Garage Organization Made Simple

Professional organizer and Mission: Organization guest Kristin Long offers web-exclusive tips:

An orderly garage is within reach. Just take a step back and instead of rushing out to the hardware store for yet another organizational product, review the following tips.

The Basics

Prepare: The garage usually contains hazardous materials and sharp objects, so remember to wear appropriate clothing and sensible shoes. Also wear gloves to protect your hands.

Plan: Due to the nature of some of the items stored in the garage you may want to rent an outside storage container to temporarily house your goods. This way you don't have to move the lawn tools into the house in order to find space to sort.

Sort: Put all like items into categories such as Tools, Hardware, Household Goods, Sporting Equipment, Toys and Car Care, for example. It's a lot easier to sort if you have a designated area outside the garage for each specific category.

Details

Shelving: There are lots of options at various costs for garage shelving. The most crucial point is to provide enough shelving to store your items but not cover every wall. You want to have space for a workbench and hanging tools.

Be Creative: Use items from around the house to help you organize. For example, use a belt, a 2 x 4 and some screws to create your own tool sorter. If you want enclosed shelves, create your own cabinetry using a swing-arm curtain rod and some curtains.

Hooks and Ladders: The larger tools, such as shovels or ladders, are difficult to store on shelves. A great way to get them up off the floor is to use hooks and hang them on the wall or from the ceiling. Be sure you can reach the ladder — you don't want to have to use the ladder to put up or take down the ladder.

Finishing Touches

Labels: Labeling is essential when reorganizing a garage. Without labels, organizing and maintaining may be difficult. Also, label the container, not the shelf where items are stored. That way if the container moves, the items are still put in the correct container.

Garage Floor: A garage floor doesn't have to be pretty. However, to reduce dirt tracked into the home, you might consider adding floor tiles. These tiles come in a variety of colors and can be mixed and matched to create various patterns.