Most of us have that one space in the house we use as a kind of holding pen for the stuff we haven’t quite decided to keep or throw out yet, and for many, it’s the garage. A stuffed garage filled with valuable items and junk alike doesn’t mean you’re messy, because these storage spaces can grow over time without you even meaning to, maybe some spare paint tins, an old garden chair that’s still ‘perfectly fine,’ or a stack of cardboard boxes just in case you need them each month. Fast forward a few months and suddenly, you can’t get from one side to the other without knocking over a rake or tripping on a power tool.
Now we’re not going to go into the whole “you need to get rid of that old treadmill and those 15 cables you don’t recognise anymore” lecture, because frankly, you probably already know that. In this post, we’ll actually discuss to clear it properly, how to do it for good, and how to stop yourself from being right back where you started in a year’s time.
Here’s how to make that happen:
Start With A Proper Inventory
You won’t always know what you’re storing in such a place, and after a while, the pile becomes intimidating with tools, sports gear, gardening stuff, old tech, holiday decorations, maybe a chair missing two legs that’s somehow still ‘useful.’ It makes a difference to take everything out, even if it’s just into the driveway for a few hours, so you can see what you’re dealing with in the light of day.
Grab a notepad or just open your phone camera and start making a quick record, not of every single object, but of categories, such as what’s worth keeping, what might be worth donating, and what’s only being held onto because you didn’t want to decide last time you cleaned. You don’t need to be ruthless, just honest, and if you find duplicates of things you forgot you had, that’s already progress.
Divide Your Space Into Zones
The reason garages can become so messy is because of a lack of categorization in how you use the space. If something doesn’t have a proper home, it gets dumped in a vague “this’ll do” corner and forgotten. So once it’s cleared out, think about zones. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to make sense for how you live.
For example, tools near the workbench or the back wall, gardening supplies in easy reach of the door, seasonal decorations up high, sports gear in a corner, and any bikes neatly stored using some well-placed bike racks that’ll keep them upright, off the ground, and out of the way. Once you’ve bordered it out, it gets easier to know where things belong, which helps you avoid the slow slide back into chaos.
Set A Realistic Keep/Donate/Discard Rule
Set a new rule that the possessions you own that belong in the garage should serve a purpose, otherwise it’s just in your way. A good tip is the one-year rule, that is if it hasn’t been touched in the last 12 months and isn’t sentimental or seasonal, it probably doesn’t need to stay. You can also go with the “single-use” rule, which basically means if you kept something because you used it once five years ago and you haven’t needed it since, maybe it’s time to give it up.
Donations seem like a hassle but they’re usually quite easy if you’re not too remote, just look for local community groups, men’s sheds, or charity shops that take tools or furniture. It’s always easier to part with something when you know it’ll be used again, rather than bothering with the landfill or council collection process. You can always recycle as well. Best of all, putting the item as a listing on an online marketplace will no doubt be welcomed, and maybe that can help you invest in upgrades we’ll go into later.
Fix The Little Things That Keep Making It Worse
A space that isn’t correctly managed can often become even more of a mess than you wanted. If the shelves keep bowing because they were never meant to take that kind of weight, or the cupboard door falls off every time you try to get something, it’s good to fix that now and not worry about it again.
We’d recommend taking some time to replace the wall hooks, storage bins, magnetic tool strips, and putting in place a good set of labelled boxes with lids that stack properly. If the garage has a dodgy light or no insulation and you dread spending any time in there, it’s smart to spruce up those elements too.
Make It Easy To Access Your Everyday Items
The more hassle it is to get to something, the less likely you are to put it back. Good storage can help you avoid that fate, because ittems you use regularly like gardening gloves, bike pumps, car cleaning products can be placed nearer to the entrance. That lets you avoid unsteady piles or boxes that need to be moved to access the thing behind them, it’s just a clean grab-and-go system.
For most families is also a good idea to get those bike racks sorted as early as possible, because it it keeps the floor clear, protects your frame and tyres, and avoids the awkward leaning tower of pedal scratches which most people complain about.
Set A Quick Reset Routine
Now, you could do all this and still find the garage starts to change back to how it was sooner rather than later. That’s why once a month going over it and making quick fixes or removals can help, not a full cleanout, just a walk-through to see if anything’s strayed from its zone or been dumped without a home. Then you can implement a small sweep, a bit of dusting, and perhaps rotating a stored chair out of the walkway again. It makes for a healthier change.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily clear out that garage for good, enjoy the logical new system you’ve put in place, and stop dealing with this “to sort” problem.
