What do you do when it feels like your garage is taking over your house? It's easy to accumulate a lot of stuff in our garages, but sometimes it's hard to know what we should keep and get rid of.
The single most effective action you can take to restore your garage's usefulness is to begin that junk-cleaning endeavour you've been putting off finally.
When garages are cluttered, they are unable to serve their primary function.
Instead, the garage is a dumping ground for useless items rather than a place to park cars, organise belongings, work out, or run a home studio.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, don't worry – we're here to help! In this blog post, we'll discuss some things you can throw away in your garage and give tips on simplifying your space. Read on!
Why Do We Clutter up Our Garages?
Surprisingly, numerous households give up using their garages to hoard useless items (the connotation of junk).
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In Australia, millions of garages are full of useless items that add up to only several hundred dollars.
Cars costing hundreds of dollars are often left in garages, where they are not protected from theft or the elements.
Perhaps you're considering giving your garage a renovation on a budget that would allow you to modernise the space's aesthetics and better use the space for storage.
But, on the other hand, maybe you have bigger plans, like turning your garage into a high-end showplace.
Get that garage garbage cleaning project going in either instance, and you'll have accomplished the first step towards remodelling your home.
Things You Should Throw Away From Your Garage
Damaged Christmas Decorations
Is your garage home to a deflated snowman, tangled web of lightbulbs, or a mechanical reindeer that can no longer raise its antlers? Discard without regret the broken holiday decorations; you will never use them again.
Leftover Paints
Most disorganised garages have at least a few paint cans that have been opened but never finished.
A garage isn't the best place to preserve paint for the long term unless you have a climate-controlled space.
Paint will dry out, separate into its colours, and change consistency if the temperature is allowed to fluctuate.
The remaining paint from a painting job can be used for touchups if stored properly. Keep any extra paint in the basement until you're ready to use it.
If you can't recycle the paint cans, then you should bring them to a facility that deals with hazardous waste. In some areas, empty paint cans containing dried paint residue can be recycled with other household recyclables at the kerb.
Donate any useful paint you have to a local school, church, or charity.
Abandoned Infant and Toddler Products
You're probably keeping the baby cradle, high seat, and stroller even though your kids are working after school and planning for higher education.
You should not keep these things in your garage, as difficult as it may be. Instead, give them to a charity that helps low-income families buy necessities for their infants and toddlers.
You might also gift them to a friend or family member with a house full of kids.
Car seats need attention. It is not safe for infants to use them after their expiration date has passed.
Unfortunately, they are rarely acceptable for donation. They can be recycled or thrown away; however, the straps should be cut beforehand to prevent anyone from reusing them.
You can give the car seat to a friend if it is in good condition, hasn't expired, or has been in an accident.
Used and Abandoned Sporting Equipment
Old, broken sporting gear that hasn't been used in years probably lives in your garage. However, you know how rapidly children can outgrow athletic gear if you have children who participate in (or used to participate in) organised sports.
Likely, the old sports equipment you find in your garage is simply one more example of something that's been sitting there for too long without being thrown away or given. So it's high time for a shift in that regard.
- Donating gently worn but serviceable sporting equipment benefits everyone involved.
- Charity is the recipient.
- It's helpful for families who might not otherwise be able to afford to outfit their children in brand-new athletic gear.
- Reusing sporting equipment helps keep trash out of landfills.
Plan on storing items like bicycles, skates, and inflatable pools your family uses for outside activities.
Slatwall might be a useful way to organise and store these items. Adding a GarageSmart® SmartWall is a quick and easy method to upgrade your garage's storage capabilities.
Damaged Equipment and Old Tools
The pressure washer that had stopped working, the workshop vac has seen best times, and the ladder that's two rungs short.
Remove them from your garage immediately.
You won't get around to fixing them if you haven't done so already.
While some charitable organisations may be able to fix your broken items (it's essential to check with them first), people typically desire them for components or to recycle them.
Old Carton Boxes
Most people keep the box for several weeks after purchasing a costly appliance or technological device.
But if a cardboard box has been sitting around unused for a long time (months or years), it's time to either recycle it or put it to good use.
You shouldn't keep shifting boxes around if you aren't using them in the next few years.
It's still a poor idea to keep cardboard on hand for many reasons, even if the boxes you have stored in the garage are flattened and broken down:
- Keeping cardboard "just in case" is a waste of space that may be utilised elsewhere better.
- Cardboard, especially the glue used to secure the boxes, is a major attractant for bugs.
- Cardboard decays with time due to exposure to moisture and low temperatures.
- Dust settles on all that cardboard, making the garage dirtier and less breathable.
- When cleaning out the garage, a pile of cardboard boxes is another obstacle to overcome.
Old Construction Rubbish
There's probably a story behind all the work you've done to your home, whether it's a kitchen makeover, floor replacement, or removal of an outdated vanity in the bathroom.
So, why are all those components still accumulating dust in your storage shed?
Get rid of them so you may take full use of your renovated home.
You can rent a construction debris container from a waste management business if you have any unusable or dangerous items (like a soiled carpet) that need to be disposed of.
In addition, donating usable building materials, such as sinks, doors, and lights, to a charity that recycles them is a great way to help others.
Items in the Donation Queue
It's an all too familiar occurrence: after thoroughly cleaning the house, you decide to store the boxes containing your donations in the garage until a more convenient time.
However, you never find a good time to move them, and their boxes pile up in your garage years later.
So get rid of the boxes and donate them immediately to make room for more important things.
Clear Out That Cluttered Garage
There is little doubt that protecting vehicles from the elements is the fundamental function of a garage.
But additionally, there is room for various alternative uses and contents.
Twenty-five per cent of homeowners in a recent survey said they have so much stuff in their garages that they can't get a car in there.
Do we have no choice except to accept this fate? Actually, no. To solve your garage woes, you must first alter your outlook on it.
Considering it a dumping ground for random items will soon become a chaotic disaster.
With GarageSmart® Storage Solutions, you can have the perfect garage for your needs without all the hassle.
Conclusion
Cluttered garages are useless for storing vehicles.
Getting started on that junk-cleaning project you've been putting off is the single most effective measure you can take to restore your garage's usability.
Here we'll go through some things you can get rid of in your garage and offer advice on how to declutter the area.
Recycled paint cans with dried paint residue can be tossed in with other home recyclables at the kerb.
Taking the empty paint cans to a hazardous waste disposal centre is the next best option if recycling isn't possible.
Donating used, but still usable, sports gear helps everyone. It's a great resource for families who could not afford otherwise to buy their kids brand-new sports equipment. Insects are attracted to cardboard and especially the glue used to seal the boxes.
If you won't need something in the next few years, there's little point in rearranging the boxes containing it.
Keeping cardboard around "just in case" is a waste of valuable storage space that may be put to better use elsewhere.
It's important to verify with the charity beforehand, but some may be able to mend your broken things or recycle them.
Twenty-five per cent of homeowners reports that they just can't fit a vehicle into their garages due to the abundance of belongings there.
You can rent a container from a trash management company if you have any hazardous materials or unwanted construction materials.
Sinks, doors, and lights are just a few examples of reusable construction components that could be donated to an organisation that recycles them.
Content Summary
- It's simple to fill our garages with things we don't use, but it can be challenging to decide what to retain and what to throw away.
- Getting started on that junk-cleaning project you've been putting off is the single most effective measure you can take to restore your garage's usability.
- Cluttered garages are useless for storing vehicles.
- Instead of being a place to park cars, organise possessions, work out, or run a home studio, the garage has become a dumping ground for unwanted items.
- The number of homes that stop using their garages as storage for unused stuff is surprising (the connotation of junk).
- Several hundred dollars worth of junk is sitting in millions of Australian garages.
- Even though they might cost hundreds of dollars, cars are frequently stored in garages where they are vulnerable to vandalism and weather.
- In order to improve the garage's use and attractiveness without breaking the bank, you might be thinking about doing some inexpensive remodelling.
- On the other hand, perhaps you have loftier ambitions, such as transforming your garage into a luxury showroom.
- In either case, the first step in renovating your property is to initiate that project to clean up the garage's junk.
- Put the broken holiday decorations in the trash without guilt; you won't be using them again.
- There are always half-used paint cans lying around in a disorganised garage.
- Unless you have a climate-controlled area, a garage isn't the best place to store paint for the long term.
- Taking the empty paint cans to a hazardous waste disposal centre is the next best option if recycling isn't possible.
- Some communities collect paint cans at the kerb for recycling, even if they still contain dried paint.
- Donate usable paint to a local institution of learning, place of worship, or charity.
- The fact that your children are now in their twenties, with jobs and college plans of their own, does not mean that you have to get rid of the baby cradle, high chair, and stroller.
- No matter how tempting it may seem, you shouldn't keep them in the garage.
- Donate to a charity that provides financial assistance to low-income families so that they may provide for their infant's and toddlers' basic needs.
- You might even give them to a relative or friend with many children.
- The state of car seats requires maintenance.
- If they are past their use-by date, they should not be given to newborns.
- The sad truth is that they are rarely donatable.
- The straps should be cut before recycling or discarding them to prevent their reuse.
- If the car seat is still usable after an accident or expiration, you can gift it to a friend.
- Your garage is undoubtedly full of out-of-date athletic goods that haven't been utilised in years.
- However, if your kids play (or played) organised sports, you know how quickly they can outgrow their athletic gear.
- The used sports gear you discovered in your garage is probably just another example of unused items that have been collecting dust for far too long.
- This means that a change in this aspect is long overdue.
- Donating used, but still usable, sports gear helps everyone.
- Those in need will benefit from the donation.
- As a result, it's a great resource for families that might otherwise be unable to provide their kids with brand-new sports equipment.
- Keep rubbish out of landfills by reusing sports equipment.
- Think about where you'll put the family's bikes, skates, and inflatable pools that they use for fun in the sun.
- One possible solution for storing and arranging this material is Slatwall.
- People usually want broken items for components or to recycle them, however, certain charitable organisations may be able to fix them (it's important to check with them first).
- After purchasing an expensive appliance or piece of technology, most individuals retain the box for a while.
- But if a cardboard box has been collecting dust for months or years, it's time to either recycle it or put it to good use.
- If you won't need something in the next few years, there's little point in rearranging the boxes containing it.
- Even if the cardboard boxes in your garage have been broken down and flattened, keeping cardboard on hand is still bad for several reasons.
- Keeping cardboard on hand for a "just in case" scenario is a waste of valuable storage space.
- Insects are attracted to cardboard and especially the glue used to seal the boxes.
- When cardboard is exposed to damp conditions and freezing temperatures, it deteriorates over time.
- The garage becomes dirtier and less breathable as dust collects on all the cardboard.
- A mountain of cardboard boxes is just one more thing to get through when clearing out the garage.
- Whether it's a kitchen remodel, floor installation, or the removal of an old vanity in the bathroom, every improvement you've made to your home likely has a backstory.
- Do away with them so you can enjoy your newly refurbished home to its fullest.
- If you need to get rid of some unwanted or potentially harmful objects (like a dirty carpet), you can rent a building debris container from a waste management company.
- As an additional means of aid, sending unused construction materials to a nonprofit that recycles them is a fantastic idea.
- Things Waiting to Be Donated It's a common occurrence that, after cleaning the house from top to bottom, you put the boxes full of donations in the garage till later.
- Unfortunately, you can't coordinate a convenient time to relocate them, and their boxes continue accumulating in your garage years later.
- Donate the packing materials right away to make room for more essential items.
- It's safe to say that keeping cars dry and safe from the elements is the primary goal of any garage.
- In addition, a wide range of other purposes and contents could fit in there.
- A quarter of all homeowners in a recent survey said they have so much junk in their garages that they can't park a car there.
- Changing your perspective on your garage may be the first step in finding a solution to its problems.
- Using it as a junkyard will only lead to more chaos and confusion.
FAQs About Garage Decluttering
How Do You Clean And Organize A Messy Garage?
- Declutter the Ground and Tables.
- Clean All Surfaces.
- Sort Through Everything.
- Divide and Conquer.
- Put in Shelves, Hooks, and More.
How Do You Categorize Things In Your Garage?
Typical categories include recycling, sports and recreational equipment, camping gear, automotive, seasonal decor, garden gear and tools. Evaluate things like luggage and paint and see whether you can store them elsewhere.
What Should I Keep In My Garage?
The garage is the ideal home for tools and appliances you only use outdoors. Think of shovels, hoses, outdoor extension cords, lawnmowers, gardening tools, flower pots, and more. Bags of potting soil, buckets of ice melt, and other outdoor supplies that come in bulky packaging are also good candidates for garage storage.
How Do You Store Rakes And Shovels In A Garage?
Tool racks are an excellent way to keep those rakes and shovels safe, secure, and off the ground, where someone can easily trip over them and hurt themselves. These racks are slim, take up minimal space, and can hold tons of tools.
How High Should Shelves Be In A Garage?
Ideally, shelves should be 6'' to 1' off the floor to keep the items stored on them clean and dry. This also leaves the floor area for storage of bulky and heavy items such as shop vacuums and five-gallon containers.