How to Organize Your Garage for Summer
We have awoken from winter hibernation, rounded the corner to Spring and the weather is showing signs that Summer will be here soon. Now is a perfect time to get your garage ready for summer before the weather gets too hot and before that busy summer schedule begins.
Here are some steps & helpful organizing products to get your garage organized for summer:
1.) Get rid of the clutter
The garage is a place where we ideally park a car but often our vehicle is the last thing that goes in the garage. Instead, garages often turn into storage units with boxes, tools, and equipment. Getting into a car that isn’t too hot this summer (since it is parked nicely in your garage) is a GREAT goal & motivation to fuel this organizing project.
Tackle the clutter in the garage like you would any other project. This project is often one that can take a few days depending on the amount of clutter that has built up. Consider asking a friend to help speed along the process (or hire a professional organizer to be your helping hand!). Start by opening up boxes, emptying cabinets, and clearing things off the floor out onto your driveway, grouping contents into similar categories as you do so. Then evaluate each category pile to see what you want to keep versus sell or donate. Also determine if the item needs to stay in the garage or if it can be moved to another spot in the house.
2.) Determine what stays in the garage
Need help determining what should stay in your garage? I suggest just storing items in your garage that are used or played with outside, items that are frequently used on the go or in your car, and heavy tools/equipment that would be messy/cumbersome to move through the house. Here are examples of what is stored in my garage given frequency of use outside & the accessibility/mess factor:
Outdoor sports equipment
Kids outdoor toys (Chalk, bubbles, lawn games)
Lawn & Pest care, lawn equipment
Bikes & stroller
Tools
Outdoor chairs
Outdoor shoes
Gasoline, car cleaning items
Consider temperature, dirt, and pests that might come into a garage when determining what should be stored there. Any valuables, memory items, servingware, clothes, etc. isn’t served well by being stored in a a garage.
3.) The Garage Sell/Donate pile
If you have time to sell items consider hosting a garage sale or posting on Facebook Marketplace groups. However if you are short on time (and energy!) there are many local organizations here in St. Louis where you can donate gently used items to such as:
Bikes- BWorks
Lawn equipment/tools- Earthbound Recycling, Refab St. Louis
Outdoor sports equipment- Play It Again Sports, St. Louis Youth Sports Outreach (Overland, MO)
Visit the St. Louis County Recycling Wizard’s website for additional resources or download my STL Donation resource guide
4.) Time to Contain & Organize
Now that you are left with what you want to keep in your garage, it’s time to get some shelving and other organizing products to maximize the space in your garage- after all, we are trying to get your car in there! When organizing your garage, try to put like items together in sections of the garage/shelves so it’s easy to remember where to find & put away items.
SHELVING
My top tip to organize your garage is to get some shelving to maximize the vertical space in your garage. Costco and Hardware stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot have great industrial shelving that can hold a lot of weight.
For storing light weight garage items I am a fan of the HDX shelves from Home Depot as they are easy to take apart & move if needed.
BINS/TOTES
For Lawncare/Pest Items: My favorite bin for these items is the MultiPurpose bin from Container Store. They are tall enough to keep bottles from wobbling around, clear, and affordable. Available in various sizes.
For Kids Toys: My favorite bin to store kids toys in the garage are the Chancellor bins from Container store and the Stackable baskets. Both are lightweight (in case one falls off the shelf) and easy for kids to reach into. A latching box with a handle is great for items like chalk, bubbles, or rocks that a kid might want to carry around the driveway/yard.
For Sports Equipment: These Cargo bins from Container Store are flexible and wide, great for storing various equipment. A sports rack can help corral tall/long sports equipment and Ball claws can make favorite sports balls visible so kids can grab quickly & also put back in a designated place.
For General Storage & Tools: For items that you want to store in the garage but keep a lid on, I would recommend a latching tote just to make sure those lids are securely on. Check dimensions of your shelf to find bins that will fit. I recommend using clear bins so you can see the contents in the bin. I also recommend stacking utility bins for Tools and other supplies stored in the garage that you might access more frequently.
WALL STORAGE
For Hanging Tools & Bikes: I recommend using the RubberMaid Fast Track system available at Home Depot, Lowes, and many other stores. The system helps maximize vertical space in your garage to reduce floor clutter and keep everything handy from your tools to bikes to sports equipment.
Rubbermaid Fast Track System
5.) Maintain
Now that you have organized your garage and your car fits snuggly inside, keep it maintained by continuing to evaluate what should stay or go in the garage as winter approaches. Try to implement a “one in, one out” policy on new sports equipment or tools.
Need a hand in tackling a garage organization project? Reach out to schedule a consultation! Working with a professional organizer can save you so much time and stress- let’s quickly get that car back in your garage!