Tips and Tricks to Help You Clean and Reorganize Your Garage

The idea of cleaning out the garage can be extremely daunting. But we promise you won't regret it. Chances are you'll gain space and find a few things that you forgot you owned. See how we cleaned up this messy garage and reorganized with it some wall storage racks, cabinets and workbenches.

How to Clean a Garage Floor

The best way to start this project is by completely clearing out the garage. Make four piles: stuff you want to keep; stuff to go in the garbage or to the dump; stuff to donate to charity; and a "maybe" pile for things you're not sure about. Toward the end of the project, re-sort the "maybe" items into the other three piles.

Give It a Sweep

When the garage is empty use a broom or leaf blower to remove cobwebs from the walls and rafters.

Degreaser

If the garage floor has oil spots, use a degreaser made especially for concrete. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for amounts and application. We found that using a good old-fashioned scrub brush with a degreaser works best to remove oil stains.

Protect the Walls

Before using a pressure washer on the garage floor, hang plastic sheeting along the walls to protect them from overspray. Painter’s tape works best for hanging the plastic.

Pressure Wash

Keep the pressure washer just outside the garage door so it’s well ventilated during use.

Pressure-wash the floor of the garage taking special care in the areas that have been treated with degreaser. Use the nozzle designed for cleaning concrete to have the correct spray and pressure settings.

Space Planning

When the floors are clean and dry, begin to lay out a plan for storage solutions. Try to use as much vertical space as possible. We used a VersaTrack system because it provides a lot of options for hooks, shelves and baskets.

Install Storage System

Make sure to secure the tracks to the wall studs. Mark the studs and then use a level to draw an even line to serve as a guide, then secure the track to the wall using 2-1/2-inch screws. Double-check the levelness of the track before screwing it to the wall.

Bicycles can take up a lot of space. If you don’t use yours every day, consider installing bike hooks to hang them on the wall, up and out of the way. Remember to also make space for bike accessories and necessities like helmets, clip-on baskets and air pumps.

Organized tool storage and a good worktable will help keep the garage tidy, and a good work zone will make it easier to get your projects done. If you have small children, keep cleaning solutions out of reach either on a high shelf or in a locked cabinet.

Add hooks, shelves and baskets to store garden tools, paint and other garage essentials.