For most homeowners, the garage is the most disorganized area in the house. The main reason for this is because not many people spend a lot of time in their garage—unless they use it as a work area. But for the majority of homeowners, the garage is merely a space to store vehicles, tools, and a ton of junk.
If your garage is in a state of total chaos, there is usually a deeper reason other than you’re just a messy person. With that in mind, let’s dive into the possible reasons why your garage is a total mess—and what you can do to solve them.
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You use your garage as a dumping ground
Garages provide easy storage for things you can’t or don’t want to keep inside your home. That said, you’ll find that most clutter in the garage is tools, seasonal items, unused appliances, and other things that you don’t frequently use. But while the garage is a great place for storage, using your garage as a dumping ground is one of the best ways to turn it into a nightmare of a mess.
One way to prevent this from happening is to ask yourself if you have enough space in the garage for whatever you plan to store there. If you don’t have enough storage, there might be a better place to store that item somewhere else, like the attic or in one of your closets. Otherwise, it may be time to make room in your storage areas by getting rid of junk.
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You don’t have an organization system
Organization systems in the garage make it easy for everything to have a rightful place. These customizable systems can store everything from tools and small appliances down to the tiniest knick-knacks and spare parts. Shelves, cabinets, and drawers are also great options for organizing the items in your garage. But if you find yourself having a hard time finding things in these separate containers, you may need something that allows for easier organization, like a customized organization system.
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You don’t clean up after you work
If you use your garage for any type of work, say, woodworking or tinkering with the car, always be sure to clean up after you’re done. Aside from helping prevent accidents like someone tripping over a tool, it helps to keep your garage clean and orderly at all times.
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Your garage is too small
The main reason your garage is such a mess might be because it’s too small. After all, it is challenging to keep a space tidy if there is not enough space to go around for all of your stuff.
One way to solve this problem is to get rid of as many unnecessary things as you can, such as seasonal items that you don’t use anymore, tools that are due for a replacement, and spare parts that you’re keeping ‘just in case’ but have not found a use for in quite a while. Another thing you can try is to use vertical space for storage to maximize the space in your garage; build shelves on top of work tables, use narrow cabinets instead of wide ones, and hang items to maximize wall space.
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You have trouble letting go of things
Decluttering can be difficult if you have trouble letting go of things. Most of the time, it’s nostalgia keeping us from throwing out unnecessary items. Other times, we’re holding onto them because of the mindset that we might find a use for them someday.
Either way, not letting go of things can turn your garage into a clutter behemoth. Keep the items that are most precious to you and store them somewhere safer than the garage. Then, work on letting go of things that no longer serve you a real purpose; and while you’re at it, resist the urge to give in to the “I might need it someday” mentality.
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The mess has become too big to handle
The longer you ignore the mess in your garage, the bigger it gets. If you have reached the point that the clutter is too daunting to address, it may be time to bring in some help. Ask your friends and family to help you declutter your garage or move things to a storage unit. But if your garage already looks like a hoarder house, consider hiring professional cleaners to help you out.
Keeping the garage clean and organized helps avoid accidents, makes enough room for your vehicle, and makes the space more usable. So, if your garage is in a total state of chaos right now, use these tips to get started on bringing back order into the space.
