Five Ways To Keep Your Garage Organized

If you’re anything like most homeowners, your garage serves as more than just a place for your car. It’s also a storage space for your holiday decorations, a workspace for home improvement projects, a locker room for your kids’ sports equipment and more. With one space performing so many different roles, it’s not surprising that your garage can become cluttered and disorganized. A chaotic garage means frustration when you can’t find the item you’re looking for, and even hazards from items being underfoot or stacked precariously on top of each other. If you’re looking for a way to tame your garage and transform it into the organized, functional space it should be, here are five techniques and tips you can use to get it under control.

#1: Keep Similar Items Together

There’s nothing more frustrating than putting up Christmas decorations and only finding one reindeer. One of the simplest ideas for organizing your garage is to keep items used together in the same general space. For example, having one shelf for all your camping equipment means you’ll always know exactly where to find your tents, sleeping bags, lanterns and other gear. Using clear plastic bins to store smaller items makes this a lot easier.

#2: Create a Workstation for Projects

Building on the previous tip, DIY enthusiasts can keep their garages looking neater by creating a designated corner for a workbench or workstation. Using pegboards to hang hand tools on the wall makes using them more convenient and frees up storage space for other items. Make sure you set up this area close to outlets so you can use power tools.

#3: Go Vertical

Most garages aren’t built to keep things organized, only offering bare walls and floors that result in items being stacked in haphazard piles. Storage cabinets not only give you shelves you can use for smaller items, but their tops also make good places for bins. Wire shelving units also make a great choice, especially if you have a lot of bins or items that you need to access often.

#4: Use Cubbies for Sports Equipment

Families with kids who participate in sports know how frustrating it can be to keep track of all the associated gear. Whether it’s hockey pads, baseball bats or soccer balls, there’s a lot of stuff to store. A simple cubby unit can help corral all this gear and keep it organized. Assigning a cubby for each kid also prevents fights over whose stick is whose. This idea makes getting ready for gametime much simpler and helps keep the peace in your home.

#5: Don’t Ignore the Ceiling

Most of the stuff in your garage is important, but you may only need it for a few days out of the year. For these items, you should consider hanging a rack on your garage’s ceiling where they can be stashed out of the way. Getting out the stepladder to bring them down once in a while is much better than having them in the way all year long.

Bringing your garage’s clutter under control isn’t as difficult as it may seem at first, though garage services are available if things get out of hand. As long as you go into your reorganization project with a plan, you’ll be rewarded with a space that’s much easier and more enjoyable to use.