For most people, the garage is quite literally a dumping ground or all of the unwanted things in their homes, and we don’t blame them, because who really has the time to have a clean and organized garage? And who even has the time to pack their car in the garage?
Well, it’s about time you made time to clean out your garage because you will find yourself having space you never thought you had. The garage can be a great space for an office, an art room, or even a place where you can hang out with your friends and have a good time.
So, because cleaning out the garage is a big undertaking, we have come up with the following simple tips that can help in cleaning out and leaving it squeaky clean. Set aside some time to follow our tips and we guarantee you that you shall be happy with the results.
Decide What You Need To Keep Or Throw Out
This is the first step. If you have been accumulating stuff in your garage for years, it’s time to decide what will be kept and what will be thrown, given, or sold. You could actually be sitting on a gold mine, and an opportunity to make some extra cash on the side.
Ask yourself
- Do I really need this?
- Have I used this in the last year?
- Did I forget I had this?
- Can this item be repurposed?
- Am I just keeping this for sentimental reasons only?
- Is this my “just in case” product?
- Do I have three of these?
The above questions will get you closer to answering the question of whether you need the item in your home or not.
Donate Some Stuff
If you have already sorted out the stuff in the garage and identified the stuff that you should donate, then you should take them to a local charity home. Things such as sporting equipment, clothes, toys, etc can be donated.
At the end of the day, you will of course miss the stuff that has been given away, but you will end up feeling much better about yourself.
Sell Items That Are In Good Condition
Those items that are still in good condition can be sold separately so you can make some money on the side. You could end up making some money back, and have a second source of income for that month.
There are many websites you can use to sell these items such as E-Bay, OfferUp, Craigslist, Facebook, Poshmark, etc.
Actually, one of the most common ways of disposing of such items would be to host a garage sale. Most people do this often and end up with a good amount of money on the side.
Re-home Some Of The Misplaced Items
There could be items you will find in the garage that you might have borrowed and never remembered to return. This is your opportunity to do so. Make a pile of these items and choose a day when you visit your neighbors and friends to give them back what belongs to them.
Make A Plan For All The Junk
The unusable and broken items can be thrown away. If you are doing a major clean-out of your garage, you may want to consider renting a dumpster where you can keep all of this garbage and get it thrown out.
Things such as old batteries, gasoline, and paint thinners should however be thrown out responsibly, so find out how you can do this, and do not burn them as some may be flammable.
Conclusion
After all the cleaning out, it’s time to scrub it down. Get a mop and clean it from top to bottom, and if you like, you could even re-paint it to give it a clean new look. And after all of this work, do not allow yourself to make it cluttered again. All the best.
