Wouldn’t it be great if you could actually park your car in the garage? Or had space for your hobby or home gym? All you need is one weekend and a way to dispose of all that clutter so you can use your garage however you want.
Why declutter?
Cleaning out your garage does more than just make room – it also gives you a huge mental health boost. Here are a few reasons why:
- Seeing clutter triggers a cortisol response in our brains, increasing our stress. Getting rid of the clutter lowers those stress levels.
- Decluttering puts you back in control and gives you a sense of agency.
- If you have clutter from past aspirations – like equipment from a sport you no longer do – getting rid of it represents a fresh start.
Who knew there were so many mental health benefits to decluttering? Let’s look at an easy weekend plan for reclaiming your garage (and decreasing your stress).
Saturday – time to sort
Begin early in the morning by pulling everything out of the garage and onto the driveway.
Create separate piles for sorted items. Choose categories like Keep, Donate, and Bin. You may also want to have a temporary ‘Maybe’ pile with items you’re not sure about.
Here are some tips for sorting:
- Broken or rusty items go.
- Get rid of parts for household or garden equipment that you no longer have.
- Donate or sell tools or materials for DIY projects that you’ve either finished or will never get to.
- Tools or items you’ve borrowed or are storing for others should be returned to the original owners.
- Dispose of paint that has turned or that you’re no longer using. Paint must be dry before getting rid of it, so invest in some kitty litter or paint hardeners.
- Hazardous rubbish like old batteries and household chemicals can’t go in household wheelie or skip bins. Drop them off at Resource Management Centres.
- Donate duplicate tools or equipment.
Will your household wheelie bins be enough to hold the rubbish? If not, consider hiring a skip bin or skip bag over the weekend.
Sunday – load and organise
Sunday is about loading up what goes and organising your garage space.
Look at the items in your ‘Maybe’ pile and decide where they go. Next, load your rubbish into a bin if you haven’t already. Pack up your donations into your car or set them aside.
With the rest of your piles gone, you’re left only with what you’ll keep and use. The next step is to organise it into zones of like items that can be stored together. Your zones may be categories like Sports, Tools, Automotive, and Gardening.
Assess what’s in those categories to see what kind of storage you’ll need. Here are some tips for making the most of the space in your garage:
- Hang anything hangable like ladders, bikes, lawn tools, and extension cords.
- Use pegboards and wall hooks for tools.
- Consider vertical shelving to keep the floors clear.
- Storage containers with lids can go on vertical shelves. Use clear containers so you can see what’s inside.
By Sunday afternoon, your project is done! The car may be parked inside the garage for the first time in years. It’s time to kick back and relax – you’ve earned it!
