There’s not much to do outside these days … other than taking the kids sledding and taking down Christmas lights. So when it’s cold and dark outside, it’s the best time of year to finally accomplish that one task you’ve been meaning to tackle for a while now: getting the garage in tip-top shape for when you burst back into life this spring!
After all, there are important things in your garage — your car, your garden supplies — and your autonomous mower will be VERY happy to have a nice, clean, organized space to call home this winter.
Without further ado, here’s your checklist for getting your garage in ultimate working condition – so you make your job easier when you get back to lawn and landscape care this spring.
1. Remove the junk
If it’s been years since you’ve gone through the mountain of clutter that sits in your garage, you may find some interesting things. Perhaps a black and white TV. Or an old cassette player. Is it the 1980s? No!
You don’t have time for nostalgia here. You’ve got a garage to organize. That’s why step one is to get rid of all the clutter you don’t need anymore that gets in the way of what you need to access in order to keep your lawn, landscaping, home, and garden in top shape this year.
But how do you know if something’s worth throwing out or keeping?
Consider this: have you used that item in the past year? If not, consider chucking it or donating it.
2. Organize what’s left
Now what you have left should all be useful. Good job. It’s time to organize.
Put all the sports equipment together. Get together all your tools. Put all the cleaning stuff in a section.
Next, create some space. No more of just throwing your skis into a corner and hoping your pile of junk doesn’t collapse. Sure, you like a life of adventure. But not the thrill of potentially falling into an avalanche every time you park your car.
3. Clear way for your workbench
Your workbench is possibly your greatest friend and ally for getting projects done around the house and lawn. After all, when something needs maintenance, where do you go? the Workbench.
Your workbench is yours. The kids have their playroom. The wife has the bathroom with her creams and hair do-dads. But the workbench is your sacred space.
Make a place for this first. Put it someplace in close proximity to all the electrical wiring. You don’t want extension cords tangled throughout your garage.
4. Invest in shelving
A good shelving unit isn’t terribly expensive, is pretty easy to assemble, and will save your sanity for years to come.
While you’re at it, grab some plastic containers are useful for keeping you organized. Have a small container for all your nails, another for the screws, and a box for your actual tools. Go crazy and even label them. Sure you love a good scavenger hunt, but let’s try to actually remember where things are stored.
5. Don’t be afraid of the ceiling
The sky’s the limit – especially when it comes to getting your garage in order. And if you’re dealing with lots of clutter, you may need to look high to find enough storage space.
Maybe hang a cargo net to store things you only use occasionally like holiday decorations. Or mount ceiling shelving space. You can even hang seasonal sports equipment up there. The ceiling is just sitting wide open. You might as well use it.
6. Leave nothing on the ground
A good decluttering essential is to get everything off the ground. Pretend like you’re playing that children’s game “the floor is lava”. No, don’t jump from car to car. Just pretend like everything not secured will sink.
Take your robotic mower. You love it. But you don’t want to fall over it every time you need the snow shovel. You’re not a rodeo clown.
So you this handy wall mount to get it off the ground and out of your way. You can hang both your base station and your Automower. And bam! Your tripping problem is solved.
7. Use screw-in hooks
You can use hooks to hang your bike. Or hang your shovel or rake that way. There are plenty of ways to get things off the ground. And with something as simple as a screw hook, you can do it while still affording your $10 cup of overpriced coffee.
So that’s your garage overhaul. Your garage will look better, you’ll find things more easily, and your project will give you an excuse from joining that game of family twister. It’s a win in every way.
Spring will be here soon. So before it’s time to run free in the great outdoors, tackle your garage overhaul.
Hey, you might even find an old baseball card worth thousands. Or, at the very least, the second half of that ham sandwich that’s been missing since the 90s. Happy organizing!