Garages can become a dumping ground that present a unique challenge. How do you store items as diverse as power tools, beach chairs, lacrosse sticks, weed whackers, bubble toys, lawn supplies and car fluids all in one place?
A garage tends to accumulate a lot of extra things you don’t want to store in your home but don’t know where to put. If you don’t find the proper place for every item right away, things can get out of control quickly. Here is our best advice to help you make the most of this key space.
P.S. Don’t start this project if you only have an hour or two. It requires a substantial time commitment!
Photo Courtesy of Driven by Decor
Step 1: Pull everything out and declutter
As with any organizing project, you need to ruthlessly declutter before you can organize. Toss anything that is broken, empty or expired. Donate anything that is in good shape, but you have outgrown or don’t use anymore. Rehome anything that belongs somewhere else in your home.
Step 2: Take inventory of what's left and group into zones
Assess what remains and put like items together so you can see how much you have of each group. Then make a plan for where each category will go based on how frequently or easily you need to access them.
Hare are the most common garage categories we see:
Car maintenance (wiper fluid, rags)
Small “tools” (painting rollers, power drills, hammers)
Large “tools” (ladders, extension cords, leaf blowers)
Toys (beach, snow, sidewalk chalk, outdoor games)
Sports/hobby equipment and camping (fishing poles, sleeping bags, tennis rackets)
Seasonal decor
Lawn and garden (pesticides, planting tools)
Coolers/beach gear/outdoor chairs
Bicycles and riding toys
Drink/food overstock (what we like to call the “Costco Overflow”)
Recycling & trash zone
Photo Courtesy of Rubbermaid Track System
Step 3: Get things off the floor
Utilize vertical space and use the 5th wall, the ceiling. Fill up the walls with as many shelves, hooks, cabinets, pegboard and track systems as you can. Track systems such as our favorite here, are helpful for odd shaped items like long handled yard tools, ladders, outdoor chairs, bikes, strollers, and extension cords. Also there are fantastic overhead storage systems like this for items that you don’t use often like holiday decorations, camping or fishing equipment.
Step 4: Get things into containers & label them
We personally prefer clear containers like this. Opaque containers may be visually prettier on the eyes, but it is easier to lose things inside an opaque bin even with labels. It’s nice to be able to see at a glance what is in the bins. Always label each bin so that everyone in the household is on the same page.
Photo Courtesy of the Container Store
According to the experts, these are suggestions for some of the things you should not store in your garage:
Cardboard: Contents are vulnerable to pests and insects.
Paint: Extreme temps can ruin leftover paint.
Propane: Given the danger of igniting, propane tanks should always be stored outdoors.
Photographs (and other valuable documents): Moisture and extreme temps can make them grow mold.
Refrigerator: It’s a huge energy drain in spaces that are not air-conditioned.
Pet food (and non-sealed human food): Animals will sniff it out and get in.