Guest Blog: Spring Cleaning, Garage Edition!

When I think of spring, I think of fresh blossoms, clean air, and cheerful faces. It’s a time where life begins to emerge again from the dark, winter shelters. It’s a time to start new things, go outside, and prepare for the fun summer activities planned ahead. And with the start of spring, what better time than now to do a little home organizing in the garage?

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “spring cleaning”? It can sometimes be quite a daunting task, especially if it has been a while since the last cleaning or organizing session. Traditionally, spring cleaning is considered to be a thorough, heavy-duty cleaning plan targeting every area of your home. In fact, the idea of spring cleaning is so popular that there has even been a “spring cleaning week” (nationally declared) that is dedicated to it in the UK.

However, spring cleaning doesn’t have to be so intense. Whether it be for your home or your personal life, a little organizing can go a long way.

The tips below are specifically for spring cleaning your garage. However, the concepts can be applied to any other area that you would like to organize.

Set Goals

First thing is first: know what you want to accomplish.

A few ideas for how to spring clean your garage can include:

• Decluttering (getting rid of unused or unwanted items)
• Categorizing (long-term or short-term storage)
• Garage storage systems (cabinets, shelves, overhead racks)
• Storage containers (bins or totes)

Once you have an idea for what you want to spring clean, make sure to make a goal. The purpose of a goal is to help and remind you to do/be something better. Goals are key to being able to move forward and accomplish the tasks at hand. One method of doing this is by making SMART goals. For example:

Specific – I want to organize my garage so that I can find the things I need and so that I can park my car inside it.

Measurable – I will know I am done when there is enough space to walk around my car and when every item in my garage has its own spot.

Attainable – I can achieve this by using bins and totes to store my items. I can also install cabinets, shelves, or overhead racks to create more space to keep these items in my garage.

Relevant – Organizing my garage will help me to be more productive throughout my daily schedule and the spring is the best time for me to do it.

Time Bound – I want to complete this goal by the end of March. I will work on it for a few hours every Saturday.

When you know what you want to accomplish and when you have a plan of action, something like “organizing my entire garage” does not seem so hard.

Make It Happen

The second part of spring cleaning is putting your goals into action. Create some motivation for yourself. If you chose to take on such a task as organizing the  garage, enlist your family to help you. If you need help installing garage cabinets or overhead racks, do not hesitate to get some assistance. There’s nothing more rewarding than working with friends. Other people just seem to make the time move faster.

Now, think about how it feels to pull into your driveway and press the button to open your garage. You see the spot reserved for you to park your car and all of your garage belongings neatly put away on the shelves attached to the wall. It feels relaxing and beautiful. You have an efficient garage that you can be proud of. Organizing your garage can never come too soon…spring cleaning can never come too soon.