A garage is generally thought to be used as a safe, climate controlled space to park your car right? Well unfortunately (and this may be the case for you or your family), many people’s garages have migrated into an extra large storage closet that is unorganized, untidy and containing products or items that haven’t been touched in years. If this situation sounds familiar, please continue reading. We’re about to give you some great tips for exactly how to get that garage organized and back to it’s original usage.
Organize yourself before the garage.
Create a “cleanup plan.” Know exactly how many people will be helping you, exactly how many hours your willing to give to the cleanup (so you don’t waste time refinishing your grandmother’s beautiful wooden dresser when you only have one hour left for the rest of the cleanup), exactly where each pile will go (ex. keep, throw away, give away, etc. in your house, driveway, yard, etc.) and have extra storage methods pre-planned for further organization (ex. cans, bins, boxes, shelves, etc.)
Create a path.
Depending on where your going to create your specific piles, you need to be able to get there. This path will also depend on the amount of items you have stored. If you can easily get to the driveway or inside the house without reorganizing initially, then you are ready to start. If not, you’ll need to create a pathway that enables you to get everything to where it needs to be.
Start with the big stuff.
If you are still storing your high school dresser from 30 years ago, it’s time to let go of it. Get rid of any large, bulky items that have a huge “but what if?” sign on them in your head. Depending on how long you have stored it, chances are if you haven’t used it thus far, you most likely won’t. As soon as you have the largest pieces removed, you can being taking the time to organize the smaller things.
Life is all about the little things.
Pick up and place any small or loose objects that are simply sitting on shelves, on the floor or are in the way. Decide which pile they should go in and why. If this is a family cleanup session, make sure everyone who’s items they are is present to avoid any conflict. We don’t want your wife or daughter’s prized possession being thrown in the give away pile. This could get you in big trouble.
You may possibly need to invest.
If your garage has absolutely no cabinets, shelving units or storage spaces; you may need to invest in some. These things can really help you organize, know exactly where everything is and give everything an appropriate place. You could even go as far as to label the spaces or drawers for exact product placement.
A clean garage is a happy garage.
After everything his picked up, organized and placed in it’s new home; it’s time to clean. You’ll want to remove any spider webs, cob webs, excess dust and/or dirt. This is a place where things that you use on a regular basis (because you have just gotten ride of anything you don’t use right?) will be accessed, so we want the whole family to feel comfortable being in it. Give the floor a good sweep and if the hose will reach, a wet down.
By the end of this cleanup, you should have an organized, tidy garage your car will be proud to sit in! For more information on garage or basement cleanup, please visit our website at www.tlcgarageworksinc.com!