If you're having trouble parking your car, can't find what you're looking for, or just feel too cramped in your garage, it's time to declutter.
Despite the fact that it is not yet spring in Australia, it is always a good time to do a thorough cleaning.
Since garages are typically out of sight and out of mind for most people, they are often neglected.
When mess develops at home, where you spend so much time, it stands out more.
It's easy for things to get out of hand when you just throw stuff into your garage whenever you get the chance.
And if you're having trouble finding a parking spot, you know it's high time to take action.
Where To Start With Your Garage Clean Out
Moving things from one side of the garage to the other may be how you usually clean it, but we have a new method that will revolutionise your garage cleaning routine.
In the first place, pick a day when there is no chance of rain or wind to clean out your garage.
A whole weekend of nice weather may pass before you can get to work if your garage is a mess.
You'll need to bring everything out of the garage and set up a makeshift showroom in the driveway or front yard, so dry weather is a must.
This will give you an accurate depiction of your garage's contents. When you bring everything back inside, you'll have an easier time keeping things in order.
As you bring items in from the garage, put them in piles according to category. Arrange your tools in one area of the driveway, and your lawn care equipment in another.
Create two separate piles: one for paint cans, and another for unwanted household items.
Stop thinking about which items you want to keep and which ones you want to get rid of right now. However, please discard trash items in the trash can.
How To Get Rid Of What You Don’t Need
The next step, after throwing away broken items and sorting the rest of the "non-keepers" from the things you want, is to decide how you will get rid of your surplus.
Any of these choices could work if you're willing to put in the time and effort, and if you have the necessary materials.
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Sell Them
When you have an abundance of unused items, a garage sale is a great way to get rid of them while making some extra cash. It's a good idea to clean out the garage at the same time as the rest of the house in the spring.
Although holding a garage sale will require some work on your part, the potential financial gain may be worth the investment.
Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and similar local classifieds could be good options if you only have a few items to sell.
Depending on the honesty of your neighbours, you could even try setting the items out on the kerb with a sign indicating the price.
Donate Them
You can donate your unwanted items instead of trying to sell them.
In many urban areas, you can simply leave your unwanted items at a Good Will donation box.
You can also donate garage stuff to Habitat for Humanity, but they have stricter guidelines about what they'll take, so it's best to call first to make sure they'll take it.
Don't be shy about conducting a quick Google search of your immediate area, either.
There are many organisations that could use your used tools, sports gear, and other items.
You'll feel better about yourself and free up space in your life by being of service to others.
Toss Them
Nothing more can be done with unwanted items than tossing them. Consider renting a dumpster if you decide to go this route.
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This option may be more convenient and cost-effective than making multiple trips to the dump yourself if you have a large amount of trash that exceeds the limits of your regular kerbside collection.
Garage Cleaning and Organizing Tips and Tricks
Devise a Plan of Action
You'll waste a lot of time rummaging through old photo albums if you don't have a game plan before you enter the room.
Identify the various actions you must take, and write them down in a To-Do list.
Do you need to go out and purchase cardboard boxes, storage bins, storage racks, and storage boxes, for example?
It will be less of a struggle to get going if you have a plan in place, and you'll get more done in less time.
Make it Fun
Try to make the process of cleaning out the garage enjoyable so that you don't lose interest in it midway through.
Distract yourself from the monotony of manual labour by listening to a podcast, a sports match, or some music while you work.
Involve the whole family by assigning each member a specific task.
Assess The Mess
Park in the driveway and leave the garage door open to get a good look at the situation.
Prep some trash cans and apply the tried-and-true "keep, donate, sell, recycle, or trash" method to everything currently occupying space in your garage.
Create Dedicated Zones
Separate the items you'll be keeping into piles.
You could, for instance, keep your gardening tools in one spot and your camping supplies in another.
Going forwards, it'll be much easier to locate the information you require.
Keep the things you use most close at hand, and put seasonal items like winter coats in the back or on the highest shelf.
Garage Cleaning and Organizing
You should clean out the garage now that the house is less cluttered. To begin, make sure there is adequate ventilation by opening all the windows and the garage doors.
Putting a fan in front of an open window can further improve air circulation.
When cleaning with toxic chemicals, it's best to protect your lungs by donning a face mask.
Before you start mopping the garage floor, start by wiping down all the other surfaces.
Your garage's walls are just as important as the floors. Likewise, they should be treated with kindness.
To clean it, just use the same broom you did the garage floors with and give it a good scrub down.
Consider Your Organizing Systems
What goes where? What goes in what container, on what shelf, etc.
Some things, like clothes or photo albums, may be more secure in a closed box or cabinet, but your gardening tools can be hung up.
Possibly stow away the less-used items and make room for the more-used ones in the more visible areas.
If you're worried about moisture or other forms of damage, invest in sturdy storage units.
Check the Functionality of Your Garage Door
Finally, take a look at the garage door. Do you know if it's functioning normally? Does it have a tight enough seal to keep water out? Do you still feel a breeze even when you shut it?
Maintaining a routine inspection schedule for your garage door will help you avoid any unpleasant surprises. If you're thinking about replacing your garage door and want some professional guidance, you can reach out to us.
Consider Garage Shelving and Other Garage Storing Solutions
It's possible to maximise your garage's storage space with the help of a number of excellent products on the market today.
One of these is garage shelving, which allows you to store things vertically rather than horizontally and thus frees up more room on the ground.
You can finally enter the garage without fear of stumbling over the cricket bat.
The walls of your garage can be utilised as another storage option. Hanging things on a Slatwall or pegboard makes them readily accessible.
Clean your garage floor
It's one of life's greatest pleasures, but most of us probably won't ever experience it: walking or driving into a garage with a clean floor.
It helps keep the garage clean and free of odours by preventing the buildup of dust and grime from sources such as rust, paint, and oil.
Inquiring as to what you can do to maintain a tidy garage. One must first master the fundamentals. It is more likely to remain clean for a longer period of time if you begin with a clean structure and store items in an organised fashion.
If you want a clean garage floor, you can do a few different things.
General Garage Floor Cleaning
A solution of laundry detergent and hot water can be used to mop a relatively clean garage floor (or tile) with minimal effort.
Grease and Oil Stains
Methods for Using Super Degreaser to Clean the Garage Floor — Most garage floors are made of concrete, making oil and grease particularly difficult to clean.
Wear rubber gloves and goggles to protect yourself from chemical splashes while cleaning the garage floors.
The actual stain must be extracted from the concrete by using trisodium phosphate, paint stripper, or muriatic acid in combination with an absorbent material. It may take more than one attempt to completely remove an old stain.
If you have any stubborn stains on the concrete, an abrasive cleaner will do the trick.
Paint Splotches: Removing paint from garage floors
Methylene chloride strippers can be used to quickly remove paint stains from a well-ventilated, freestanding garage.
If you're working with a powerful stripper, you should use a respirator with an organic vapour cartridge.
Use a slower-acting stripper if you're in possession of more time, as they tend to become more effective over time. For optimal results, you may need to apply it twice.
Organize shelving and storage spaces
Amazing ideas for storing frequently used items like brooks, rakes, and shovels can be found online.
These ideas range from wall shelves and hooks to freestanding shelving units. Hooks, wall tracks, boxes, and shelves are just some of the ingenious storage options that can be used to make the most of vertical space and provide convenient, aesthetically pleasing places to store and display things like toys, gardening tools, and other recreational items.
You shouldn't stress if your plans don't come to fruition exactly as you had hoped. It's possible that by applying your idea in a slightly different context, you'll be able to increase its usefulness or beauty.
- When storing heavy items, a stable mounting surface is necessary for adjustable garage wall storage shelves.
- Mount a peg board on the wall to create vertical storage for bicycles, tennis rackets, golf bags, and shovels.
- Use a potting shelf to keep your gardening tools organised. There's no room! Sure, no sweat. It can be kept in a wheeled bucket or even a wheelbarrow.
- Rolling shelves and sliding bypass units are not only adaptable, but also make it simple to retrieve small, easily lost items. Put a divider in your shelves to adjust their height.
- If you want to make the most of the available space in your facility, store your recycling bins off the ground.
- Flexible wire shelving can be set up quickly and for little cost. The tracks can be set up with ease, and baskets can be added as needed to hold any miscellaneous items.
- Organize your garage supplies into different bins. Create a designated space for your gardening tools, and set aside a cabinet just for your baby's maintenance supplies.
- Put in a holder for tools with extended handles so they're always within reach.
HOW TO KEEP A GARAGE CLEAN ALL THE TIME?
If you always keep your garage in order, you'll save time when it comes time to clean. Instructions for Maintaining a Tidy Garage. Less clutter means more time spent cleaning.
You can always have someone help you out with some quick cleaning or hire an assistant to help you stay organised.
Establish roles, and make a plan of action.
The process of cleaning out a dirty garage can take a week or more, so pace yourself and take breaks as needed.
If you don't, you'll walk out of the clean garage with a jumbled head.
If you care about maintaining a spotless environment, cleaning may take more time.
The garage probably has some spots that need a good scrub down every once in a while.
So, how can you de-clutter your garage without getting anxious? To maintain sanity and cleanliness, we recommend scheduling weekly cleanings.
Do you have anything to add to the conversation or any questions about this? Communicate with us!
When the time comes to get down to business and clean and organise your garage, this checklist will come in handy. Instead of spending a weekend cleaning and maintaining your garage, you could hire professionals to do it for you..