Garage Organization Plans

Well, it’s time to clean out your garage, eh? Whether you’re a retiree paring down to the essentials or a young family attempting to find room for all the toys and childhood accessories, a little bit of forethought and organization goes a long way toward keeping your garage tidy and safe for family and friends.

First things first: Make sure the obviously hazardous items such as power tools, garden implements and lawn chemicals are safely tucked away in a lockable cabinet. Remember those old cartoons where a character would step on the exposed tines of a lawn rake, making the handle fly up and bonk him in the face? Funny, right? Not so much when that happens in real life- lock ’em up! As for chemicals, of course you know they’re not for kids, but kids are notorious for not caring what’s for them and what’s not, so it’s up to the grown-ups to be sure the packages of lawn fertilizer with the pretty pictures on the front are locked up and out of sight!

Sturdy shelving hung at a height that can’t be reached by little hands generally makes a good enough spot for things you might use daily, such as the tool box or watering can, but it’s a good idea to take everything off those shelves now and then and give a little tug on them, just to make sure they’re still firmly attached to the wall. Any wiggling? Make sure you tighten things up again before putting anything heavy on the shelves. Nobody wants a dented noggin from a box of wrenches raining down on them!

Laundry baskets mounted on the walls are inexpensive and make excellent spots for all those toys and car care items that need a home.

While you’re at it, make sure small, loose objects such as nails and screws aren’t kept in glass jars. Glass containers and concrete floors are a terrible combo. Almost any local hardware store carries plastic organizers that are much more durable and safe than glass.

Now, once you’re finished, stand back and take a good look at your tidy, organized garage and enjoy it. If you have kids, though, you might want to take a picture – chances are it won’t stay that way for long.

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