It’s not too late for spring cleaning and the garage is a great place to start. While functioning as a storage area for most, getting the garage organized can make your stored items more accessible. Learn the simplest way to get your garage spic and span this year.

Take it one area at a time

If you’ve let things build up, tackling the whole space can feel overwhelming. Start by clearing out the center of your garage, moving your car out. Then, target a corner and starting top to bottom pull everything into the center of the room to go through each piece. Once that corner is complete, move on around the garage. Focusing on a single area of the garage can make cleaning seem more doable and prevent you from getting overwhelmed.

Assign a donate, trash, and keep pile

In the center of your garage, set up three stations: one for things you want to keep, one for things you want to donate or sell, and one for trash. This simple but effective method can help simplify your thought process during cleaning, preventing you from spending too much time deciding exactly what to do with things you don’t normally use.

Scrub along the way

As you’re organizing and downsizing in the middle of the garage, don’t forget to clean the corners. For oil stains, rub cat litter or sawdust into the stain with a broom and then use dishwashing detergent and hot water to scrub it out. TSP can take care of any rust while hot water and vinegar can clean dirt and grime.  Make sure to apply a barrier of pesticide to keep bugs at bay before reorganizing the area.

Think about storage

In a new home, storage is rarely a concern. All the open space leaves plenty of room until you start moving in. Suddenly, your pristine garage is filled to the brim. Once you’ve committed to cleaning your entire garage, don’t get trapped with not enough space again. As you’re sorting items, think about storage solutions. If you love to bike, investing in a multi-bike rack with spare room can help accommodate future purchases. If you notice shoes pile up, build in a shoe shelf to keep them tidy.

Maintain the heat

Making the garage a usable space year-round can help you avoid letting things pile up. Often, the hot summer months make the garage so unbearable organizing isn’t an option. While installing air conditioning may not be cost effective, small upgrades like window shades from Polar Shades can help keep the garage cool during the summer.

For just a weekend’s worth of elbow grease, you can transform your garage from a storage nightmare into an organized oasis. Follow these tips and once you’ve cleaned, call Polar Shades at 702-260-6110 for a free in-home consultation to install shades in your garage.