by Elizabeth Wordsmith

Created on: February 24, 2010

Are you ashamed to leave your garage door open?  Is your garage a dangerous obstacle course?  Do you give up trying to find things and just go out and buy duplicates?  If you have answered yes to any of these questions, it my be time for a spring cleaning intervention.

Before starting, call the charity of your choice and schedule a pick-up. Once you are committed and know your precious belongings are going to a good home, you'll feel better about the process.

Check the weather report.  Depending on how much you have hoarded over the years, this job may take a full day.  Don't do this job if there is a chance of rain or snow, but have some water proof tarps just in case.

Get adult help, but don't involve the kids unless they promise to part with their long lost toys.  It is amazing how sentimental children can be over some toy they haven't seen for years and how much fuss they can make when you decide to give it away.

Remove absolutely everything from the garage.  Sort belongings into organized piles such as tools, sporting goods, seasonal items, charitable donations, recyclables, and throw aways. 

Organizations to consider for donations include but are not limited to : the Salvation Army, Habitat For Humanity, schools, shelters, American Veterans, and Good Will.  The recycling center will also take many items such as old paint, tires, obsolete computers, and other metal items.  Old chemicals no longer needed should be taken to a hazardous waste center.  You can also put an ad on Craig's list if you have items people can pick up at curb side for free.  It might also be advisable to schedule this project for the weekend before your community's monthly bulk pick-up date.

After you have gone through that process, tackle cob webs and dirty garage floors.  If you are going to repaint the garage floor, check out some of the new products for that task at your home improvement store.  You'll need a good long handled scrub brush, cleaning supplies, garage floor paint, a sealant, a texturizer or colored speckles, and a long extension pole for your paint roller brush.

Once your garage floor looks fabulous, you can start putting things back.  You'll probably be more reluctant to clutter up the space now that it looks so great.  Put back only the essentials to start out with.  Designate certain areas of the garage for specific things.  For example, one area could be for home maintenance

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