A disorganized garage is far more than an eyesore. If flood damage occurs, many of your items can be destroyed. Chemical and fire hazards are higher in a chaotic garage, not to mention the risk of falling items. Garage organizers are key to creating an organized oasis in your garage, but how can you use them?
Here are some clutter management tips with garage organizers:
- Start organizing with a clean garage
- Hang items you use often on slatwall
- Store bulky, off-season items overhead
- Use garage cabinets for project-related items
- Organize small items with storage baskets
You can organize your garage in a snap with custom cabinetry, slatwall storage, workbenches, and overhead storage. The insights and advice ahead will help you get started today, so read on.
5 Steps to a Neater Garage with Garage Organizers
Garage organizers are available in various styles to solve your clutter challenges. Making efficient use of them will help you enjoy a neater garage than you’ve seen in years. Here’s how.
1. Start Organizing with a Clean Garage
Are you feeling overwhelmed about where to begin organizing your garage? Begin by emptying the entire space.
As you do this, create, keep, repurpose, donate, and toss piles. Keep items you use often or haven’t seen in a while but are valuable, such as a lawn mower, mulcher, leaf blower, new sports equipment, holiday decorations, and lounge furniture.
You might repurpose an old mower, taking its parts, or use that pile of wood you had stocked up in the back of the garage. You can donate items in good condition that you no longer use or need.
Throw away items that have fallen apart, no longer work, or that you never use and can’t be donated because they’re in shoddy condition.
2. Hang Items You Use Often on Slatwall
Now that you’re reunited with your precious garage essentials, keep the items you use within arm’s reach by using a slatwall storage. This handy garage organization solution is compatible with hooks of all shapes and sizes.
You can hang baskets, sports equipment holders, and even bicycles on a slatwall, so it’s as versatile as it is appealing.
3. Store Bulky, Off-Season Items Overhead
The next question becomes, what to do with those items that only come in handy during certain times of the year? For example, if your kids play sports, but it’s currently the off-season or if you have holiday decorations or beach chairs.
Overhead storage is an excellent solution for these seasonal items, like camping or holiday decorations, that would otherwise take up space in your garage. You can put them up and out of sight, where they will remain out of mind until you need them next.
The additional floor space you will have in your garage can do wonders for your organization aspirations. Your garage will also seem much spacious, which is an added bonus.
4. Use Garage Cabinets for Project-Related Items
If you use your garage for hobbies, such as woodworking, building, metalworking, or auto repair and restoration, an organized garage will serve as a gateway to these activities.
Custom garage cabinets are built with durability in mind. The shelves can hold 100 pounds of items apiece – allowing you to store more without stability worries. Soft-closing hinges open smoothly and never slam for a more harmonious garage environment.
Thermally-fused laminate surfaces will maintain the pristine appearance of your cabinets, even if you’re into rough-and-tumble projects, as the laminate will not scratch or stain.
An accompanying workbench gives you a centralized place to work, so you can get your most fruitful projects completed in your garage.
5. Organize Small Items with Storage Baskets
Storage baskets are a godsend as you sort out your garage, especially for those small items you would otherwise lose in the clutter. From nails to pegs, screws, tiny tools, and all other small items, you can sort them, so they’re always accessible.
The Benefits of Organizing Your Garage
Organizing your garage is advantageous for many reasons. Let’s explore.
Less Stress
According to Kathy McEwan, with more than 80 percent of Americans feeling stressed by the disorganized state of their homes, garage organization can only help. Once you unlock the keys to a neater garage, you can take those fundamentals and apply them to your home.
You can also use the additional space you opened in your garage for household storage, although take care not to clutter up the garage again in the process!
Fewer Lost or Misplaced Items
It’s frustrating when you know an item is in your garage, but you can’t find it. You can lose hours searching high and low for the elusive item but still come out empty-handed when all is said and done.
An organized garage will keep your day-to-day essentials within close reach. You’ll have more storage options than ever – from cabinetry to workbenches, baskets, and bins. You can find anything in a heartbeat.
Reduced Health Hazards
Even if you don’t work with chemicals, your disarrayed garage is a fire hazard. It also creates many tripping risks, even among able-bodied adults. You might not want to navigate too deeply into the garage for fear that something will fall on you.
A neater garage will lessen or eliminate these hazards – increasing your safety and peace of mind when you use your garage.
Fewer Pests
The tight, narrow nooks you create in your garage when you don’t declutter are the perfect homes for pests – from insects to rodents and even snakes, depending on where you live. Pests can leave hazardous droppings, and a bite from a critter can hurt your health in more ways than one.
Your garage will be a more hygienic corner of your home when you declutter and keep the space neat using garage organizers.
A Space to Be Proud Of
Your garage is an extension of your home, so it’s difficult to feel good about it when it’s in shambles. Cleaning up will restore your confidence and sense of pride.
Conclusion
Garage organizers are a difference-maker if your garage is overrun with clutter. You can use organizers strategically to create a neater alcove for vehicle storage, hobbies, activities, and relaxation.