Expert Tips for Your Next Garage Cleanup

The task of decluttering your garage can be daunting. Garages often end up as dumping grounds for sports equipment, tools, outdoor chairs, and anything else that doesn't belong inside your home. There's a way to complete a successful garage cleanup without sacrificing your indoor storage space and organization. Whether you are preparing to move or just sprucing up your space, these tips and tricks from the storage experts at StoreYourBoard will help you tackle your garage makeover with ease. With this garage cleanup guide, you're already on your way to having an organized, clutter-free, and functional garage space!

1. Take advantage of overhead space.

Since the ceiling is not typically used in common storage, it's an ideal place for installing a new storage option and maximizing your available space. Ceiling-mounted racks work well for seasonal gear and large or long items (like canoes). Even with overhead storage, you'll still be able to access your gear easily. Storage solutions like the ceiling-mounted hoist allow for easy loading and unloading.

You can even install overhead storage in the space above your garage door, if you really want to maximize your storage space.

2. Install shelving.

Putting up shelves gives your more organization space to work with. When you have more surface area for storage, you can clear items off your floor for clear walking space and a sleek, organized look.

3. Organize your bikes.

Bikes are notorious for taking up a ton of garage space. Chances are, if you have several bikes and haven't invested in bike storage yet, you might not even have room to park your car in the garage. That's where these organization tips come in!

Keep your bikes out of the way, but easy to grab when you're going for a ride with specialized wall storage. Not only will this give you your space back, but it will protect your bikes from the potential damages of being in a cluttered, traffic-heavy area of your house.

Depending on the number of bikes you have and the amount of space to need to clear, there are two main options.

• You could go for a wall-mounted rack that holds several bikes at once, and even even comes with a shelf for storing helmets, pumps, and other gear. This works well for larger garages with space to devote to bike storage.
• Another convenient option is a space-saving swivel rack that will hold your bike flush against the wall for maximum use of space. For small garages, this is an elite choice that can give you your parking space back.

4. Create a space for long-handled tool storage.

Without a permanent place to live, long-handled tools like shovels and rakes tend to line the edges of garages. Tool clutter is a big detractor from an organized and functional garage, but it has an easy fix.

Wall-mounted tool organizers can help you tidy your yard tools, including those clunky power tools like leaf blowers and hedge trimmers. Tool organization will be a major garage upgrade in both appearance and accessibility.

5. Organize hand tools.

The disorganization of toolboxes and workbench drawers: that's where hand tools like wrenches, screwdrivers, and pliers are often stored, making it difficult to find what you need when you need it.

For a real garage cleanup, you have to organize the hidden clutter, too. This will not only help you optimize your space, but also your time, since you won't be wasting it on the search for your favorite hand tool. Use a hand tool organizer to achieve optimal organization!

And where do drills come in? Drills and other handheld power tools need some love, too. With a wall-mounted drill rack, you can keep your drills and drivers within arms reach of your workbench. With a floating shelf, you can keep chargers and batteries close at hand, as well.

6. Make a cleaning station.

This garage makeover tip benefits you two-fold: your garage will look neater with all your supplies collected in one place, and cleaning up messes will be quicker and easier when you know exactly where to find the cleaning supplies you need.

Use an organizer to keep everything you need to clean up a mess from start to finish, including paper towels, sprays, dustpans, rags, and more.This is also a great trick for persuading reluctant cleaners to lend a hand. When the supplies are well organized, there's no excuse for leaving the mess for someone else to clean.

If you want to level up from a generic cleaning station, you can dedicate your station to car care, gardening, or pet supplies.

7. Organize chairs.

Everyone has them—folding chairs, beach chairs, lounge chairs, and more. And if you're anything like the majority of people with cluttered garages, those chairs are leaned against the walls of your garage or laying in a stack on the ground.

Solve your chair organization problem with a wall-mounted chair rack that will help you store them neatly, but keep them accessible. Don't make your life harder by tucking chairs away simply to keep them out of sight, making you less likely to enjoy using them. With the right chair rack, you can keep your chairs usable, well organized, and in balance with the rest of your garage.

8. Store specialized items.

A major barrier to total garage organization is figuring out what to do with bulky, large, and difficult-to-store items, including car hitch racks, cargo boxes, and kayaks.

While we can't tell you an easy fix for any and all such items, we can recommend that you use specified storage that will help you store each type of difficult item you need to stow away.

Unwieldy items like car cargo boxes are perfect candidates for a hoist. Since they are generally not used often, storing them overhead is a good way to keep them out of sight and out of mind. But, it will still be easily accessible with the pulley system when needed! Cargo boxes aren't something you want taking space on a shelf, laying hazardously in your garage walking space, or collecting dust and cobwebs in a shed or under-deck space.

You have a few choices when it comes to long items like kayaks and canoes. Overhead storage is one possibility—especially with racks like the Hi Port 2 that allow you to adjust the placement based on how long your item is. Since you generally don't want such large items taking up space on your wall or floor, the ceiling is a good way to get them out of the way. You could also install a wall rack, which also allows you to adjust the spacing based on the length. This option works best if you have a specific place in mind for it, or if you aren't running low on garage wall space.

The car hitch is a difficult item to store, but it is definitely important to do so. If it is left on the garage floor, it could become a tripping hazard. In addition, since your hitch rack carries expensive gear like bikes, you want to keep it in optimal condition. The wall-mounted hitch rack makes use of the hitch rack's car attachment to help you mount it on the wall. It's a simple and heavy-duty solution that will get your gear off the ground and give you back your walking space.

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Whether you're planning to do a complete garage makeover or just need to reorganize one section, these tips will help you reach the goal of having a functional and optimized garage. Don't settle for clutter when there are storage solutions that will help you make the most of your space.