Time to put away the summer toys and start thinking about those holiday decorations. What a great time to sort through the garage, before it gets to cold.
1. Sort - A seasonal sort of the garage is ideal so you can pare down the toys that got broken and pack up the ones you will save until next year. For this area, I would recommend being prepared with empty bins and bags as you sort. Items in the garage tend to be big, so the sooner you can get rid of it or packed up, the easier it is to move forward in the process.
My biggest problem right now is empty boxes. We have a bunch of flattened boxes from our last move. We have been thinking about moving again, so we have been hanging onto these boxes for two years. Currently they are lining our garage. Alternately, we could stack full boxes on top of them on the shelves. Realistically we need to decide if we really need all of them and get rid of some. It is often easy to check Freecycle.com to get boxes from others that just moved.
1. Sort - A seasonal sort of the garage is ideal so you can pare down the toys that got broken and pack up the ones you will save until next year. For this area, I would recommend being prepared with empty bins and bags as you sort. Items in the garage tend to be big, so the sooner you can get rid of it or packed up, the easier it is to move forward in the process.
My biggest problem right now is empty boxes. We have a bunch of flattened boxes from our last move. We have been thinking about moving again, so we have been hanging onto these boxes for two years. Currently they are lining our garage. Alternately, we could stack full boxes on top of them on the shelves. Realistically we need to decide if we really need all of them and get rid of some. It is often easy to check Freecycle.com to get boxes from others that just moved.
2. Scrub - Time to clear cobwebs and sweep the floor. Wipe down shelves, as appropriate. Also wipe down equipment and toys before you pack them up. It is easier to clean them now than when you are unpacking to actually use them.
3. Set - Really think about what boxes you are going to need when. Rotate last season's boxes to the back and next season's to the front. Right now, Holiday boxes should be easily accessible, since winter is coming up fast.
A couple of storage ideas I have seen (on Pinterest, etc):
- Putting skinny shelves in between the two car spaces (2-car garage).
- Wall hooks for bikes, tools and storage baskets.
- Wall baskets or bins for kids toys (balls, helmets, jump ropes, etc)
Remember to put like items together. Separate tools and garden implements from the kids toy areas. Don't want them messing with the wrong bins.
A couple of storage ideas I have seen (on Pinterest, etc):
- Putting skinny shelves in between the two car spaces (2-car garage).
- Wall hooks for bikes, tools and storage baskets.
- Wall baskets or bins for kids toys (balls, helmets, jump ropes, etc)
Remember to put like items together. Separate tools and garden implements from the kids toy areas. Don't want them messing with the wrong bins.
4. Standardize - visuals
In a manufaturing shop, they typically create shadow boards for hanging tools and equipment, so they can see if something is missing. You can do the same with your tools and garden implements.
Labeling is the other option. This is most important for bins and boxes that may not be obvious at a glance. We all know how annoying it is to sort through multiple bins trying to find that one set of special occasion silverware.
In a manufaturing shop, they typically create shadow boards for hanging tools and equipment, so they can see if something is missing. You can do the same with your tools and garden implements.
Labeling is the other option. This is most important for bins and boxes that may not be obvious at a glance. We all know how annoying it is to sort through multiple bins trying to find that one set of special occasion silverware.
Inventory the seasonal bins and label on the outside, so you can quickly review them before unpacking. This is a good task to do before you pack them up at the end of the season. You can also note on the list what may be needed next year.
5. Sustain - The easiest time to rotate and revisit your garage is with the seasons.
Fall - pack away summer toys; unpack Halloween and fall/winter tools (rakes, shovels, etc).
Winter - Pack Halloween deco and prep Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hannukah boxes.
Spring - Pack Holiday boxes (be sure to note what may be noted next year); Prep Easter stuff and gardening tools.
Summer - Unpack all the summer toys (esp. swimming, camping and picnic stuff).
Fall - pack away summer toys; unpack Halloween and fall/winter tools (rakes, shovels, etc).
Winter - Pack Halloween deco and prep Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hannukah boxes.
Spring - Pack Holiday boxes (be sure to note what may be noted next year); Prep Easter stuff and gardening tools.
Summer - Unpack all the summer toys (esp. swimming, camping and picnic stuff).
Any other ideas for garage organization?
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