Warm weather has finally arrived and with it comes the urge to clean out the garage to find all the gardening tools needed to spruce up the yard. Dawn McCloskey, founder of Ultra Organized, says that tasks you procrastinate about performing or you dislike doing – like clean out the garage – tend to be done poorly or not at all. Getting organized is much more fun and easier to do when you are not doing it alone. Get the family involved and consider doing it in several sessions, rather than in one whole day.
The most important thing about organizing a garage is to do it when the forecast calls for a rain-free day! The worst thing in the world is being “on a roll” clearing out the garage, and then having to scurry around to get everything back into the garage because it is raining!

If the entire garage is full of stuff, except for the car, tackle a small portion at a time. Start with the area that would bring you the most joy: the workbench, or a small area around the door. Clear EVERYTHING out of the area – moving the items outside, if possible. Create “zones” outside in the driveway.

Zone 1: All items that don’t belong in the garage (they would be better in the basement or house).
Zone 2: All items to be given away or sold
Zone 3: All items that will be returned to the garage.
Zone 4: Trash can – anything that is broken, half-used

As you work, ask yourself: do I need this; how long since I used it; do I need so many?

After the initial sorting and purging, sort items that are to remain in the garage by category. You can use various cardboard boxes – label each with a category and start sorting. Once sorted, you may realize you have six pairs of ratty-looking work gloves and two brand-new pair and can easily get rid of the once-loved work gloves. After categorizing, put the items away.

Lawn tools can be hung on a peg board or an organizing system purchased from a hardware store. They can also be stored on the floor in a galvanized garbage can and secured to the wall to prevent tipping. Glass baby food jars with their lids nailed to a board and hung from the ceiling or the bottom of a shelf can be used for storing hardware. Bicycle racks can be used on the floor or a ceiling mounted unit can be installed. Sports equipment and children’s toys can be kept in clean garbage cans, plastic laundry baskets or hampers, or milk crates, stored on open shelves. . Dish pans, cardboard boxes, plastic containers or fancier storage products can be used for other garaged items. There are many storage products on the market.

“Organize Your Garage…In No Time” by Barry Izsak is an excellent resource for more detailed information about organizing a garage.

If the job of organizing the garage intimidates you, call in some professional help. Professional organizers work with you to create a “home for everything.”

Dawn McCloskey is a residential professional organizer and founder of Ultra Organized, LLC in Cumming, Georgia. The mission of Ultra Organized is to create order from chaos by creating customized solutions in people’s homes. Ultra Organized helps people get control of clutter in their existing homes or before listing a house with a realtor, and provides unpacking and organizing services to new home owners. McCloskey is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers. For more information, call 770-844-1049, email dawn@ultraorganized.com or visit www.ultraorganized.com.

Business Directory: home organization, Organizing