Garage organization is one of the trickiest aspects of home ownership. The garage contains a wide variety of things, and few of them are related in function or shape. Also, many of the items housed in the garage are large, bulky, or difficult to store. Despite all of this, there are a few key ideas and tools that can help any homeowner make sense out of the chaos that is the garage. The following ideas can help you as you begin organizing your garage.
1. Make 'em Obvious
Identify those things which you use frequently. If you use something on a daily basis, don't keep it hidden. Keep it easily accessible and available for use. Take trash bags, for instance – you are not going to want to hide trash bags in an unreachable place. Instead, try hanging small curtain rods or other forms of rods somewhere within arm's reach of the door, and make a “bag dispenser” that is convenient, easily reachable, and organized – put away, yet still available for use. Another thing to keep obvious is the trash receptacles. When organizing, ensure that your trash and recycling containers are easily accessed from the door, and have a clear path to the outside.
2. Smart Sorting
Before building, buying, or boxing anything, it is important that you sit down and sort out all of the items you are trying to organize. Decide which items can be logically grouped. Items which you often use together or which share a similar purpose should be grouped. Once they are organized, make sure to label them. It will be very hard to find what you're looking for if you don't write it clearly on the outside of the storage container.
3. Shelving
Shelving is a great way to utilize wasted space, and a key player in establishing garage storage. Rather than placing arbitrary shelves throughout the garage, you can use a shelving system to organize your storage containers. For seasonal items and things you do not need to access on a regular basis, ceiling-based storage is a great way to go. An excellent system for this is the overhead storage rack. It is best to use clear containers for this type of storage, as it makes it easier for users to find things when necessary. If you need to access your storage on a more regular basis, a wall unit such as the steel storage rack works well.
4. Arm Storage Hook
Bicycles and other large sports equipment are some of the most difficult things to store in out of the way places. Wall storage is a great way to put them out of the way, but keep them accessible during the seasons when you are more likely to use them. Bikes, kayaks, sleds, and such can all be stored using wall mounts for easy access. Multi-purpose arm storage hooks can be used for all of these purposes. Arm storage hook is a great option for this.
5. Corner Tool Rack
Many yard tools, such as rakes and shovels, are oddly shaped and difficult to store. There are simple ways to get them out of the way. If your garage has obvious studs on the walls, you can simply create a cordoned off area where tall tools can be easily stored together, yet remain accessible. To do this, simply attach some small cross beams, or even strong cord, perpendicular to the studs, which will create a “basket” of sorts in which to store them. This type of storage can also be utilized for camping chairs, tents, etc – anything which rolls up, and fits within the space of the containment system you've created. If this isn't your style, or your garage doesn't have naked studs, you can also find a corner tool rack, which will serve the same purpose.
6. Peg Board
A Peg Boards is a great multi-use tool that can be employed in a garage to organize just about anything depending on the attachments you use with it. Peg boards are reasonable, and can be found at virtually any hardware store. Hooks can be added to organize bound extension cords, cups or baskets can be utilized for small hardware, large pegs can be added to hang larger tools or garden implements – the list is endless. Peg boards are an incredibly versatile element of garage organization.
7. Tape Dispenser
If you own a wide variety of tapes, it can be helpful to create a wall-mounted tape dispenser. This not only ensures that your tapes stay useful, but that they are easily accessible. This can be accomplished by hanging a wall-mounted paper towel rod, or a small wall-mounted box. Either way, the tapes will be handy and less likely to be covered in lint.
8. Consistency
This one is important. However you choose to organize, make sure that you continue with the system once you have it in place. When something new is added to the garage, make sure that you place it in the appropriate place. Don't just throw it on a random shelf – place it in the correct storage container, on the correct hook, etc. “Everything has a place, everything in it's place,” as they say.
Garage organization can be a daunting task for any homeowner. By putting a few of these garage organization ideas into motion, you can make your garage not only clean and logical, but attractive and convenient. The benefit to you as a homeowner makes these simple changes worth the effort.
