by Wendy Brumback

Created on: February 18, 2010

Perhaps the biggest spring cleaning job you will undertake this year is the garage.  Unlike most rooms in the house this one can – and will – serve many different purposes.  Unfortunately for most of us it has taken over the job of storage space, and if you’re like me you accumulate more things then you actually have space for.  Spring cleaning is a great time to go through all that stuff and get rid of what you do not need.  I know that task seems monumental, and can take several days, but here are 5 tips to help you get through.

Tip 1: Decide what you want to do with your garage space.  The original purpose of the space is to store your car overnight and keep the frost off during the winter.  It also helps prevent theft and vandalism.   So choosing to use this space for your car is a rational idea, however many of us use it as work space, an extra room, and yes – even storage.  Know what you want to do with the space first.  If you’ve been in need of another room now is a great time to change it over.  Been wanting to actually put your car in it at night?  Then you need to know how much space you need to create.  Either way, knowing what you want will help you make your cleaning decisions.

Tip 2: Sort through everything.  You may be amazed at how much stuff you actually have in there.  And the truth is you probably don’t see much use for most of it anymore.  Sure the Christmas decorations you’ll have to keep and there might be some old antiques your Grandma gave you that you want to keep around, but a large majority of it probably is of little use to you.  Just ask yourself “Do I really need this?” and “When was the last time I used it?”  If the answers are “No” and “A long time ago” then you can and probably should get rid of it.  You can always donate it (great tax right off next year) or now would be a great time to have a yard sale.

Tip 3: Move it all out and clean.  The garage is almost never cleaned throughout the year.  Shelves, walls and floors all build up more dirt, dust and grease than anywhere else.  Even if your plans are to store the car there, a good cleaning is still in order.

Tip 4:  Consider adding more shelves for storage.  Most garages don’t come with much shelving space, and unless you put some in when you bought the place

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