Be You Always.
The garage is the space for the hacker, the tinkerer, the maker. The garage is not defined by a single field or industry; instead, it is defined by the eclectic interests of its inhabitants. It is a space where intellectual networks converge.
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Every home has a story, and they are as vast and varied as the world is wide. But they all start with inspiration, and inspiration starts with our surroundings. Thatās what home is. Family. Friends. A sense of place. An amazing view. It is all part of what makes a space a home because your home is where you truly live. As homeowners ourselves we understand that your best life begins with a home that inspires you.
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Like basements and attics, your garage can easily become a room-sized junk drawer. āGarages are often filled with items the homeowner no longer wants inside their home but just canāt quite get rid of yet,ā says Anne Blumer, certifiedĀ professional organizer atĀ SolutionsForYou, Inc.Ā
One answer to the garageās clutter is to keep the door firmly shut and find an alternate spot to park your car. ButĀ for your carās sakeāand your ownāa better option is to rid the space of unneeded items and neatly organize whatās left.Ā
Once you do so, youāll be able to use the area for its intended purpose (parking) without the awkward shimmy to get out of the car and through the cramped space, saysĀ Joshua Becker, author ofĀ The Minimalist Home.Ā
With a cleared out garage, youāll be able to grab any item you need, fast. Plus, you may feel better after you organizeāafter all, the garage may be your entry point when you arrive at home, and a chaotic, messy space can cause your mood to dip, Becker notes.Ā
If your garage has become a chaotic catch-all space, hereās precisely how to transform it into an organized, useful, and safe space.
Since garages are large, it helps to do some advance work before diving in. First, figure out when youāll do the project.Ā
āSet aside an entire weekend,ā Blumer says, and enlist the help of other members of your household or a professional organizer. Many professional organizers are now offering virtual consultations and support.
Assemble your cleaning supplies (think a broom, outdoor vacuum, and cleaning rags) as well as garbage bags for any trash, Blumer says. Rent a dumpster or schedule an oversized garbage pickup with your local provider if you anticipate a lot of landfill waste, and schedule a donation pick-up for larger items.Ā
You may also want to think a bit about your garage vision: What do you want to keep in the space? Browse online for āinspiring photos of garages that you want to pattern your garage after,ā suggests Michelle Hansen, organizing expert and owner ofĀ Practical Perfection.
Remove all the items in your garage and place them elsewhereāoutside on a tarp in your driveway or in another room.
āIf it’s winter and it’s too cold where you live to move everything out of the garage, then you can just pull the cars out, leave the garage closed,Ā and use the middle portion of the garage to organize,ā says Hansen.
Nowās the part where you choose what stays and what goes. Sort your possessions into three categories: keep, donate/sell, trash. This can be hard, particularly for people who like to hold onto items. But personal organizers recommend a ruthless approach.Ā
āYou typically only need about three seconds to decide if you are going to keep an item or not. Don’t try to list all of the reasons why you should keep an item. If your first initial thought is to get rid of it, you probably should,ā Hansen says.Ā
Hereās how to think through if you should keep an item or not:
When did you last use it?Ā No need to hang on to snowshoes from a long-abandoned hobby, Hansen says. Same goes for yard equipment if you have a standing appointment with a landscaper who brings their own tools.
When will you use it again?Ā If youāll use it in the next year or so, keep it, but if itās something youāre keeping just in case you need it in the future, you likely can safely get rid of it, Blumer says.
Does it work?Ā Get rid of things that are broken, saysĀ Hansen. āIf something is broken and needs repair, and you havenāt repaired it for years, you probably wonāt fix it,ā Blumer says.
Can you quickly and inexpensively replace it if you need it later?Ā Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, the writers and podcasters behindĀ The Minimalists, recommend getting rid of ājust in caseā items that can be replaced in less than 20 minutes for $20 or less. (They call it the 20/20 rule.)Ā Their reasoning? Most of the items we hold on to for an undefined future need never get used and just take up valuable space.
Not sure where to begin? Becker recommends starting with large itemsāthat way, youāll see the impact sooner, which can be motivating.
Once your garage is empty, seize the moment to rid it of dirt, dust, and grime. Basic suppliesāa vacuum, mop, and microfiber clothāare all youāll need for this task, says Abe Navas, general manager of the house-cleaning serviceĀ Emily’s Maids. Ā
Start by vacuuming the whole space, working from the top (where spiderwebs can lurk) downward, Navas says. āTry different attachments.Ā Most people never use their vacuum to its full potential,ā he says. Mop the floor once youāve vacuumed, and use a microfiber cloth on surfaces.Ā
Donāt forget about the garage door: Bring it all the way down, then clean both sides. āYou can apply the same logic for your door as with your car,ā Navas says. Hose down the door, use a big sponge to clean it, then rinse it off with the hose and let it air dry.Ā
Smart Tip: To remove oil stains, place sawdust or ACT Asphalt Cleaner over the mark for about 30 minutes. Then sweep up the sawdust and squeeze dishwashing soap on the area. āIt cleans grease way easier and it’s not hard on your hands,ā Navas says.
Now that your garage is spic-and-span and youāve sorted out broken and unused items, itās time to organize and store whatās left. To do so, group like items together, Hansen recommendsāyou might find yourself with categories like holiday decorations, gardening equipment, and sports gear, for instance.Ā
Use shelving along the walls of the garage to store most items. If youāre in need of storage, Blumer recommends shelves that are easy to install and reconfigure as your needs change, such as the Container Storeās Elfa system designed for garages.
Place items in clear bins so that you can easily locate them, with similar items stashed together, and add labels to make it easy to find things later on. Plastic bins trump cardboard boxes since theyāll last longer and are pest-proof, Navas points out.Ā
Pegboard and hooks can be helpful for storing ungainly items (bicycles, fishing poles, and yard tools, for instance). More rarely used items (holiday decorations, seasonal gear) can be placed in high-up spots, but keep frequently used items more accessible.
The garage can often be home to toxic materials, including cans of dried-up paint, fertilizer, and cleaning products. Before placing items in the trash, look up the appropriate disposal method in your area.Ā Earth 911Ā has information on how to safely recycle and dispose of items, and your waste management company or local government will likely also have helpful tips.Ā
If youāre looking to sell or donate items, try:
Nextdoor;
Facebook Marketplace;
Your localĀ Buy Nothing ProjectĀ group;
Local charities with storefronts, such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army;
Community Warehouse;
Or Habitat for Humanity ReStores.
But donāt let the urge to sell items slow down your process. āIf youāre trying to sell everything, itās going to take forever and youāre going to get frustrated,ā Becker saysāif you can afford to do so, opt to donate rather than sell items.
Your beautifully organized and cleaned up garage will hopefully leave you feeling inspired to keep it up. Blumer suggests a few tactics thatāll help you stay on track.
Put things away.Ā Do it immediately after you use it.
Donāt make the garage limbo.Ā āDonāt put something in the garage to decide what to do with it later,ā Blumer says.
Create a spot for donations.Ā Place a container in the garage for donations, and drop items off once the container is full.
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