Springtime in Chicago is always cherished and welcomed after the bitter cold, dark winters we endure. Garages take a beating all winter from the cold and snow. It’s time to give them a little love come April or May. Here are seven tips to get you started in cleaning out the garage and clearing the clutter.
- Wash windows to let the long summer hours of sunshine in. Don’t block windows. Light is always good in dark, dingy spaces. So steer clear from stacking things in front of windows.
- Sweep the floor free of the leftover leaves, grime, and salt from the winter months. My husband loves to use our leaf blower to even reach the corners full of spider webs and dust.
- Hang up snow shovels, sleds, and ice skates. Stash the bags and buckets of salt and sand. Use lots of nails, hooks, screws, or store-bought professional tracking systems to get things up off the floor. I like to assign one wall for hanging garden tools and shovels, two walls for freestanding shelving for large items and small items categorized into auto, garden, tools, etc.
- Move the snowblower to the back of the garage and bring the lawnmower and seed spreader to the front for easy access. Also, switch out the winter car mats and snow scrapers for the summer carpet mats and umbrellas.
- Take inventory of the lawn fertilizers, seeds, and garden products you currently have. This way you won’t buy double and use up what you have before heading to the local garden center store.
- Pull out your flower pots and seeds to decide which ones you’ll fill and where you’ll place them. Pitch any broken or cracked pots.
- Blow up bike tires and sports balls so you can start to enjoy playing outside. While you have the pump out, you might want to add air to your auto tires. They may be low after the cold months of winter.
