While I would never say I’m not a busy mom, thanks to 2020 I’ve found myself with a little more time on my hands at home. Maybe you can relate. Needing a little fresh air, I’ve even started checking a few things off my to-do list for the house. First thing you’d see on my list – declutter your garage. Doesn’t that sound overwhelming? But it doesn’t have to be. Today in this sponsored post, I’ll share tips to help you declutter your garage and keep your sanity.
Genius Tips to Declutter Your Garage (and Keep Your Sanity)
Take a good look at your garage.
Can you park your car in the garage? Both cars?
If there was flooding in your garage from let’s say your water heater, would items of yours be safe? Can you see the floor in your garage?
If you answered no to any of these questions you might need to do exactly as I did and declutter your garage. It can be a big project no doubt, so there are a few tips you’ll want to heed in order to keep your sanity. No worries. I’ve got you covered.
Dedicate an Entire Day to the Organizing the Garage
Put on comfortable clothes and sneakers. Grab a bottle of water.
Have a dedicated area in the driveaway for the kids to play with some forgotten outside toys. Plan on ordering takeout for dinner.
Attach Pegboard on a Wall for Tools
This was one of the first things my dad always did when we moved into a new home. Not only is it practical, but it also brings a sense of uniformity and I dare say beauty to a garage.
Pegboard is a board consisting of a regular pattern of holes where you’ll put pegs in for organization. You can easily find pegboards of all sizes at your neighborhood hardware or home improvement store like Lowe’s or Hope Depot. The pegs and hooks will help you get tools you’ll want readily accessible up on the wall like hammers, screwdrivers, drills, cords, etc.
Throw Out Paper Moving Boxes
If you are like me, you might still have moving boxes that are years (or decades – eeek!) old. Stacked in the garage they might not seem to be a bad thing, but there are a couple of things to consider.
First, animals like paper. Don’t ask me how I know – that’s a story for another day. Using durable plastic tubs makes for better long term storage where no animals can slip under the taped areas or worn corners.
Second, many homeowners have hot water heaters or an extra refrigerator in their garage. If either of these were to leak, paper moving boxes (and the contents inside) could be ruined.
So if you need to replace paper moving boxes, order or pickup a few plastic tubs from a nearby store. It’s a great investment.
Lift as Much of Your “Stuff” Off the Floor
I live in Texas along with a ton of critters. No matter what, there will always be small lizards (or something else that could frighten your loved ones even more) which tend to make their way into the garage. It’s nice when you can clearly see where the critter has run off to.
We certainly don’t want to make it easy for them to hide from us. So let’s make the garage floor clean.
Lifting as much as we can off the floor is a great start. Freestanding shelving units are great for this. Thankfully we already had built-in wooden shelving units and workbenches. If you have them, be sure to take advantage of them.
Another option would be the ceiling-mounted storage racks. I recently spotted this in a friend’s garage and LOVED it. It’s where she had stored all her Christmas decorations. I love that the storage isn’t in the attic anymore, because as we get older I certainly don’t want to be going up and down the attic ladder. Time for a storage upgrade – add it to my to-do list.
Store and Dispose of Chemicals Properly and Away from Children
We all have old paint cans, weedkiller, and various types of critter repellent products in the garage, right? Make sure they are stored how they need to be and up high away from children.
Take a look at any of them which you don’t need anymore. Old paint that you’ll never use. Weedkiller you don’t need because you’ve hired a service to take care of the yard. Make sure to dispose of any according to city or county guidelines.
Rent a Temporary Dumpster
If your garage is full, this tip is for you. If you moved into your new house without having the time to purge beforehand, this tip is also for you. It’s time to hunker down and decide what you can part with.
Do yourself a favor and grab a dumpster for the day or weekend, like those you can rent from Junk Queen TX.
I know that it’s not hard to fill up our trash and recycling receptacles while cleaning out the garage. Paper moving boxes, even broken down, can quickly fill them up. Make it easy on yourself so that you don’t have to spread the trash out over several weeks. I know when I’m ready to get rid of something, I want it gone. Now.
A Plano dumpster rental will help keep you organized and help keep your sanity while you declutter your garage.
Our dumpster experience was life-changing. I couldn’t believe how quickly we filled it up. Next time we have a big house project on our hand or plan on moving, we will rent another. No doubt about it.
So Worth It
While it can seem overwhelming to begin the process and declutter your garage, it’s so worth it. If one of our famous Texas hailstorms heads our way, cars will find plenty of room in the garage.
It’s a project to put on your to-do list!
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Such great tips! We have way too much stuff in the garage but it’s organized and in plastic tubs.