Yes, the garage is the one area in the house that tends to be at least a bit cluttered for virtually all homeowners. It seems that junk drawers are almost expected to be found within the garage, yet the amount of time we spend digging around for the perfect nut, bolt, or screw leaves us feeling like this might not be the best way to store things.
While it may seem overwhelming at first, you can organize your garage in a few easy steps so that you’ll be able to access all of your garden tools, outdoor equipment, and anything else that you store there with no trouble at all.
For starters, focus on the small tools. Wrenches and drill bits can all be stored easily in one easy-to-access place: along the wall.
That’s right; you can keep all of these objects in a neat, orderly line, by simply using a magnetic strip to hold them. You can even arrange them by size if you feel like being super-organized. While we’re on the topic of wall fixtures, you might want to consider going vertical with some other items, as well.
For example, you can stow recycling bins directly on the wall by using shelves or designing pieces of scrap wood in a special way so that the edge of the bin will stay put. It’s one simple way to free up some floor space within your garage.
For screws, nuts, bolts, and other small objects, consider this method of storage age: fix jars to the bottom of your workbench or another surface in your garage, with the lid facing up.
That way, you can screw the jars themselves off to retrieve whichever item you need, then screw them back on when you’re finished. The jars will simply look as if they’re dangling there from the bottom of your workbench, and it’s a great way to store all of the small items that get easily lost and mixed in with one another.
If you find that you frequently use garbage bags in your garage, consider installing a paper towel roll to hang them. You’ll be able to access them quickly and easily.
Many people keep sports balls in their garages, but it can be dangerous and unsightly to leave them scattered about. Instead, use bungee cords to hold the balls in one place.
You can affix the bungee cords to a shelf or wall so that the balls will stay propped in one area. You can also nail slats to the studs in your walls to affix area pockets specifically for holding mitts, paddles, bats, and other sporting equipment.
If your garage is home to tapes of all different kinds of electrical, duct, masking, etc. consider using a jumbo tape dispenser to house all of the rolls. If you have basic woodworking skills (or know someone who does) you can create a dispenser that will hold each of the tapes and allow you to remove the rolls as needed. The shoe caddies people use in their closets can also work well in the garage.
You can use the pockets to store spray paint, cleaning items, glues, and even gardening items or other smaller objects that can be easily misplaced.
This solution offers you the ability to access these objects with ease, instead of having to dig around for them on the back of a shelf or in the bottom of a drawer. Here are some additional tips and ideas for garage organization:
- Use a towel bar to hang trash bag rolls on and keep it in plain sight for easier access.
- Place twine in a clear sugar dispenser or plastic see-through drinking cup. This is an easier way to access your twine.
- Use a hanging shoe organizer as a great way to store spray paint cans or other cans you might have in the garage (i.e. car or outdoor spray cans).