How To Get Your Garage In Order

Our garages are much more than simply a place where our cars ‘sleep’. It’s where we store all the sport equipment, tools and more that we don’t have space for inside the house. Having a messy garage space doesn’t just cause frustration, depending on the severity, it can pose a safety risk to little children and pets navigating their way through the clutter. Let us show you how to make the most of your garage with these simple tips and tricks!

Clean It Out

Before you start clearing out your garage, make sure the weather is good as you will need to remove everything first and don’t want to be bothered with rain. Once everything, and we mean everything, has been removed and packed on your driveway or lawn, take advantage of the opportunity to give your garage a proper cleaning. Sweep out all the debris and then hose down the floor. A clean space will just help kick start the process. If you want to be pedantic, you can scrub the walls down with warm water and sugar soap as well.

Next, sort through all the clutter to establish what you need to keep, what you can donate or throw away, and what you can store elsewhere. Once this has been established, it’s time to move things back in. If you can, invest in a small garden shed to keep all your gardening tools and equipment. This will make them more accessible and free up valuable space in your garage.

Use Vertical Space

If you store your bicycles in the garage, simply attach bike hooks to the wall to get them off the floor and out of the way.

Another good use of vertical space is adding shelves to the back wall in your garage. Note that this is impractical if you need to park a bigger vehicle, like a bakkie or SUV in your garage. Then simply put smaller, loose items in plastic crates and stack these on the shelves. Remember to mark them clearly so you remember where you put things.

If your garage doubles as a workshop, hang all your frequently used tools on a pegboard above your worktable. The space below your table is also prime real estate for storing your bigger equipment and toolboxes.

If you need to store a long ladder, simply hang it from the ceiling. Be sure to secure it properly to avoid damaging your car.

Sort Items Together

As mentioned before, you can sort smaller, loose items together. Be sure to store like items together, to make it easier to find. You can use plastic crates stacked on shelves, or you can make use of a large storage cabinet with space for everything. Remember to keep the interior of your crate/cabinet organised as well to avoid rifling through it looking for the things you need.

A mess in your garage can easily get out of hand if you’re not vigilant. The important thing to remember is not to use this space as a catchall for everything you’re not using. Here’s our golden rule – if you don’t need it, don’t keep it.