Taking proper care of your vehicle will not only protect it from damage and prevent the need for costly repairs, but it will also ensure its resale value is maintained. This begins by protecting your vehicle from the elements by parking it in your garage.
While this sounds like an easy enough solution, the garage is often used as a storage room where extra belongings are often dumped. In an effort to declutter a cluttered home, people often toss the things they own into a space that is meant for tools and vehicles. This is such a prevalent problem that only 30% of Americans actually keep their car in the garage.
To help with that, we have created this guide to organizing and cleaning out your garage to make space for your car while ensuring proper storage of your valuables.
Declutter time
Cleaning out a fully filled garage is not something you can do in just a few hours. In fact, you may likely need to set aside an entire weekend (or even two!) for this job. If you have family members living with you, it’s a good idea to get everyone involved in the project. Not only will it divide the tasks among more people, it can help everyone understand whatever organizational system you choose to apply to your belongings.
The next important step is to go through absolutely everything. Every little trinket and doodad must be taken out, and every box that remains unpacked must be opened up. This will allow you to find things of value you might have misplaced, important valuables and documents that need to be stored properly.
Sort your items into the following categories: keep, donate, sell, and toss. Lay out these items together by drawing with chalk on a floor or designating areas of the garage. As a good rule of thumb, outgrown toys, broken items, expired household chemicals, and anything you haven’t used in two years or more should not be kept. It might be painful to let go of things that have a sentimental value, but it is often necessary.
Organizing time
After you’ve tossed out the trash and donated your excess items, it’s time to organize the items you’ve decided to keep. These should be sorted according to broad categories, such as tools, sports equipment, holiday decorations, and so on. These should be placed in visibly labeled clear tote bins. Not only are these easier to work with, but they are also usually airtight for better protection from pests and the elements.
Items that should never be stored in a garage include:
Paint. There is often no thermal protection in the garage, and can ruin the paint.
Propane. This should always be stored outdoors, as a leak can cause gases to gather in a room. Even just a minor spark can cause a fire or explosion.
Paper goods. These should be stored in airtight containers indoors, as they are magnets for cockroaches and other pests.
Refrigerators. Many people have refrigerators in their garage, but keeping this appliance here often results in greater power consumption. The lack of air conditioning in the garage often means that the appliance has to work harder.
Pet food. Possums, racoons, and other animals might sniff it out and chew their way into your home. Keep this indoors in sealed containers.
Because the purpose of a garage is to store your car, keeping your car protected from the elements is essential to keeping it well-maintained. With that said, your garage should always remain clean and organized.
If you need some help organizing and tidying up the spaces in your home, why not contact us at Rescue My Space? We can make every inch of your home beautiful again, from your pantry, to your bedroom, to your garage.
