Organizing the Garage

Filed Under: Garages

Step by Step Tips to Clean out the Garage

  1. Start by setting aside a full day on your calendar to tackle the garage. Whichever family members have stuff in the garage, enlist and insist on their help. They must be present.
  2. Shop or schedule ahead of time to be prepared. Get garbage bags, boxes, or a dumpster, if necessary, so you’re ready for the major purge.
  3. Dress the part. The morning of, wear good gym shoes and clothes that can get a little dirty. Wear work gloves if you have them.
  4. Start sorting in your driveway, apron, or yard. Drag each and everything out so you can see and decide what should happen to the item.
  5. Don’t bounce around the garage picking up random things in random order. Start on one side and work your way around the room. That way if you don’t finish you’ll know where to pick up the job and you’ll visually see the difference you are making throughout your day.
  6. Choose to sort into all or some these piles.
    • Recycle: Recycling hazardous materials might mean taking time at the end of the day to review your city’s recycling options or local drop of places if you’re not sure how to recycle things.
    • Trash:  Some families have too much for their personal garbage city pickup. Junk hauling services like 1-800 Got Junk or College Hunks Hauling Junk are excellent options. You pay by the amount of space your junk takes up in their truck and you can schedule them online at the last minute… even that day!
    • Keep: Sort stuff into categories to put it back into the garage. Common categories that stay are lawn/gardening, auto, snow/winter gear, sports equipment, deck furniture and decor etc. Group like items and designate specific spots in the garage.
    • Donate: Drive your pile of donations to a local charity at the end of the day. Avoid donating super dirty or damaged items.
    • Ebay/Sell: Post these items on Ebay or Craig’s List within the upcoming weeks. Snap pictures now as they are out of the garage and standing alone, not amidst junk.
    • Things that belong Elsewhere: Items tend to migrate and move so you may find things that belong in the house, in the trunk of the car, to your neighbors and family members. Direct items to the right place and return them to wherever or whoever they belong.
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