Getting the garage organized
If your garage has become the designated “dump zone” of your house, you’re not alone.
The National Association of Professional Organizers ( www.napo.net) reports that 50 percent of homeowners say their garage is the most disorganized space in their home, says Lisa Engel, a representative for ClosetMaid ( www.closetmaid.com). “The biggest mistake people make is that they don’t do the first step of making sure everything they have in the garage are things they want to keep. The garage should be an extension of your house, with a combination of open and closed storage. The open storage is meant to give you quick access to the items you use on a more frequent basis.”
Summer is now a distant memory and the busy holiday season is just around the corner, now is the ideal time to streamline your garage. Here are some tips for creating an organized garage where you can store the stuff you need – even your car.
Take inventory: In order to create an efficient storage system for your garage, decide what you absolutely want to keep, things you need to discard and items you can donate to charity. If you haven’t used an item in the past year, it’s probably time to dump or donate it. Categorize what you have – this will help you understand how much open and closed storage you need and how it should be organized.
Choose a layout. A garage gives you three solid walls you can use for storage. Take note of any windows, doors or electrical and plumbing systems (like a water heater) that need to be accessible. Depending on what you need to store, an open vinyl-coated wire system with hooks, hang-ups and wire baskets provides organized and ventilated storage for items you want to see and access easily. Steel, wood-grain and melamine-laminated particle board cabinet systems can give you closed storage for items you want away from the elements. Take advantage of the vertical storage opportunities in your garage – hang a ladder you don’t need to access daily up high, or use hooks to store hoses, extension cords, mops or weed whackers.
Recycling center: While people have stored their primary garbage can in their garage for years, more recently homeowners have been faced with finding creative and efficient ways to store their recycling containers. If your garage includes a staircase to the inside of your house, create a simple “closet” under the stairs to conveniently store the garbage and recycling bin out of the way. There are also heavy-load wall brackets that lift and hold the recycling bins off the floor, giving you more floor space.
Lock away hazards: Store pesticides and chemicals safely away behind closed doors where children and pets can’t get to them. Make sure you read labels and store the chemicals and pesticides at the proper temperature and use upper cabinets (with locks, if possible). Also avoid transferring hazardous household chemicals to other containers, which can lead to dangerous accidents when someone misidentifies the substance in the container.
Hobby space: Create an easy-to-use space for your hobbies: Adding a crafts center, potting table or tool bench to your garage – with lots of easily accessible storage on each side – allows you to enjoy your hobby without taking over the entire space.
Personalize storage: Consider installing individual lockers for each child. This not only creates specific storage for skates, balls and gloves but also helps kids keep track of their own stuff. You can also create a “mini mud room” by combining three vertical storage closets together with hooks for jackets and gym bags.
Mowing the lawn is an interesting activity. It allows you time to revise your lawn mowing strategy and to think about random thoughts.
I don’t remember any problems starting the Penncraft and it kept going for many years. Around 1973 Dad purchased a Snapper, like everyone else on the block. I have no thoughts whatsoever on the Snapper. Then in 1980 came the fancy pants, posh, expensive California Trimmer. Now, this is not an easy machine to operate. There are many rules to follow. Such as: you must make sure there are no rocks, gravel or sticks in the lawn because it does not pick-up leaves or vacuum any debris. Essentially, you should rake the grass before mowing it. When you want to turn you must lift levers, drop counter-weights and change gears. The California Trimmer never impressed me. It is an extremely large and heavy piece of equipment that has been residing under my garage stairs for several years. I believe many brown recluse spiders have made it their home. Let’s not disturb them.
