Clearing the Garage Clutter

Chances are your garage was used and abused this summer. Bicycles? Check. (And helmets, bike locks, pumps, maybe a spare tire or two – functional or not.) Lawn mower? Check. (And gas can, some motor oil, a funnel and various pairs of work gloves – matching or not.)

And that’s not to mention the camping gear, the sports gear and the gardening tools, as well as the outdoor games, the coolers, and all the other tools. There might even be leftover decorations from a Fourth of July party, supplies from your summer painting project, and whatever else you had going on.

The busier your summer was (and the more people you live with), the more you likely accumulated. And the less likely that things were put away in the right places.

Even if you didn’t accumulate too much new over the summer, fall is a great time to switch gears and get your garage organized. Before it gets too cold, you can take stock of what you have, clear out what you don’t need, and get ready for winter. 

Tips and Hacks

To organize a garage, experts generally recommend pulling everything out onto the driveway or lawn. This gives you a chance to clean off the floor and get a better perspective on your stuff and your space. But if that’s too much, try to focus on one complete area (like a shelving rack) or type of activity (say gardening) in one sitting.

Start by throwing out or recycling anything that’s broken or unusable. Make a pile of items that might need to be recycled specially and one for items that are in good condition but not needed anymore. You might also need a pile for items that need to be put away elsewhere in your house.

As you put things back in place, make sure cold weather items are accessible and then organize items by activity. Especially in big open spaces like a garage, people tend to organize their things by size. But that method tends to backfire as it becomes hard to find items (or even remember what you have)…leading you to go out and buy even more golf balls, flower pots, bug spray, etc.

Make It Easier on Yourself

The whole storage and organization gig is a lot easier when you have the right products. And that’s especially true in garages, which tend to come with blank canvases.

If you have a lot of large items or bins stacked on top of each other, a heavy duty rack with open shelves will make a big difference. Not only does it allow you get items up off the floor, but it also saves you from having to heft through several bins to get to the one you need. We offer a number of different sizes (all with adjustable shelf heights) and options like baskets and backstands.

If you prefer a finished look, our garage cabinets are functional, durable and sleek. You can choose from commercial-grade pieces that are modular and easy to assemble. (These can be bought as a set or individually.) Our industrial-grade TRINITY PRO® pieces feature 18-gauge stainless steel and come welded and pre-assembled.

If you have a lot of small items that need to be sorted, this dual-sided rolling bin rack can be a game changer. (It comes with 94 bins but you can also purchase some separately for shelves you already have.) We also offer traditional workbenches with different sized drawers and cabinets, as well as a stainless steel tool chest with 11 drawers of various sizes. All are commercial or industrial grade and can be used with or without casters.