Most of us know that a car garage is typically spacious, but most homeowners take that huge space for granted. Consequently, it’s quite common to allow stacks of boxes, junk, and discarded furniture and appliances to accumulate in that very same garage over time. Talk about wasting functional space!
Well, what if we told you that the dream where you could actually park your car inside of your garage could actually be a reality with just a weekend’s (or two, depending on your schedule) worth of work?
Check out these nine expert garage cleaning tips you can follow to get that messy garage organized quickly and painlessly!
The first step in cleaning and decluttering your messy garage is to find out what’s inside. Divide your garage into sections and start taking out things systematically. Pull everything out onto the driveway and start with the second stage of cleaning. Besides making the whole process easier, this garage cleaning tip will also allow you to see what space you have to work with and the types of storage that may work best inside your garage.
Organize all the items you’ve pulled out of your garage by category. Chances are, there will be items that you use periodically and others that you no longer use but still wish to keep. You’ll also have some stuff that you’d want to donate or discard. Try to organize the items by purpose and necessity. Once you’re through, you can set aside all the outdated things and donations and bring them to the nearest Salvation Army drop-off location (or have a garage sale if you’ve got the time).
While you’ve got all your remaining items outside your garage, you’ll find scrubbing down your garage space easier before putting everything back inside. In general, the best way to clean up any room is starting from top to bottom. Dust off and wipe down the tops of your cabinets and shelves if you have one. Then, wipe down your walls and doors with a warm, damp cloth and a mild household detergent. Next, sweep the floor to get rid of the loose dust. Finish up the cleaning session by mopping and hosing off the floor. Let the floors dry up for two to four hours before putting your stuff back inside.
Are you looking to park your car inside your garage? Well then, you’ll have to consider how big it is before you go all out on storage and shelvings for your garage. A big part of that decision will also depend on where you live. If your car is fine parked on the street, then feel free to leave it as it is so that you can make use of all that free garage space.
If you’ve got a lot of time on your hands, feel free to spruce up your garage space by repainting your garage walls. Make your interiors visually appealing, so you’ll be less inclined to allow items to pile up going forward. At the same time, you’ll be more likely to notice the walls each time you go inside your garage, and it will make any future clutter seem like more of an aberration. In essence, the space inside a garage is unlikely to be treated as an afterthought when space itself holds its own allure.
Having shelves installed on the walls of your garage will help you maximize all the available space. You’ll find some brands relatively affordable, easy to assemble, stable, and can hold a ton of weight, so make sure to do your research before buying dozens of them.
Did you know that the ceiling of your garage is valuable square footage? If you have a pitched or otherwise high ceiling, you can also consider using it for hanging bikes, surfboards, kayaks, and other bulky items that are hard to store on a wall shelf or the floor.
Make sure to organize all your gear in a way that you’ll be able to take it out without much effort. Don’t store your things two or three layers deep. You also shouldn’t have to move one bin to get to the next (if your space allows you to have that option). Also, if you choose to have your car in the garage, make sure you don’t have to drive the car out to reach your most frequently used items.
Before you wrap up your organizing sesh, make sure your seasonal gear is the most accessible. It’s okay to have your skis in a hard-to-reach spot in July, but your bike, helmet, and pump should be at the ready and vice versa in December.