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Clear the Clutter Out of Your Garage Checklist

Matt Huculak • April 15, 2015

Has your garage clutter gotten the best of you? Not so fast… You are in charge of your garage organization, and you have the power to conquer the chaos! Set aside a weekend, gather up some friends (a promise to feed them all lunch is a good motivator), put on your superhero cape (figuratively, if not literally!), assemble your supplies, and get ready to victor over your garage!

Preparation: You are going to need a box of large garbage bags and a bunch of cardboard boxes. You will also need a few laundry baskets, a permanent marker and some gardening or work gloves for everyone in your party. Wear sturdy shoes and comfortable clothes.

Step One:

Assign each person a garbage bag, two cardboard boxes and a laundry basket. One box should be labeled, “donate,” and the other should be labeled, “garage sale.” (If you do not plan on having a garage sale, then eliminate this box!) Items that are to be thrown out will go in the trash bag, and those that need to be relocated elsewhere in the garage (or in the house!) will go in the laundry basket. Also assign each person a section of the garage to start with.

Step Two:

Begin placing items in your section in their appropriate containers. It’s best to start with a garage storage unit; this way, as shelves and surfaces are cleared, you’ll have room to begin putting things back where they belong. If motivation seems non-existent or if you have older kids or teens helping you, it might be best to set a timer. Work as fast as you can for 20-30 minutes, then take a break.

Step Three:

Deal with full containers right away. Bags of garbage should go to the dumpster, garbage can or curb. Boxes of items to be donated need to be sealed up and placed in the trunk of your car. Boxes of garage sale items can go in the center of the garage or out in the driveway for now. Those in the laundry baskets will likely have to wait at this point; if they’re too full and you need more room, you can switch to boxes, but make sure you keep them separated from the ones that will be transported to the thrift shop later!

Step Four:

Switch locations periodically. If you’re getting antsy in the section of the garage where all of the tools have been tossed, feel free to switch with the person who has been dealing with all of the wood scraps for a while! If you’re working alone or with just one other person, move from place to place, but use caution so you don’t make a big mess, only to leave it to deal with later. Remember to keep those filled containers moving out of the garage regularly. Also, as surfaces get cleared out, you can start putting back some of the items in the baskets to reduce your workload later.

Step Five:

Sweep up and put everything away. Once all of the junk is out of the garage, give the garage flooring a good sweeping. (Sweep the dust and cobwebs off of the walls while you have the broom out.) Put away whatever is left in the baskets, and find a corner to stash the garage sale items. Choose a date for the garage sale and circle it in red on your calendar. Make a plan to drop off the thrift store items as soon as possible. In other words, don’t let this garage clutter hang around!

With regular maintenance and proper garage organizers, like wall shelving and garage cabinets , you should not have to do a big clean-out like this again for a very long time. Every month or so, go through your garage and remove junk to keep it in good shape.

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