It’s easy for your garage space to get cluttered quickly. It’s tempting to use your garage as a space to store everything you don’t want to keep in the house, but this means that things can pile up quickly. Luckily, there are plenty of storage hacks you can use to keep your garage a little cleaner. Here are six great hacks to get your garage space organized.
1. Invest in a garage bike rack
If you own bikes, surfboards or kayaks, they can quickly clog up the floor space in your garage. Things like surfboards and kayaks are easier to store by making use of wall mounts, or ceiling space. With bikes, however, mounting them on a garage bike rack gives you a secure place to put them that won’t be in anyone’s way, and it also helps make your floorspace look more clean and organized. Consider adding shelving and attaching storage units to your walls, so that you don’t have to place items on the floor. You can even use crates as a DIY storage shelf – attach them sideways to the wall so that they are open. Pegboards are a great way to mount items of any size and shape. If you have any items that are cluttering up your floor space, hanging them on the wall is one of the easiest ways to make your space feel more organized.
2. Create a fold-up work station
If you like to work in your garage, it’s easy for your workspace to take over the entire room. It’s difficult to get work done when your space is cluttered, so you’ll need to build a workstation that’s a little more space-efficient. Create a desk that folds down from the wall, and then store any work tools within arm’s reach. Then, you’ll be able to fold the desk up when you’re done, so that you have more room for your cars and other items you want to store there. There are companies that make folding desks that you can mount to the wall, or you can also opt to build your own DIY version.
3. Take advantage of your ceiling space
You should take advantage of your ceiling space just as much as you take advantage of your wall space, particularly for items you don’t use very much. Mount sliding racks to your ceiling that you can use to hold storage crates, bikes, and any other large items. When mounting anything from the ceiling, take extra care to make sure everything is secure. You’ll also want to keep a step ladder nearby so you can easily take items on and off the rack. You can check out the best ladder for multi-use to make sure you have what fits your requirement. When you store large items up and out of the way, you’ll have much more floor space to work with.
4. Use magnetic strips for your tools
You’ll need something to organize all of the small tools and knick-knacks that you store around your garage. Mounting a magnetic strip on your walls is a very easy way to store metal tools and supplies. Not only will this help keep all of your tools organized, but it will also keep them accessible while you are working. You won’t need to dig through boxes, because you’ll be able to locate the tools easily and grab them right away. For smaller loose items that won’t stick to a magnetic strip, you can attach jars to the wall or the underside of a workbench to keep them all in one place. It’s best to have several small containers for specific items, instead of putting everything in one container in a jumble where it can get mixed up.
5. Put labels on your storage containers
One of the best ways to make sure your garage actually stays organized is to have a place for everything. To stay organized, you’ll need to make an extra effort to put things back in their assigned place instead of putting them back in the first available spot. A good way to remember where everything goes is to create labels. You can use a label maker if you want your labels to look a little more professional, or you can make DIY labels using a thick piece of masking tape and a permanent marker. Make sure to apply the labels somewhere you’ll be able to see them as you’re working in your garage. If the labels are facing in toward the walls or they are difficult to read, you’re going to be more likely to ignore them.
6. Store sports gear in a rolling cart
If you and your family like to play sports, chances are you have plenty of extra gear floating around your garage. When you’re constantly taking your sports gear out of the garage to use it, it’s easy for it to end up becoming clutter instead of staying in its proper place. A good way to deal with this is by using a rolling cart. Keep all of your sports gear, kids’ toys, and other items you use frequently in the cart, and then you’ll just need to pull it out of the garage when you’re ready to use it. It saves space, it’s convenient, and it’s affordable.
Before you can use any of these hacks, you’ll need to go through your garage and clear out everything you no longer want to use. It can be difficult to throw things away, but it’s the first step to getting your home organized. If you have items that are still in good condition, but you just don’t use them anymore, consider donating them or having a garage sale to minimize waste.
Keeping your garage organized and free of clutter will help you make the most of your space. These hacks make it much easier to keep things in their proper place and prevent clutter from overrunning the area. You don’t need to spend much to organize your garage – a trip to the home improvement store and some DIY creativity can make a huge difference.
