Give Junk a Heave-Ho!

Is your garage so cluttered that only a toy car will fit inside? If you are wondering where all that stuff is going to go, maybe it’s time to spend part of the weekend creating some order in all that chaos. Get your parking space back with these easy tips!

1.Give junk a heave-ho! “Before anything else, toss stuff that’s beyond repair or hopelessly outdated,” says the president of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Be sure to have a ‘donate’ pile and a ‘throw out’ pile. Throw away broken toys, almost empty cans of paint, and rusty garden tools. Donate sports equipment your kids have outgrown or that extra lawn edger.

2.Zone in! Divide your garage into zones: one for lawn and garden, one for sports equipment, one for seasonal items. Then only store items in the right zone.

3.Find the secret storage space! Install shelves on the often-over-looked space on the wall above where the garage doors roll up.

4.Hook it up! Place hooks on the wall to hold everything from ladders to folding chairs to sleds. TIP: Hang heavier items near the floor so they don’t hurt someone if they fall.

5.Contain it! Keep stored items neat with clearly labeled plastic containers - to prevent needless rummaging around.

6.Create a mini parking lot! Designate “parking spots” with colored tape on the garage floor for kids’ bikes and wagons.

Protect what’s precious! Most garages experience extreme temperature fluctuations, so store heirlooms or family keepsakes elsewhere.

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