When it comes to organizing your home, there are probably a few spots you know you need to hit but try to avoid. Areas like crawlspaces, basements, and garages are often the scarier places to tackle because they hold the most stuff—they’re your big storage spaces. While you may not like cleaning out your closet, you know you can tackle it because it’s not that big. But when it comes to these larger spaces, it means time and effort must be put in. Let us tell you, it’s well worth it to get the space cleaned.
Your garage especially can be a major advantage when organized properly. You can fit your car in there, you can purge items that are better suited for someone else, and so much more. If you know it’s time to take on this project, make sure to check out these common mistakes to avoid when organizing your garage. Make this a successful project—read on!
You Let Tools Fall Where They May
If you store your tools—yard or hand tools—in the garage, then you need to make sure that you’re storing them properly. Yard tools should never just be sitting and resting up against a wall. Hand tools shouldn’t be left in a dusty toolbox on the ground. You need to be diligent about where you’re putting these items, as caring for them improperly leads to a much shorter life span for the tools. Instead, hang them up or put the yard tools in sand and oil mixture.
You’re Utilizing Floor Storage Over Wall Storage
In general, one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to garage organization is not making use of wall space. When you let things fall into the “floor storage” trap, you’re making the space seem disorganized and overwhelming. Take the time to install some wall shelving and some slat wall panels, so that you can start hanging things and storing them up in the air, not down on the ground.
You’re Holding on to Items You Never Use
When it comes to sifting through all the items in boxes and bins in the garage, you need to get picky. If you haven’t opened the box in over a year, then that’s probably a sign that you can get rid of it and donate. If you’re holding on to that old tricycle, but no one’s using it, then you have to make the difficult choice of letting it go. If you can gift these things to loved ones, do so. But don’t hold on to clutter if you’re not getting any use out of it.
You’re Not Hanging Items That Roll
Now, this mistake doesn’t refer to cars, but more so for sports equipment, bikes, skateboards, and other smaller items. When you use storage bins for your sports equipment, you’re taking up prime ground-level real estate. When you store bikes on the floor, you’re taking up space, and keeping them there could lead to injury. Use those slat walls and vertical shelving to hang up bikes, and to put smaller, labeled bins of sporting equipment on shelves. The more you can put on the walls—in an orderly fashion—the better!
