Tips on Cleaning Out Your Garage
Posted on February 15th, 2023
With Spring on the Distant Horizon, It鈥檚 Time to Think About Cleaning Out That Garage Full of Junk
You may have intended the garage to be your workshop, or maybe your home gym. Perhaps the world鈥檚 next great rock band was going to be created there. Or maybe you actually intended to park your cars in it. But over time, you鈥檝e accumulated so much 鈥渟tuff鈥� in your garage that it鈥檚 really become nothing more than a storage shed filled with garage junk.
Well, it doesn鈥檛 have to stay that way. As winter eventually starts to lose its grip and nature starts to reemerge, that鈥檚 a good time to shed all those things you really don鈥檛 need and restore your garage to its former glory and original purpose.
Here are a few of our best suggestions, with emphasis on discarding and organizing.
Things to Discard
Over time, it鈥檚 amazing how much unused and unneeded stuff winds up in the garage, and here are some things that probably need to go.
Old Paint
Properly sealed and stored, paint can last for several years. But if you have used some of the paint and only haphazardly sealed and stored it, the odds are pretty good it鈥檚 no longer usable. If it鈥檚 gotten gummy and smells strange, get rid of it.
But discard it the right way. Many cities will allow you to discard water-based paint in your garbage, but with oil-based paint, regulations could be different. A lot of municipalities consider oil-based paint to be toxic and require disposal at hazardous waste facilities. So, it鈥檚 a good idea to check your local ordinances to be on the safe side.
Old Books
We know you鈥檙e planning on reading those books you鈥檝e stored away in the garage, but honestly, the chances are you鈥檙e not. They鈥檙e just sitting there collecting dust and attracting bugs, so it鈥檚 time to donate or sell.
So, clean off the dust and see if you might donate them to some local non-profit dedicated to fighting illiteracy. Or, take them to a bookstore that buys secondhand books. Sure, you鈥檒l only get pennies on the dollar, but that鈥檚 better than letting them rot away in your garage where they鈥檙e only taking up space.
Unused Toys
If you鈥檙e a parent, perhaps you鈥檝e stored toys in the garage that your kids have long since outgrown. Don鈥檛 let sentimentality get in the way here. Let some other kids use them by donating them to some charity or perhaps to another family that has younger kids who will use them.
Old Furniture
This stuff, especially pieces that have drawers, can serve as a haven for bugs and rodents, so do something with it. You might repurpose it and bring it back into the house, or sell it to a secondhand store or to someone who repurposes old furniture.
Boxes, Boxes, Boxes
Most every garage has stacks of old boxes we think we鈥檙e going to use, but we never do. Unfortunately, like old furniture, they can serve as breeding grounds for the bugs and rodents you don鈥檛 want infesting your garage. So, get real and get rid of those boxes you鈥檙e probably never going to use. Donate them to your city鈥檚 recycling program.
And Also 鈥�
Add to the discard list, broken garden tools and expired chemicals. Be gone with you!
Tips on Organizing
Now that you鈥檝e cleaned out the garage, here are a few suggestions for organizing what鈥檚 left.
Think Like a Store Owner
Walk into any store and you鈥檒l see that items are located in specific areas. Try to do that same thing in your garage, with particular items stored in a specific place.
Use Clear Plastic Bins
For the stuff you鈥檙e keeping, get some plastic bins for storage. A great thing about them is that since they鈥檙e made of clear plastic, the contents are clearly visible, and with tight-fitting lids, no tape is needed to keep them shut!
A Garbage Can for Sports Equipment
No, we鈥檙e not saying throw the equipment away. But a large garbage can is a great place to store the odds and ends of sporting equipment that might wind up in the garage. And in the can, they鈥檒l stay dry and shouldn鈥檛 rot.
Keep It Organized
Now that you鈥檝e done the grunt work of removing the clutter and have everything clean and organized, don鈥檛 let new clutter creep back in. A couple of times a year, conduct an inventory, clean out the things you don鈥檛 need, and keep your remaining inventory neatly stored and organized.
海角吃瓜网 for Garage Construction in Chicago
We hope you鈥檒l find these junk removal, decluttering and organization tips helpful, and we hope that if you鈥檙e thinking of garage construction in the greater Chicagoland area, you contact us at 海角吃瓜网.
We have multiple garage floor plans to choose from, and we鈥檒l be glad to provide a free estimate. So, for the best garage construction Chicagoland has to offer, contact 海角吃瓜网 today.
