One of the biggest spring cleaning projects – the garage – is so big it often ends up being a summer project. When the weather is nice, the garage doors are open, and the kids are home to help, a good garage re-organization can make your family’s future summertime fun hassle-free. 

Start by Sorting: Keep, Throw, Donate

Now is the time to get rid of things your kids have outgrown, or broken-beyond-repair items. Designate three areas and sort everything in your garage into Keep, Throw or Donate. You might choose to have a garage sale with your useful donations, or simply take them to your nearest donation center.

Brainstorm How to Store What’s Left

The idea with storage in your garage is to get everything you can off the floor. Hang bikes on the ceiling, mount hooks for tools on the wall, put that container with camping gear up on a shelf. There are many types of useful hanging, storage and decluttering items that can help – pegboards, bracket shelves, storage containers, and racks.

Don’t Forget to Plan for Future Stuff

Once you’ve organized everything, make sure you designate a staging area where new items that come into the garage are considered before they are put away in the right place. The key to keeping your garage organized is to make sure there is a place for everything to belong – and making sure it always gets back to that place.