Garage organization isn’t the first thing that comes to my mind on a free weekend, but once I got it done. I was glad I did. With my 5 useful tips, you will be able to make sense of the mess.

For me, my garage serves as a multipurpose room. Further, I have the tools and equipment on one wall, and the other has some shelves for storage. If I get real lucky, I can occasionally park my car and be able to walk by without rubbing on something.  Not anymore, as well as once I got everything in order. I can now find anything I need and have a space to put it and look nice to boot.

The first thing to start with is:

Clean and De-clutter

Start with one area and focus on one corner. Depending on what you have stored, it might help to pull items out of the garage and sort in the driveway. That’s a good opportunity to decide on what stays or what needs to be disposed of.

I donated what I didn’t use and tossed anything that was questionable. With everything out, I was able to sweep and get the dust-out. Further  Having a nice push broom makes it easy. If you’re looking for a non-expensive one, you can pick up a “Quickly” for around $9.95 at Home Depot and get the job done faster.

Organize your area

Having shelves can make the difference from cluttered  to organized in one day. You can either buy them or make them depending on your situation. I went with a few 5 level shelves plastic shelves that I picked up from  the local hardware store. The were cheap and sturdy and easy to set up.

With the shelves taking up a wall, I was able to store everything from extra wheels and tires, to plastic storage bins with numerous items. At this point  It’s a good time to label your belongings. Either write on tape with a marker or order yourself a set of “Garage Organizer” labels from steellabels.com and do it quickly.

Ideally you won’t have to look in boxes hoping to find something, seeing what’s on the outside of the box keeps it where it belongs. Each shelf can swallow many plastic bins and keep your items safe and out of the way.

Have enough power

Face it, on big jobs we usually have to keep swapping out cords to get through the day due to not having enough outlets.

I learned long ago that it was worth getting extra power strips and extension cords with multi-plugs. That way you can keep you air compressor plugged in, your power tools ready to use and even charge a battery or two. Make sure you invest in cords that have power indicators, that can save some time tracing a failure.

Lighting

Garages usually benefit from big fluorescent lights. Nowadays there are LED options, but whatever you go with, make sure its enough.

Good lighting can make whatever you’re working easy to see, but also make you garage a safer place to operate. I use fluorescent combined with a normal light for when I’m not using the whole garage.  While your at it, label your breaker box with a label set from steellabels.com for the professional look.

Park Your Car

Make your garage work for you. Parking your car in the garage pays you back fast for your hard work. Not only does your car stay cleaner, it stays at a better operating temperature to get in and out. Who wants to carry groceries in the rain? Not me, and I also can sleep better at night knowing my car is secured. Try to have at least 3 feet of clearance to get in and out. Mark where your car stops at with a tennis ball on a string, or even laser guided indicator for maximum space.

With my helpful tips, you should be able to have your garage be your work space, your storage area, and where your car awaits you.