Here’s How to Organize Your Garage

A clean, well-organized garage doesn’t just look better, it’s also more functional. You can find things when you need them, eliminate delays in completing projects, and avoid buying things you already own. Here’s a quick crash course on the best garage organization storage solutions.

Big Clean vs. One Area at a Time

Doing a big cleanout with a master plan is great. You can weed out all the junk, work methodically, and find an ideal spot for everything. But you’ll also need to set aside a whole day or weekend to do it, and enough space to lay everything out as you sort through it. So if a piecemeal approach works better for you then have at it. The job won’t get done all at once, but at least the job will actually get done.

What Not to Store in Your Garage

Before you get knee-deep in organizing, it’s important to know what not to store in your garage for safety reasons: 

• Paint: Extreme heat and cold can damage paint: unless your garage is heated, it’s better stored in the basement.

• Pet Food: Raccoons and other animals will smell it and try to get in. Store pet food in a sealed container inside your home. 

• Paper: It attracts bugs and roaches so better kept in-house (except for your paper recycling). 

• Propane: This is a combustible gas and should always be kept outdoors.

Dedicated Zones

As much as possible, group items together by category for easier finding and access. Keep all car care products together (oils, washer fluids, waxes, cleaners, rags). Same goes for tools, outdoor toys, lawn and garden equipment, etc.

Wall Storage

Garage pegboard and slatwall are a great way to free up valuable floor space for other storage items. Wood units are available, along with heavier duty steel pegboard and slatwall. Garage hooks, storage hooks, broom clips and rail organizers come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes for use with both systems. Everything will be visible, and they can accommodate almost any object of reasonable weight and size.

Overhead Garage Storage

Your garage ceiling is an ideal spot for storing long, flat items you don’t use every day. Just take care that any garage ceiling storage shelves or hooks are safely above your vehicles and won’t interfere with your garage door opening and closing. The following seasonal items are ideal for overhead storage: 

• Kayaks 

• Canoes 

• Folding lawn chairs 

• Skis 

• Christmas decorations 

• Artificial trees 

• Sports gear 

• Fishing gear 

• Ladders

Garage Storage Essentials

Open Shelving

Unlike a closed storage cabinet, open garage storage shelves allow you to see everything you have. They’re also easier to access (no door clearance needed) and can be quickly adjusted if necessary. Wood, steel and wire shelving is available in a wide variety of sizes and configurations to suit the layout of your garage.

Heavy Duty Storage Racks

You should have at least one heavy-duty garage storage rack for housing large, heavy items like tires, chainsaws, leaf blowers, hedge trimmers etc. These items have a large footprint so the more you can stack them the better.

Lockable Cabinet

You should also have one lockable garage storage cabinet for keeping fertilizers, chemicals and other toxic materials safely stowed away. You don’t want to risk kids or pets getting access to these substances.

Tool Storage & Organization

Consider adding a workbench for your garage, along with a tool cabinet, tool chest or rolling tool box. These units feature multiple drawers for storing all different types of tools and accessories. A long-handled tool storage rack will keep rakes, shovels and other garden gear together in one place.

Screws & Small Parts Organizers

Nuts and screws are notorious for being impossible to find when you need them. Add one or two part organizers to keep all your small fasteners, nails, and washers organized in one place.

Storage Bins

Open-concept storage also works great for smaller items too. Here’s some tried and true ideas to use: 

• Plastic storage bins make good tool organizers and are well-suited to keeping mid-size odds and ends visible and accessible 

• Modular bins allow easy stacking for even more storage 

• Clear plastic containers also allow for easy identification of contents 

• Clear jars are great for nails and bolts that are too big for your part organizer

Garage Bike Storage

Installing a bike rack for your garage will keep your bicycles safely off the ground away from your vehicles. Consider a bike wall mount if your wall space allows, or even an overhead bike pulley system.

How to Keep Your Garage Clean & Organized

Once you’ve got your garage organized, you’ll want to keep it that way. Here’s some tips on how to maintain a great garage appearance: 

• Seal your garage door threshold to keep out leaves, bugs and small rodents 

• Hose down the floor at least once a season 

• Keep a box of kitty litter on hand for absorbing oil and grease spills 

• Keep a broom and dustpan in your garage to sweep up after working on projects 

• Review your garage content once a year to throw out or donate anything you no longer use or need

Organizing your garage will help inspire you to keep it well-maintained. Now that you know how to tackle the job all you need are the right storage and organization products, and a bit of old-fashioned elbow grease.