There comes a time in every homeowner’s life when they come face-to-face with the piles of clutter in their garage and realize it’s time to get to work. But with so much stuff, the garage decluttering process may feel like an insurmountable task. You may be thinking to yourself, Where do I even begin?
At Garage Solutions of Arizona, we recognize how important it is to help our customers take back their garages and find a storage solution that works for them. After all, before you can enjoy the benefits of our custom shelves, cabinets, and overhead storage racks, you’ll need to do a bit of garage decluttering first.
If you’ve decided it’s finally time to tackle the garage, keep reading to explore four essential steps in the garage decluttering process. With a little help from our custom storage solutions, your garage will be transformed into a space that’s both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
#1. Begin With the End in Mind
Before you begin the garage decluttering process, decide what your ultimate goal is. What do you want your garage to become? What will it look like? How will you use the space in your everyday routines?
Perhaps your dream garage has a dedicated space to work on arts and crafts. Maybe you’d like to have all your tools within reach when you work on home improvement projects. Whatever your end goals are, make sure you keep them at the forefront of your mind. These objectives will inform your decisions throughout your garage decluttering journey.
#2. Toss the Trash
Once you’ve outlined your goals, it’s time to get to work. Chances are, your garage has become a depository for broken items you’ll never get around to fixing, extra supplies from home improvement projects of yesteryear, and unidentifiable garbage. If it’s no use to you (or anyone), toss it! When you start by eliminating most of the garbage, you free up space to shift things around and begin the organization process.
Toxic Material Disposal
Be careful of what you put in the trash. Toxic materials, including paint, batteries, fertilizers, and cleaning products, need to be properly disposed of. Consult with local regulations for guidelines regarding toxic material disposal in your area.
#3. Sort Into Categories
After you’ve taken care of most of the trash, begin sorting the rest of your belongings into categories. Once the decluttering is underway, you may find that you need to divide up your belongings differently based on your specific needs, but it’s best to start with these three main classifications:
- Keep: This one is self-explanatory. Anything you still need or want goes into the “keep” category. These are the items that will remain in your garage.
- Donate or sell: Just because you don’t need an item anymore doesn’t mean that someone else can’t find a use for it. Instead of throwing away usable items, put them aside to give to a friend, donate to a thrift store, or sell in a yard sale. It may be a bit of extra work, but the environment will thank you!
- Toss: Anything that can’t be donated or sold should be thrown away. Recycle cardboard, glass, paper, metal, and plastic if possible. If you have a lot of trash, you may find it more convenient to rent a dumpster for the day rather than making a bunch of trips to the dump.
For successful decluttering, you need to be a bit ruthless in your decision-making. Consider whether you’ll ever use an item again. If the answer is “no,” there’s no use keeping it around! Storage space is a hot commodity, so you don’t want to waste it.
Create Groups of Similar Items
Once your “keep” pile reaches a healthy size, start grouping similar items together. These sub-categories may include sports equipment, gardening tools, seasonal decor, or cleaning supplies. Getting everything out in the open will help you see just how much stuff you’re working with and make it easier to determine what kind of organizational system you need.
#4. Organize and Optimize
When the decluttering is complete, it’s time to organize. To truly optimize your space, you need high-quality custom storage solutions from Garage Solutions of Arizona. Consider incorporating these reliable products into your storage system:
- Monkey Bars shelving: Our innovative Monkey Bars shelving system utilizes adjustable hooks and bars, allowing you to create tailored storage solutions.
- Shelving accessories: When used in conjunction with our durable shelves, our shelving accessories ensure all of your items have their own place.
- Garage cabinets: For ultimate aesthetic appeal, opt for our sleek, modern garage cabinets.
- Overhead storage: Our overhead units utilize the space above your garage door, maximizing your storage possibilities.
Decluttering Your Garage? Trust the Experts
To fully transform your garage into the haven of productivity it should be, you need help from the experts at Garage Solutions of Arizona. As an authorized dealer of Gorgeous Garage products, our team is highly trained in providing effective storage solutions that will make your life easier. Contact us today for a free estimate!
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