Although garages are primarily
meant for storing your car, they can be used for storing your other belongings
as well. Starting from tools to seasonal items, you can store a whole lot of
items safely in a garage. But all of this is only possible when you organize
your messy garage correctly. If there are clutters all around, and your garage looks
messy then here’s the post worth checking. Today in this post about how to organize
a messy garage, I am sharing all the tips and hacks that can help you to
organize your messy garage cheaply. If you apply all these tips and hacks about
organizing a garage, you’ll be able to create more space that you can use the
way you want.
Despite being such a good extra storage option, we usually ignore organizing the storage space in our garage and keep it cluttered and messy. Many people store items in their garage, but they make messy, unorganized and sometimes even dirty, while some literally turn it into a dumping ground for all of those items that do not fit inside their home.
Tips to organize a messy garage cheaply
Since garage is also a portion of
your house, you got to keep it well maintained, cleaned, organized and tidy all
the time. When you organize your garage properly, not only it looks clean and
nice, but it helps free-up plenty of space that you can use as extra storage
space to safely store tools, equipments and other goods as needed.
And if you are struggling to organize
your messy garage and wondering what you can do to get it cleaned, organized
and tidy, then I can help you with some amazing tips on how to utilize your
garage space cheaply.
However, before getting into the
details of organizing a messy garage, let me tell you that organizing a very cluttered
and messy garage may be a little time consuming, so be patient. But once you
get it right, it won’t take much of efforts in your part to keep it cleaned,
organized and tidy, so the one time effort you put in is totally worth it.
It is better if you keep back to
back days or back to back weekends for organizing your garage because that way it
will be easier to manage your time and efforts
Also, it is advisable that you
check the weather before starting the work. Dry days are recommended because
while organizing it, you will have to pull many belongings off outside the
shelter of the garage. And if you wet them, then they may get damaged. And,
yes, do ask for help because you are dealing with too many items so the more
helping hands you get, the better for you.
And finally, here are the best tips to organize a messy garage cheaply and efficiently. Follow these garage organizing tips to organize your messy garage and create extra storage space easily.
Categorize the items
The very first thing that you need
to do is to categorize all the items you have in your garage. Well, the typical
categories are sports, recycling, tools, automotive, seasonal decor,
recreational equipment etc. Once you have categories, you need to evaluate
whether you can store certain items elsewhere or not.
Once categorized, you should start with the grouping of the items based on the categories you decided. You may use the cardboard boxes for grouping but that does not mean that you will have to store the items inside those boxes only. There are various garage storage hacks out there, some of which I will discuss today itself, so you may use them if you want to.
Coming to those items that you
found out randomly in the garage but do not know what to do with them. Well, if
you want to keep that item, then assign it to the most similar category or keep
it in some space where you can remember that you have that item. If you do not
want to keep any stuff, then sell, throw or donate it.
Store as per utility
It’s always better to choose a layout
for your garage, so that you know what to store where. It is better to keep
each category of items depending on how frequently you use them. Like for
example, recycling items can be placed near the entrance and as for the tools,
you may keep them near the workbench. However, while arranging the items, you
should also consider the availability of the free space.
Garage cabinets
I have seen many people store items
like tools and equipments etc in the boxes kept on the floor. But if you want
to store the things in a more organized way, then you should consider garage
cabinets as it helps you get organized, and also free up space on the floor of your
garage. In fact, I strongly feel that if you have space, you should have a garage
cabinets installed in your garage.
Wall organizers
If you seriously want to free up some space in your messy garage, then you must utilize the wall space correctly. Apart from installing garage cabinets, you should also consider wall organizers like hooks, shelf, racks etc. You can hang your belongings in the walls using hooks. This is a good thing because in this way you can actually keep your garage floors free of any clutter. If you just utilize the walls of your garage correctly, trust me it will help you organize your messy garage easily, and create plenty of floor space as well.
Ceiling storage
If you do not have enough space on
the walls or on the floor of your garage, then you can even consider using ceiling
space for storage. And, ceiling mounted racks are a good option to evaluate.
These ceiling mounted racks are great for storing seasonal items. Just make
sure you go for sturdy racks or place a safety net under especially if the
place you live in is an earthquake prone area.
Folding workbench
If you use your garage as a
workshop or for crafting, then it will be a great idea to try a folding
workbench. Folding workbench can help you save a lot of space, and it gives you
the liberty to work inside your garage as and when needed. You may go for those
that are wall mounted, and which can be folded after usage.
Magnetic boards
If you are into the habit of losing
bolts and nuts frequently, then having a magnetic board will be very useful for
you. You just have to magnetize the small steel and metal parts to the board
mainly when you are working on something. This is a great way to keep the small
things organized and it will also help you prevent losing them.
Go mobile
Well, one of the innovative ways to
save on space is to build a work area with wheels. Trust me this will make
things a lot easier for you. With mobile workstation, you do not have to remain
stuck in one corner. Moreover, you may also use the mobile working table for
storing the tools that you use frequently.
Adjustable shelving
If you have kept the seasonal items
in your garage like clothes and decorations, then upgrading to adjustable
shelves will help you move around your storage boxes as required. Using open
wall shelves with wooden strips can be a great idea for your garage. You may store
the item inside the plastic containers that you can move around.
Organize wires
If you are having lots of wires
lying around your garage, it will obviously make the whole garage messy and
disorganized. So, make sure you tie the wires using zip ties or paper clips.
Keep everything inside a drawer together so you know where to search when
finding the wires.
Locked power tools
If you have the power tools that
you very rarely use, then it is better to keep them stored in the most inaccessible
storage area inside your garage. Also, since these tools usually take up more storage
space, you may consider keeping them hidden as well.
Light up properly
Well, lighting up the garage
properly is definitely one of the important things to consider. A well-lit
garage is a tidy garage and if you use the best lights to light up your garage
that will be helpful to you as far as finding the tools and working in your
garage is concerned. Also, it will allow you to hang around your garage space
without straining your eyes a lot. It is one of the most basic steps that one
should take up to remain safe while working in the garage.
While choosing lights, it is better
to go for properly installed overhead lighting as it helps save space in
comparison to plugged in lamps haphazardly done.
Door opener
Choosing the right door opener for
your garage is seriously important. If you go for motorized doors, it can save
a lot of your effort over the years. It will help keep all of your belongings
stowed safely, and will also let light to enter with just the flick of a
switch.
Then there are also certain doors
that provide you with the chance to squeeze in some extra storage space. If the
door tracks are sturdy, then you can attach hooks to it which will help you to
hang long items like ladders etc.
Conclusion
Well, most of us have home garage mainly for storing our cars. But, if you are able to make proper utilization of the garage space, you will be able to store many other things apart from your car. If your car is taking up too much of floor space, utilize the wall space and the ceiling space to keep your messy garage organized and free up some extra space for storing tools and equipment.
I have already shared a few essential tips on how
to organize your messy garage cheaply and free up some space. I am sure f you
follow these simple tricks to organize a messy garage, it will help you
organize your garage cheaply and smartly.
However, if you really want to keep your garage
organized all the time, you need to take proper care of your garage from time
to time. Organizing a garage is not a onetime thing, you have to keep things at
its designated places every time, and also maintain a strict cleaning and organizing
schedule for your garage, from time to time.
It’s always better to do it every month or
quarter and therefore maintain a calendar. The reason behind is unless it makes
it to the calendar, most of the time you will either forget or feel too
lethargic to clean up or organize your garage space on time.
What else do you think one should to keep a messy
garage cleaned and properly organized? What is your garage maintenance and
organizing schedule?
