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8 Tips to declutter your garage

Some days, I hate going into my garage. I hate seeing how cluttered it’s gotten since we moved in. We stacked storage boxes in there and then just kept stacking random stuff to be stored in random spots all over the garage until it just became a maze of randomness. We can walk through it but we have to take certain paths because there’s no middle to the garage right now. I have dreaded the spring cleaning process I know needs to happen for my garage. Sometimes, making a plan or a list of things to do in order to declutter my garage helps me get the ball rolling. If you’re like me and struggling to get started on that big garage cleanup, here are 8 Tips to declutter your garage.

8 Tips to declutter your garage

 

  1. Get rid of things you never use – This can be hard. No need to get rid of keepsakes but that bulletin you kept from church 8 years ago…it can be tossed. Be sure you’re not keeping things that are only going to take up space and have little to no value. This can be big items as well. If you have a stack of empty kitty litter buckets (like me) get rid of them, you’re never going to use them, let’s be honest here.
  2. Add more storage space – The best thing I have ever done for my garage is add two more shelves. I added one that hung from the ceiling so I could place the long-term storage boxes out of site and out of mind. Then, I added a large shelf in the corner which came in handy for small boxes, sleeping bags, etc. Having more storage spaces allows you to get more floor space back!
  3. If it doesn’t belong in the garage, put it where it goes – It’s too easy to just throw everything in the garage. However, sometimes it doesn’t belong in there. If you’re storing toilet paper in your garage, that’s odd and you should move it to the bathroom or a closet inside the house. At least, that’s how I see it!
  4. Get a bungee rope to hold your rakes and brooms – I have a garage broom, shovels, and rakes that just kind of chill on the floor or in the corner. They’re always falling over and are just odd to store sometimes. If you attach a bungee cord or just stretchy cord to your wall, you can put any of those types of items behind it. Not only does it stand them up but it also gets them out of the way.
  5. Get a bike rack – I store our bikes in the garage but boy, do they take up a lot of room. They make bike racks that act as a stand of sorts. It allows the bikes to sit and be stored in a more organized and compact manner. I do believe they also have a bike hanger which hangs from the ceiling or wall, getting your bikes off the floor which makes a ton more space.
  6. Get a clutter box – I have some items that don’t really have a good spot. They’re those odd items that you would throw in a junk drawer. There’s no shame in having a little junk box for your garage. It’s a lot better than throwing them in random spots making it look messy.
  7. Get a tool box – We used to have tools strewn all about the garage. We didn’t really have anywhere to put them so they would lay on the shelves, on top of the freezer, etc. We got one of those little tool boxes with wheels and it made a huge difference, especially when we needed to find a tool, it wasn’t like a game of hide and seek.
  8. Get wall boxes – I call them wall boxes but they are little things that look like plastic drawers only smaller. They’re mini wall hanging organizers. We put ours in over our work table which worked amazing to put screws, nails, drill bits, etc. in so they weren’t just rolling about in random places. You pop tires that way, I learned that quickly.

Cleaning up the garage can actually get a little fun once you get into it. When you turn around and look at the finished product, you will feel so good about yourself.

8 Tips to declutter your garage

19 Comments

  • Alli Smith
    April 26, 2017 at 12:04 pm

    Spring is the perfect time to clean and declutter a garage. Man, those things can get messy. Organizing is the key to keep the garage looking great and I love these no-nonsense tips.

    Reply
  • robin rue
    April 26, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    My garage is a complete MESS right now. There is stuff just thrown where-ever. We need to organize it BADLY!

    Reply
  • candy
    April 26, 2017 at 12:11 pm

    All of these are wonderful tips and ideas. Funny how people have garages and can’t park their car in them. My husband keeps a organized and tidy garage.

    Reply
  • Christopher Lewis
    April 26, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    These are great tips. We always go through the process of trying to organize and clean the garage every spring and then do things over again the next year. We are trying to be more intentional with what we can do to organize this year and this list will definitely help!

    Reply
  • Tim B.
    April 26, 2017 at 12:38 pm

    Timely article as I’m planning on cleaning up our garage this weekend. Your bungee cord idea is my favorite tip out of all your suggestions as I hadn’t thought of doing that before.

    Reply
  • Mars
    April 26, 2017 at 3:37 pm

    Amazing tips! Worthy to follow. I will always rmember #1 Getting rid of the things that you don’t use is the first step in decluttering.

    Reply
  • Doria
    April 26, 2017 at 4:30 pm

    I’m definitely applying all of these tips to my basement, which is in dire need of a big clean up! Thanks 😉

    Reply
  • NYC Single Mom
    April 26, 2017 at 9:33 pm

    you look like you really did some spring cleaning. I love all the tips in which some can be used for cleaning up around the rest of the house.

    Reply
  • Jenn @ EngineerMommy
    April 26, 2017 at 10:42 pm

    Our garage can get cluttered really easily. These are great tips for taming the clutter and organizing the space.

    Reply
  • cheryl
    April 26, 2017 at 10:42 pm

    I live in an apartment and don’t have a garage, but my boyfriend does and he could use these tips!

    Reply
  • Bella
    April 26, 2017 at 11:52 pm

    I really like the idea of using bungee cords to store rakes and brooms, I wouldn’t have thought of that!

    Reply
  • Pam
    April 27, 2017 at 12:35 am

    We decluttered our garage not too long ago and I am so happy we did. It took some work!

    Reply
  • Maurene Cab
    April 27, 2017 at 1:54 am

    It’s been challenging for me to organize my garage. I have a lot of stuff. I’ll start following your tips from now on.

    Reply
  • David Elliott
    April 27, 2017 at 7:12 am

    Those racks can definitely be handy when you are trying to organize things. These are great ideas in the garage. Which reminds me of some spring cleaning that I need to be doing.

    Reply
  • Jaime Ervin
    April 27, 2017 at 9:52 am

    I don’t have a garage, but I can use these tips to help with my garden shed. Love the racks!

    Reply
  • KiSheyna
    April 27, 2017 at 10:41 am

    I dont even want to talk about my family’s garage. They could use many of these tips as of right now they use it as a big storage unit.

    Reply
  • Annemarie LeBlanc
    April 27, 2017 at 2:15 pm

    Thank you for the tips. We’ve been planning to organize the garage as soon as we are done with the inside and outside of the house. I know there will be so much stuff there that I am already thinking of setting up a garage sale.

    Reply
  • My Teen Guide
    April 27, 2017 at 3:18 pm

    The garage is always the last to be cleaned but I will sure take your tips into consideration. I would have to get those clear boxes so it would be easier to organize and find stuff once we get to clean in there.

    Reply
  • valmg @ Mom Knows It All
    April 28, 2017 at 3:28 am

    We don’t have a garage. My parents do and they have been quite the packrats over the years. They recently cleaned it out and filled a dumpster.

    Reply

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