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Weekend Projects: Organizing the Garage
Weekend Projects: Organizing the Garage
Is your car parked in the garage? If it is and you can’t
find it because its buried beneath Christmas decorations and boxes of summer
clothes… its time for a crash course in organizing.
Cleaning and reorganizing the garage doesn’t have to be a
two-week process. Gather the kids, turn the T.V. off and get packing.
1. As with all home improvement projects. The
first step is Planning. Check everyone’s schedules and make sure everyone will
be home to help.
2. Organize your supplies before you start
cleaning things out. Here are some tips on what you might need: a pen and paper
for planning, inventory and labeling. Shelves and/or cabinets. Remember that
you’ll need home improvement tools for putting together shelving systems and
cabinets. You’ll also need a variety of different size and colored boxes,
storage containers and plastic bins. A label maker, or masking tape and a
marker, to label the outsides of the containers. And finally, snacks and water
for break times.
4. Go out to the garage and generate a plan of
attack. Who does what? Where to start?
5. Use your plan and start early in the day. Go
through each section of the garage and unpack everything. Sort everything from
that section into piles: Trash, Give Away, Short-Term Storage, Long-Term
Storage. Now, repack it, label it, and move it to the front yard. Go through
the entire garage this way until its empty. Sweep and clean it out and install
your cabinets and shelves. Don’t forget to take time with your family to
reminisce about the memories you’re unpacking.
6. Next, take all of your
short-term storage items and organize into the new cabinets and shelves. Take
the long-term storage items to the attic, basement, or rent a storage room to
get them out of site. Remember to take an inventory of everything and write
down what boxes are being stored where. Take the trash to the dumpster and the
donations to your local shelter.
6. Finally, treat your family and yourself to
something special!