The garage is the easiest place in the house to get messy, very quickly. Garage organization systems will help to prevent that from happening by giving you a plan to follow that will help you keep it from turning into a junk pile.  You also have to get the entire family to agree on working with your system, otherwise, you may be the only one trying to keep it clean.

How do I Start the System?

If your garage is already messy, you may first want to get your whole family together to move things out so you can start over – remember that for your garage organization systems to work you will need your family to buy into the idea as well and working together can help start everyone off on the right foot.

After everything is cleared out, make sure the garage is clean. A cluttered garage starts when there is no designated area to put anything.  First, you need to put the things that you don’t need and don’t use into boxes or garbage bags. Don’t forget to label them.

Things that you only use once a year (Christmas decorations, Halloween costumes) should be stored in the farthest places. Since your garage is cleared, this time make sure you use the floor space wisely. Rearrange your garage as you see fit, by putting the items you need the most in the most convenient area. Afterwards, you can sort the rest of your things by priority in the rest of the space.

Giving Your Things a Home

The final step in creating Garage Organization Systems is that once you’ve got your things mainly sorted out, make sure you come up with a few rules and communicate them with your family.  For instance, the tool shelf on the left will always have hammers, nails, hoses, drills, etc. The shelf on the right will carry old photos, toys, and books.  The next shelf will hold only things that may or may not be given away if not used within a year.

Make sure that you label these things correctly so that everyone can follow the rules.  The next time something breaks, you will know to put it in your “discard” area so that you can either fix it or throw it away at a later time.  If your spouse buys some new tools to work on the car, you will know that those go in the tool designated area.  This way, anything new will find a permanent home right away, and you will avoid having to look for these things. If you follow these rules, your garage will be clutter free and easy to navigate!

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