7-Day Plan to an Organized Garage

It is not uncommon for garages to become cluttered dumping grounds in our home. A place we dread going for very long, except to get in the car and get out of it. We long to have a beautiful space that is neatly organized, but conquering the task just seems so overwhelming. With a positive outlook that you can do this and the following timeline, you are just 7 days away from that garage you dream about.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN- Read over the Plan and Decide How/When You Will “Attack”

There are just a few things you should plan out before you actually get started moving things around. First, take inventory of how much stuff has accumulated in your garage and how long you think it will take to pull it all out of the garage. If there is a large amount of stuff you may want to ask someone to come help or make it a whole family effort to keep on track with the timeline. You will also want to plan this for a day when the weather Is conducive to having all of your things outside.

Next, take a few minutes to think about what you want the finished project to look like. What is your dream organized garage? What do you want to use the garage for? What do you want to go where? Keeping the end result in mind will also help you to power through the task.

Day 1: The Purge

Take a few minutes to label separate areas: garbage, donate, sell, and keep. You can even break the garbage category down into hazardous waste (i.e.: paint), recycle, and actual garbage. This will help you to not put anything back that doesn’t need to be in the garage. When items go straight to these piles as they come out of the garage it cuts out a step of having to do it after you pull it all out.

Once everything is out you can designate someone to take everything to the dump that is in the garbage pile. Then get to work on sorting the keep pile into further categories like holiday stuff, tools, sports gear, toys, etc.

Day 2- Clean, Clean, Clean

Since the garage houses a fair amount of dirty items and is semi-outside, it can be a harbor for a fair amount of dirt. Dirt is to be expected in a garage, but a periodic cleaning is a good idea. Plus why not start your beautiful new organized garage off with a clean slate? Now is the perfect time to clean the garage. Remove everything even shelves out of the garage if possible and do a full inspection for pests, water damage, and any other issues. Make any repairs if necessary. Next sweep or get the shop vac and clear out all of the dust. Give the garage floor a good washing and get them extra clean.

Next take the categorized keep pile and get the stuff into storage bins then label the boxes so you know what is inside.

Day 3- Plan Out the Storage

Make a rough sketch of your garage, draw out the approximate floor plan. Then label where you would like each category of items to go. You can keep this drawing handy by hanging it up near the door in the garage so that you and everyone else using the garage can look at it and quickly locate what they need.

Day 4- Install a Vertical System

If you do not already have shelving or racks in the garage now is the time to get some and install it. Since the garage is prone to moisture and other outdoor elements you want to store as many items up off of the floor as possible. Make as much use of your wall and rafter space as possible. Store items used the least highest up and furthest back.

Related: 3 Ways to Give Your Garage a Facelift

Day 5- Tie Up Loose Ends

If there is anything that still needs to be finished up from previous steps take the time to do so now. If you haven’t donated your donate pile or fully disposed of the garbage pile take some time to do that. Make a plan to sell the items you want to sell, or heck, go ahead and get them listed on an online site like Facebook marketplace.

Day 6- Don’t Forget the Entrance to the House

Make sure that you keep the dirt outside of your home by placing a quality mat at the door leading into your home. You might even consider staging a sort of mud room area to take off muddy boots and hang up rain coats to dry instead of bringing them in the house.

Day 7- Put Every Last Thing Back, Celebrate!, and Keep Up the Good Work

Get all of those last items put back into the garage according to your drawing and then take a step back and take in the beauty of your newly organized garage. Then go make a quick plan for how you are going to keep it that way while enjoying a reward of some kind, because you deserve it.

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