Garage Cleanout: 10 Steps to Declutter, Organize, and Reclaim Your Space

If you’re wondering how to clean out a garage without spending your entire weekend doing it, you’re definitely not alone. It can start with a box here, an old paint can there, a bike nobody rides anymore. Before you know it, you can't park the car, find your tools, or even walk through without stepping over something.

The good news: with a little planning and some decisions about what you actually need, you can get your space back. Here are 10 steps to help you get started.

1. Set a Realistic Timeline

Depending on your situation, realistically, a garage probably isn’t going to be clean in an hour. Set aside a Saturday, a few evenings, or however much time you might have. Trying to rush through everything usually just means you end up shoving things back onto shelves and calling it good.

2. Work in Sections

You don't necessarily have to pull everything out of the garage at once. If it's packed, start with one corner, wall, or section and start working your way around. This keeps the mess from getting completely out of hand and gives you more room to actually sort things.

3. Sort Everything Into Piles

Keep, donate, sell, and trash are four easy places to start. Having categories makes it easier for decision-making instead of creating one giant “I'll deal with this later” pile.

And if you haven't used something in years, ask yourself if you're really going to use it again. Sometimes the answer is pretty obvious.

4. Check Old Paint and Other Supplies

Garages are places that usually store old paint, fertilizer, cleaning products, batteries, and other household supplies. Check labels and expiration dates, and make sure you're following your local guidelines for disposing of anything hazardous. Don't just toss chemicals in the trash because you're ready to be done with them.

5. Deal With the Big Stuff First

Things like an old lawnmower, broken appliances, and other bulky items can take up a lot of space. Getting them out of the way early makes it much easier to move around and tackle the smaller stuff.

Plus, it's a lot easier to see how much space you actually have once the giant treadmill you've been meaning to get rid of is gone!

6. Be Honest About Your Tools

Most garages have a few duplicates hiding somewhere. Three hammers? Two sets of jumper cables? A collection of tools you forgot you even had?

Keep the things you actually use and let go of duplicates or broken items that are just taking up space. Someone else may get more use out of them anyway.

7. Group Similar Items Together

Once you've decided what you're keeping, group similar things together. Keep gardening supplies in one area, sports equipment in another, and automotive supplies somewhere that's easy to access.

This makes finding things later much easier and can help you figure out what storage you actually need.

8. Get Things Off the Floor

Floor space is valuable, especially if you want to park your car (or multiple) inside. Shelves, wall-mounted racks, and overhead storage can help keep things organized without taking up all your walking space.

Just make sure anything stored overhead is secure to avoid future accidents or injuries down the road.

9. Label Your Storage

Clear bins with labels can save you from later having to dig through five boxes just to find one thing. Trust us, you'll be extra glad you did it later.

10. Make a Plan for the Junk

After you've sorted everything, you'll probably have a pile of stuff that doesn't belong in your regular trash and isn't worth making several trips to get rid of.

That's where a junk removal service can help. Instead of loading up your car, making multiple trips to the dump, or figuring out how to move that bulky piece of furniture yourself, you can have unwanted items picked up and hauled away in one go.

Keep Your Garage Clean

Getting the garage clean is one thing. Keeping it that way is the real trick.

Set aside 15 minutes every month or so to put things back where they belong and get rid of anything you no longer need. It doesn't have to be a whole project every time; a little maintenance can go a long way toward avoiding another giant garage cleanout down the road.

Ready to reclaim your garage? Once you've sorted through your stuff, TWO MEN AND A JUNK TRUCK® can help haul away the items you no longer need or want donated, so you can get back to using your space how you’d like. Schedule your free quote today!