[dropcap]A[/dropcap] quarter of people admit to being embarrassed by their garage and nearly ⅓ of people say they keep their garage door closed to hide the mess. A garage is an important room for many people when they buy their homes, offering a great storage area, as well as somewhere safe to keep your car. However, they quickly become neglected and are used as a dumping ground for things they’ll never use again, causing a lot of clutter.
Keep floors clean
Finding a clean garage floor in any home is uncommon, thanks to oil leaking from cars and paint cans spilling or leaking. While it’s possible to clean stains off concrete floors, it can be time consuming and you won’t necessarily get a squeaky-clean result. Preventing stains is the best option. Having a tidy garage that isn’t cluttered so there’s less things that can spill will help, but a garage parking mat can catch any spills, which can then be easily wiped off.
Declutter and invest in storage
Most people use their garage for storage, so every now and then it’s a good idea to go through what’s in there and clear out anything you no longer use or need. Having less stuff is the first step to having a tidier space. Good storage will also help to organize things. The best storage option for a garage is overhead or wall storage, such as long shelves and hooks for tools. Ideally, you need to look for storage options that take up as little space as possible. Getting things off the floor can drastically neaten up a space, such as using shoes racks near doors and getting boxes and bins stacked up on racks.
Organization is key
Storage is great if you plan it effectively. For example, you don’t want to have to rummage through a box to find something that you use regularly, making a mess in doing so. Keep things that you use frequently near the entrance so that they’re easier to get in and out. If you go out on your bike every weekend, keep it near the door, ideally on a bike rack to keep it tidy and reduce the chance of it getting damaged.
The best way to keep your garage clean and tidy is to think of it as an additional living space, rather than just a storage area. Include it in your cleaning schedule and don’t think of it as a dumping ground for the things you might fix one day. It’s a multi-purpose storage area that will work best for you if you put the work into it.
