Your garage is the perfect catch-all for everything, it’ amazing how quickly items accumulate. Before you know it, your garage is so full of clutter that you can’t even fit your car inside. You might even find yourself avoiding going into the garage because you don’t want to be reminded of the mess.
Remember to include your garage in your spring-cleaning routine. Spring is the perfect time to attack the mess in the garage. Here are some spring cleaning tips that will not only help you get your garage clean, but will actually keep your garage clean, organized, and efficient.
Empty it Out
1) Pick a nice day when you will be comfortable working outside.
2) Put on some comfortable clothes and work shoes and blast some music to get yourself motivated.
3) Get everything out of the garage, off the walls, and off the shelves.
4) Stack it in the driveway, and keep things as organized as possible, sorting in piles until you know where everything will be going. (This will give you a good idea of how much space you will need for certain things like tools, storage boxes, pantry items, etc. You’ll also come across a lot of stuff that will make you wonder why you even kept it in the first place.)
Clean
Now that it’s completely empty, it can be cleaned top to bottom. All of that grime from engine emissions and dust has settled on all of the surfaces inside of the garage. You’ll want a solid ladder to be able to reach everything, your basic cleaning supplies, and a lot of soap and water. Top it off with a little muscle, and you’re good to go.
Cleaning Tips
• Get rid of any cobwebs on the walls, ceilings, and shelves with a good broom
• Give the windows and frames a thorough cleaning
• Open all of the windows and doors to get some fresh air circulating to get rid of any musty garage odor
• Give the floors good sweep and mop.
• Spray the floor with a garden hose
• Scrub the floors with a good deck brush or use a power washer to get off tough stains like grease and oil
• Scrub the garage doors, frames, and other entrance doors.
Get a Vision
Now that the garage is empty and clean, take a look and try to envision how you would like it to look. Instead of just putting everything back inside, now is the perfect time to think about doing some organizing so that you might not have as much of a mess to deal with the next time you clean the garage. Here are some things to consider that might help keep things more organized.
Organization Tips
• Keep as much floor area open as possible. (You may have lawn mowers, or other machinery that will take up floor space. But, there are a lot of different ways to keep everything else off of the floor.)
• Hooks and pegboards on the walls are great for hanging a variety of items including tools, bicycles, extension cords, etc. Items can be organized and hung for easy access, and keep clutter off the floor.
• Use the ceiling of the garage to store items by using hooks.
• Add shelving along the walls for any items that aren’t able to hang.
• Add some cabinetry to store items to keep the garage organized and clean.
What’s Going Back Inside the Garage?
Many of the things that have been collecting inside of your garage. Before you start putting anything back inside, here a few things to think about.
• If it belongs inside the house, put it where it goes.
• Throw out unfinished projects that you move every year/
• Dispose of old chemicals responsibly.
• Donate items you don’t want for a worthy cause. You can either drop off items at local charities or arrange for them to pick them up. You’re not only helping out someone less fortunate than you are, but most donations are tax deductible.
Put it Back Together
The garage is empty, clean, and ready to be organized. You may even find yourself making a quick trip to the hardware store to buy some hooks or shelves. Here a few things to think about when you are deciding where to put everything to keep it clean and organized.
• Think about ways that you can improve on the overall cleanliness and organization of your garage, instead of recreating the same mess.
• If you are storing boxes on shelves, labels are a great way to keep them organized. You may be storing seasonal decorations, rarely used household items, or even things that belong to other people. Labels will make things much easier to locate when you need them.
• Keep things that you use often easily accessible to make your life a little easier.
• Take advantage of wall and ceiling space.
• Think about some bigger projects to maintain its cleanliness and organization.
• If the walls aren’t finished, hanging drywall is a great way to keep it clean. You could also look into epoxy flooring, which is easy to clean, looks great, and practically lasts forever.
When cleaning your garage, your goal should be efficiency, by improving the overall organization and cleanliness of the space. With a little ingenuity and some elbow grease, you can create an area that’s easy to work in and a functional part of your home.
