Tips for Avoiding Clutter in Your Garage

We've all been there. We've all looked around our garage and wondered when it became such a wreck.  And once it's like that, the job of cleaning it can seem so overwhelming that you may quit before you've even begun; after all, where would you even begin? 

When you get a new garage, however, you're offered a fresh start. Here are several tips that will help you to make the most of it:

Start off Organised

Whether you added the garage to your brand new home or your old one, it should never be treated like a rubbish bin. In fact, just about the worst thing that you can do when first setting up the new garage is to pile things inside to sort later. You may be busy and tired, but if you don't take the time to organise the space from the get-go, there's a good chance that things will just keep piling up and you'll be right back where you started. 

Build, Install or Set up Appropriate Storage Fixtures 

One way to ensure that things don't get cluttered is to create extra places to put items. For instance, a large set of shelving against at least one wall (or possibly more) will give you space for smaller items that you aren't going to want to put on the floor. Everything from garden soil and seed to paint cans that are organised by colour can be placed on shelves so that the space on the floor can be conserved for larger items like lawn mowers and power washers. In addition, by using hooks and brackets, you can hang certain awkwardly-shaped tools (saws, hammers, and other tools can be placed hung for easy access and visibility). 

Always Find a Place for New Items

Once you have set up your garage and everything is organised properly, you're going to want to keep it that way. One method of doing that is to make sure that you immediately find a permanent place for any new items. You may think it's alright to just put one thing down on the workbench or storage container until you figure out what to do with it. But if you get into that habit, you'll soon find yourself with a lot of items that you can't find a place for and the cycle will begin again. 

Clean the Garage

Your new garage needs a good cleaning every now and then, just like your home does. Give it a thorough once over every six months or so, not only to dust, but to get rid of the things that you really don't need. If you haven't used something in the last year or so (and it's not expensive, heavy equipment that's only supposed to be used periodically), consider selling it at a garage sale or donating it to get it out of the way.

Colorbond garages are easy enough to keep clean if you start out right and make a little effort. By following the above advice, you can ensure that your space stays clear of clutter and never requires a nightmarish amount of work.