Your
days attached at the hip to the lawn mower have gotten more frequent. The potting mix grounding those bright blooms
is leaving a trail to the backyard. And
the tools needed for your latest home project are not as handy as you’d
like. Now that spring has sprung, your
maintenance command center – also known as your garage – could use its own
overhaul. Tackling this project can be a
sweat-inducing undertaking, but it’s far better than a garage that always looks
like a hot mess.
Most
garages end up being the household catch-all.
The first step to a garage makeover is to remove the excess. If you have unused items that could be
donated, round them up and let them move on.
If you are storing items, such as seasonal decorations, that could go in
sight-unseen storage like your attic space, gather them, contain them properly,
and carry them up the fold-down ladder.
Let the garage do its job: hold the family vehicles, sports gear, and
tools related to all sorts of home maintenance.
When you pare down, you open up a lot of space saving
possibilities.
Because
space is limited, use that perimeter around your parking spaces to the best of
its ability. That means taking things
vertically and maximizing your storage space from garage floor to ceiling. Shelving systems you put together can be
lined up next to each other and provide shelf after shelf of storage
space. Back the cars out and use the
open floor area to sort your keeper items into categories before filing in your
shelves. Stack the paint cans
together. Use breathable bins to house
bottles and bags of weed killer, insect granules, potting soil, and the
like. Keep your cordless tools in their
carrying cases with bins next to them for all the accessories like drill bits
and battery chargers. Use clear plastic
storage containers with lids to hold extra paper towel and toilet paper rolls
to free up the laundry room cabinet space.
Use mounted wall organizer strips to line up tools like your broom, mop,
rake, and other garden tools. Roll up
extension chords and garden hoses in individual bins to avoid tangles and
knots. Mount racks to hold sports equipment
up on the wall and use open air bins or large crates to keep sports gear
rounded up. Save designated areas for
larger items like the mower, edger, large ice chests, trash container, and
recycling bins.
Find
a place for everything and keep everything in its place with the right tools
for your tools in an organized, compartmentalized garage fit for showing off
each time that double door raises.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star April 7th.
