organize By Zones
Once you’ve cleared out items you don’t need, it’s time to move to the next step of your garage cleanout plan: organizing the belongings you plan to keep. If you feel overwhelmed and unsure where to start, it’s best to pick a corner, start there, and then slowly work your way around.
Try sorting your “keep” pile into different categories and organizing those categories around your garage accordingly. Things like sports gear, lawn and gardening equipment, camping gear, tools, shoes, and other items should all be sorted into designated groups.
Using large bins, containers, and toolboxes to sort items can help keep each group together and keep them dry. It’s also best to label every container clearly so you can find things later on more quickly.
As you sort and organize, it’s best to check in with yourself and the initial goal you made for your garage cleanout project. Even if items have been designated to specific places in your garage, it can quickly become cluttered again if you’re not careful. If your goal was to park your car in the garage, you’ll need to organize accordingly to maintain enough space for it.
4. Use Shelving and Cabinets
One of the best ways to clear items from the floor of your garage is to utilize shelving and cabinet units. Install some of the organizational items you initially bought, as any vertical wall space in your garage that’s not being used is considered wasted space. Hang shelving, bike racks, pegboards, slat walls, and more to maximize this space.
Deciding which organizational item to use will depend on the stuff you need to store. Pegboard is great for organizing tools and other items, as they can hang freely on the wall and out of the way. Slat walls are nice for yard and handheld tools, such as shovels and brooms.
You can also install cabinetry so certain belongings are stowed away and out of sight. This is a great option for craft projects, spray paints, cleaning chemicals, and other items that would fit in drawers or on smaller-sized shelves.
Once everything in your garage has been organized accordingly, it’s time to take a picture of the result, or an “after” photo, to show how much you’ve accomplished. This is a great way to measure whether you’ve achieved your initial goals of the project, or if you need to go back and reevaluate.
5. Dispose of Toxic Materials
Some items in your garage may need to be disposed of in a specific way rather than simply thrown away or donated. For example, old electronics such as TVs, video players, or computers will need to be taken to an electronics recycling center, as many donation places will not take these items, and they shouldn’t be thrown in the garbage.
In addition, there are laws prohibiting household hazardous and toxic materials from being poured down the drain or thrown in the trash. Old paint, expired cleaning chemicals, batteries, oil, lawn care chemicals or fertilizer, and other potentially hazardous materials must be disposed of properly. Research where in your local area to take these toxic materials.
6. Hire a Junk Removal and Garage Cleanout Service
A garage cleanout can be a big project to take on, and for homeowners who may not have time to dispose of items in the proper way, it’s best to hire a junk removal company. This type of company will collect your old electronics, hazardous materials, and other belongings you don’t need and haul them away, saving you the hassle of doing it yourself.
If you’re in need of garage cleanout services, turn to SGT Haul. We offer full garage cleaning and hauling services, and will haul away unneeded items for you. This is especially handy when your garage is cluttered with junk, or you are selling your home and need everything out as soon as possible.
For junk removal services in Southeast Wisconsin and Green Bay, contact us today and request a free estimate. We are veteran-owned, offer upfront pricing, and pride ourselves on our hard work ethic and honesty.
