Garage Organization Tips for Fall
Getting your home prepared for the colder weather ahead is an important task to manage while it’s still warm outside. You’ll want to do things like rake leaves, clean out gutters, check for leaks around windows and doors, and make sure your furnace is working properly before the snow starts falling.
Another important job to tackle this fall is to make sure your garage is organized. After all, you’ll want to be able to park your cars inside to protect it from the frigid temperatures! And is there anything worse than having to scrape off ice and snow from your windshield on those freezing mornings?
Preparing Your Garage for Cold Weather
As we say goodbye to summer, it’s common for people to start shoving that camping gear, patio furniture and garden tools into random corners of the garage. It’s easy for the garage to become the most disorganized space in the home, especially when it seems like there’s just no other place to put these types of items. But a disorganized garage can lead to lost time, money, and accidents, not to mention the fact that you won’t be able to park your car inside!
Instead of keeping your clutter warm and dry, keep your car safe from the elements with these garage organization tips:
- Plan your garage organization day. First, set aside a full day to get your garage cleaned out and organized. It might even take an entire weekend depending on how messy your garage is! The last thing you want to do is get halfway through the project, run out of time, and then simply cram all your belongings back in to the garage.
- Rent a self storage unit. Having a place to store some of your belongings outside of the home is a great way to complement your garage organization efforts! Rent a self storage unit to store patio furniture, camping gear, sporting equipment and other seasonal items you won’t need access to over the winter.
- Empty it out. Empty the contents of your garage into your driveway or yard so you can clearly see what you’ve got stored in there.
- Sort your belongings. Make piles of “like” items: tools, sporting equipment, car care, garden equipment, toys, etc. This way, it’ll be easier to decide what items can go directly into your storage unit, and also, the items that go back into the garage will stay in organized categories.
- Clear out the clutter. Get rid of broken items immediately. Still have that shovel you borrowed from your neighbor? Return it to its rightful owner. Make smart decisions about the items you use on a regular basis and the things you haven’t touched in three years.
- Clean it out. Before you put everything back into your garage, give it a good sweeping out. Knock down any cobwebs and evacuate the dust bunnies living in the corners. You can even consider applying a fresh coat of paint to really spruce it up. Once your garage is clean, you should be more motivated to keep it that way.
- Maintain the organized space. Once your garage is clean and organized, maintain it! If you see clutter starting to accumulate again, tackle it as soon as possible. Put items back where you got them instead of setting them on the workbench or floor to deal with later.
National Storage has locations throughout Michigan and Ohio and we are ready to help you maintain that organized garage all year long! Contact us today for more information about storing your belongings safely at our clean, secure facilities.