Are you having trouble finding what you need in your garage because it’s too cluttered? Are you worried that you might not be able to park your car in there if it’s not decluttered soon? If so, read on for tips on how to declutter your garage. You’ll be able to find what you need and park your car easily in no time!
What You'll Learn Today
How Do I Organize My Garage With Too Much Stuff?
The first thing you need to know about decluttering your garage is that it’s not going to make much sense for you to keep pushing around piles of junk.
No matter how many organizing totes you buy or how many labels you slap on your bins, there’s no amount of organizing that will take care of just having too much stuff.
Therefore, your first step to decluttering and organizing the garage needs to be purging some of your unwanted items.
We’ll walk you through this (sometimes arduous) process below – but first, here’s a video tutorial that may prove to be helpful if you don’t have time to read the full article:
How Do I Get Rid of Clutter in My Garage?
Did you know that more than half of all people with two-car garages can only actually park one of them inside because the garage is too overloaded with “stuff”?
If that sounds like you, then you need to pay attention to the tips below for getting rid of clutter in your garage.
Make Separate Piles
The first thing you need to do in order to get over the clutter is to divide and conquer! Make separate piles for what you intend to keep, sell, throw out, donate, or reorganize. Before you start sorting, take the car out of the garage so you have room to work.
This should be done before anything else. Far too many people make the mistake of buying a bunch of storage accessories (like totes, bins, and shelving) before actually seeing what it is they’ll need to organize. This will just result in piles of unused or improperly used storage solutions that will just waste your money.
Any items that you haven’t used in a year or more should be donated, sold, or thrown out.
Identify Trash
Far too many of us hang on to items because we think we should – but for no better reason than that.
From unused cardboard boxes to broken items that you meant to fix but never got around to doing, take the time to purge. Get rid of things like dried-out paint cans and outdoor toys that are past their prime while you’re at it, too.
Whatever you do, don’t treat your garage like a landfill! While you shouldn’t throw out things you actually need (obviously), you don’t need to feel guilty about getting rid of the trash that’s taking up space.
Organize in Short Bursts
Especially if you have a very large or very cluttered garage, you might feel overwhelmed by the sheer size of the task. Break it down into more manageable, bite-sized chunks of organizing.
Set a timer and work for just an hour at a time. Don’t make plans to spend an entire week or weekend decluttering your garage because this will feel like too daunting of a task. Break it up!
Even giving yourself just one simple task at a time – like putting away the screwdrivers cluttering up the workbench – can make a monumental difference.
Have a Plan for How You’ll Use the Space
If you’re having trouble finding the motivation to organize and declutter the garage, begin with a clear idea of how you’ll use the garage once you’re done organizing it.
Not only will you be more excited to finish the task, but it will also give you a better idea of which items need to be removed and which need to be kept. Making decisions as you organize will be far easier!
Get the Whole Family Involved
One of the biggest challenges involved in decluttering is not knowing how your family members will react if you throw out their belongings.
By getting everyone involved in the task, you’ll be able to prevent arguments and hurt feelings by throwing out items by mistake.
Use Shelving
Once you’ve thrown out or donated all the items you no longer want and need, it’s time to figure out how to best arrange the items you’re planning on keeping so that you can keep them more organized.
Consider investing in plastic or heavy-duty metal shelving. These shelves will help you use vertical space instead of floor space so you’ll have more room to maneuver in your garage.
You can even make your own shelves out of wood and attach them with shelf brackets. This may be a better option for people who want to be able to customize their shelving to the space.
Try Using Bins
Once you have shelves in place, bins can also serve as a great organizational tool. Use clear bins rather than opaque ones – that way you can easily see what’s inside so you don’t have to pull them out and sort through them in order to make decisions.
Labeling is another option, but using clear bins is, for the most part, much easier.
Consider Renting a Storage Unit
If your garage is so cluttered that it’s hard to work in to get it decluttered, you may want to consider renting a storage unit while you make more space. That way, you can free up space at home to get organized.
This can also be a good solution for dealing with seasonal items, like holiday decorations, too.
Maintain Your Organization System
Most importantly, once you get the garage decluttered, keep it that way. Come up with some sort of organizational system and organize the garage at least twice a year so it stays neat and tidy.
If you come up with a system that’s easy for you to stick to, your decluttering tasks will be much easier each time you come back in.
How Do I Organize My Messy Garage?
Be patient with yourself when you’re organizing the garage. It takes time to work through the clutter! You didn’t accumulate all of these items overnight, so you can’t expect to cut through the clutter and create a perfectly organized space in just one day, either.
If you’re overwhelmed, just start small and organize one tiny section at a time.
Garage decluttering is a daunting task, but by following these tips you can make it less painful and more productive. Start small, take your time, and be ruthless in getting rid of unnecessary items.
Tackle one area at a time and celebrate your accomplishments along the way! What are you waiting for? Get started on that garage today!
Thanks for sharing. Do you have any tips for separating stuff efficiently? Like how many categories should I divide them into?