Getting Your Garage Back-to-School Ready in No Time
Back to school season is upon us, and now is the perfect time to reset and re-organize the garage. This multifunctional space can go a long way toward streamlining your routine—when it’s working FOR you! Most suburban garages contain at least five separate zones of storage, and those zones will fluctuate over time. For example, we now have a college student who needs to store dorm/apartment stuff over the summer, but we no longer need space for his old baseball equipment or bikes that he’s outgrown. We still store luggage, seasonal decor, and keepsakes on one wall, plus an extra freezer, laundry space, yard tools, and a home gym. We also store our bulk paper products, some backup cleaning products, and a number of small kitchen appliances out there as well. That’s a lot of zones for one big room! When you maximize this space through solid organization, you can free up a lot of room in the main living areas of your home. Let’s explore how.
Tip #1: Use Wall Mounts to Maximize Vertical Space
Most garages store a lot of items, in multiple different categories. If you have outdoor gear, sports gear, tools and chemicals for the lawn, holiday decor, luggage, and travel supplies, plus a bunch of stuff you just haven’t sorted out yet, you are in good company! If your home lacks a mudroom, the garage probably functions as a default drop zone as well. It’s crucial to maximize vertical wall space so you can store like with like and access each zone to find what you need when you need it. Whether it’s shelving, wall slats and hooks, or even ceiling racks, storage should be designed to prioritize ease of access for frequently used items. Proper installation is crucial for safety, and it’s also important to consider safe access to those seasonal items you pull out once a year. A professional organizer can help you assess your family’s unique needs and find the best system and installation options to level up your space and make it work for you.
Tip #2: Choose Containers to Keep Storage Clear
A treasure hunt can be a fun party game, but it’s not so fun when you’re looking for your kid’s old soccer cleats to see if they fit his younger brother. Avoid the stressful digging through bins trying to remember where it went by grouping like with like and making it clear what goes where. Using clear bins in the garage is one way to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. Another alternative is clearly designated labels. My clients are split about half-and-half between whether they like clear bins (so they can see the items inside) or whether they prefer the calmer look of dark colored bins with matching labels. If you prefer that clean look, one solution is closed cabinet storage. This allows your clear containers—or variety of different container types—to be stored out of sight. Closed cabinets also prevent dust building up on items such as luggage or small kitchen appliances. In my climate, this is especially popular option because we do live near the desert and get quite a bit of dust. Sometimes my clients are surprised that getting organized doesn’t necessarily mean you’re jamming more stuff into the space. It means you can find what you’re looking for more easily after editing down to what you actually need.
Tip #3: Dedicate an Area as the Daily “Drop Zone”
Daily clutter is absolutely going to make its way to your garage again, whether you’re just setting down your shopping or you have boxes that need to be broken down to recycle. Being realistic and setting up a drop zone—or processing area—will prevent that clutter from spreading to the rest of your newly organized garage. First, make sure you understand your different zones and make ease of putting away a priority. That will motivate you to keep things where you (and your family members) can find them without creating another mess digging through everything else. Then set up a drop zone, such as a counter or table top that serves as a “pending” area. Make it part of your routine to process through those items daily or weekly and get them a new home where they belong. If the drop zone is ignored for too long, it will overflow. However, refusing to have a drop zone in the first place is strategic mistake because you’re going to need that space on busy days. So, allow for it, but give it a limit and set a time in your regular schedule to deal with the piles so you stay on track.
Organizing your garage is going to bring more joy, clear-headedness, and ease into your daily life this coming school year. Having a designated inflow and outflow spot can go along way towards streamlining a busy week, and being able to find what you’re looking for in its conveniently located zone will save frustration among your family members too. Even if it’s still a bit hot outside, try setting aside a couple of hours in the morning or evening and just see what you can do to make some headway in the high traffic area of your garage.
If you could use some help from a pro, I’d be happy to chat about your home organizing needs! Just click the button below to get in touch.
Cheers,
Karina
