How to Clean Out Your Garage This Spring

A garage may well have been intended for our cars, but it’s so easy for it to become a dump for our old clothes, paint cans, gardening equipment and broken junk – basically anything that we’d rather stow away and forget about. And in fact, it’s thought that only 24% of Britons are actually using a garage to store their vehicle.

But as spring rolls around, and the weather starts to brighten up, it’s the perfect time to get stuck into the mess you’ve been pretending doesn’t exist for so long.

In this blog, we’ve put together a few tips to help you reclaim your garage and make the most of this often-underutilised space.

Planning: Prepare

Throughout winter, or perhaps even longer, a lot can happen in the garage, so the first step should be to get things back to how they should be. Think about how you’ll be using the space. Are you a keen gardener? Do you enjoy artistic or crafty endeavours? Or do you use the room as a utility area?

Make a list of things that you need to do to accomplish your goals and get to work.

Planning: Execute

Tackling such a large area can seem pretty intimidating, so it’s best to stick to your guns.

We’re all different, so it stands to sense and reason that we’ll all choose a different way. For example, perhaps you’d prefer to start with easy things first, like bagging up old clothing for the charity shop, or maybe you’d prefer to empty the garage entirely and decide which bits are worth putting back.

Alternatively, if that seems too regimented for you, then start from the front and work your way to the back.

Decide What to Keep

A common rule when clearing out is if you haven’t used it for six months, it’s time to wave it goodbye. If no one has used those tennis rackets since the London Olympics, it’s probably time to get rid of them. If you’ve just never renovated that broken down old Vespa like you thought you might, then don’t worry about it – give it away to someone who might have the time.

Be honest about what you love doing, if you enjoy painting or DIY, then the kit for those activities deserves to be front and centre. But, if you’re struggling to decide what to let go, then itemise the stuff in the garage into ‘use regularly’, ‘use annually’, ‘never used’ and ‘sentimental.’

Never used can be thrown or given away, annual and regular use can be checked for signs of wear or replaced, and when it comes to sentimental items, decide what you really want and if you actually have the room to store it.

Storage Options

If space is at a premium, then consider using a pegboard with hooks for vertical wall hanging. Things like shovels, spades and the like have handles for easy storage, which also removes the need to store stuff on the floor.

Sports equipment, like golf bags and things of that nature are also easy to hang.

If you are using the garage to store gardening equipment, why not consider a potting shelf or bench, or even a wheelbarrow to make the transportation of tools much easier?

Think About Usability

Garage storage should be as thoughtful as it is inside the home, so think of the areas that are used often and plan your room around that.

If you use the area for your washing, then store all of your washing powder and dryer sheets in storage near the washer and dryer.

It’s small details like this that can help to make the process a bit easier, particularly when you’ve got a clear vision of how you want things to look and feel.

Labelling System

A great way to get the whole family behind your organisational splurge is through labelling everything. Label everything from hooks and pegboards and storage bins – this helps to maintain the order and keep everything where it should be.

It may seem like a lot, but it sure makes things easier to find, especially when in a rush and looking for the golf bag.

It will go a long way towards preventing garage clutter and keeping your doorways and floor clear of junk all year round.

Spring cleaning is not a mere one and done activity. It’s a little bit like going on a diet: you must maintain your healthy lifestyle in order to see results.

If you have any questions about garage storage, garage door conversions and alterations, or any of our other products or services, then contact us today.

For a free, no obligation survey give us a call in your local area, and our team will be happy to advise you on which products would be right for your home and garage.