Weekly Quick Tips

Don’t Park Your Clutter in the Garage

Spring has sprung and for many, so has the reality that it’s time to make a change. Many of us live with a landfill attached to our homes ~ also known as the garage! At the very least, if your garage has morphed into a storage space and become more than just a place to park your car, keep reading. It’s easy to make the garage a catch-all for all of those things that really don’t have a home, but before long you’ll have a considerable mess as well as a potential safety hazard on your hands. Check out these ideas on how to go from how to wow!

• Garages should be organized into activity zones to make it very intuitive for everyone in the family. By using a common sense approach and grouping ‘like’ items together, finding and putting away items is a snap. Common garage ‘zones’ include garden tools, auto supplies, tools, garbage and recycling, and sporting goods.
• Almost nothing promotes a clean, safe, and well-organized garage like developing the habit of keeping the floor as clear as possible. Use hooks, racks, cabinets and shelves to hold stored goods.
• Items that will be used regularly should be stored within reach, but little-used stuff such as holiday decorations can be stored on shelving attached high on the walls.
• When it comes to storage, hang it or hook it, but don’t ‘prop it’. ‘Propping’ things up wastes floor space and wall space and and inevitably something will end up damaged, whether it’s your car or your snowboard.
• Wall-mounted grid panel or peg-board systems are affordable and easy to install. With the main panel or sections attached to the wall, attach baskets, hooks, shelving and other available accessories to tailor the setup to your specific needs.
• And, it goes without saying, before you buy bins, hooks or racks, do a purge. If your children are now teenagers, chances are it’s time to pull that toddler blow-up pool out of the rafters and donate …

Originally printed in May 2011, and reprinted by popular demand. So, you’ve had your reprieve; if you didn’t do it then, no excuses this May!Copyright © 2013 Organizing Lives ® All rights are reserved and no part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means unless expressly stated otherwise, or except with the written permission of Organizing Lives®. Enquires should be directed to: info@orgliv.mybusinesshub.ca