How many of us really use our garage for storing cars? Surveys reveal that only 30 percent of garage users actually store their cars in the garage. Mostly, it is used to store gardening tools, and other things that we don’t normally use. And while it is perfectly all right to store things in your garage, you should also keep space for its main function of keeping vehicles. Storing your vehicles in the garage keeps them clean and prevents damage from UV exposure, bird droppings, and tree sap. It can help prolong their shell life and keep you organized. Is your garage turning into a storage room while your cars sit outside and stay susceptible to damage despite having a storage room? Maybe it’s time to reevaluate your garage organization and clear out some space for your cars. Organizing your garage is not as hard as you think it is! There are a lot of ideas, products, and systems in the market that can help you clear up floor space in your small garage workshop while still having storage. Here are a few tips to turn your messy place into a tidy and organized garage with efficient storage.
Use Storage Organizers
The easiest and probably the cheapest way to clear up your garage is to use storage organizer boxes. You can store similar items together in a single bin and label it accordingly. For example, you can store your paint tools and cans n a single box and your garage tools like drivers, nails, etc. in another box. Separating your stuff into categories and storing them together can make your garage look more organized and your stuff more easily accessible. And labeling your boxes will make them easy to find. Bring in a shelf or rack for storing the boxes in one place to make your garage look tidy and clean.
Hang Your Golf Clubs and Bikes
If you and/or your family are golf enthusiasts or avid bikers, you probably have a lot of golf clubs or bikes in your garage. They take up more floor space than you can imagine. There are a lot of sturdy hangers, trolleys, etc. you can use to store your clubs. Specialized tracks, monkey bars, or hooks to mount your bikes on the walls or ceilings can give you easier access whenever you want to go for a ride. This can clear up a lot of floor space and also make your stuff look systematic and put-together. Hanging it all on the walls makes it easy to just grab and go!
Invest In Garage Tracks
Garage track systems can help you store a lot of stuff in one place while clearing up the garage floor. These track systems are designed to run the length of the walls and offer hooks and hangers to store your stuff. Some of these systems also support shelving and can help you keep those storage boxes off the floor and in one place. All you need to do is mount the horizontal track, then use the attached hooks for storage and even slide them around wherever you need them! These systems offer flexibility, durability, ease of access, and clear up your clutter.
Garage Storage Cabinets
A storage cabinet system can instantly make your garage look more put-together and clean. Storage cabinets designed especially for a garage can have separate cabinets for storing small tools, boxes, longer tools, cleaning supplies, gardening tools and supplies, etc. You can store all your miscellaneous stuff into these cabinets away from the eyes and yet easily accessible. Also, categorizing and separating your stuff becomes much easier with these cabinets. However, the true use of garage storage cabinets is to clear up the floor space and store away your clutter while giving your garage a refined, systematic and polished look. There are many options for the color, style and design of such cabinets in the market.
Sliding Shelves to Save Space
Shelving is another great way to save space and organize your garage. It helps you keep your stuff systematic and easily accessible. However, you can invest in rollout shelves and sliding shelves to save some more space. Rollout shelves and sliding bypass units can make more efficient use of your garage walls. These units can add 50 percent more storage for long tools and other items that items that take up too much wall space. Moreover, the clever design of the shelves allows you to keep your clutter organized and hidden away inside the shelves. This gives your garage a sleek and streamlined look.
Overhead Storage Rack
If you don’t have enough floor space in your garage for shelves or tracks, you can always use the ceilings! Use the ceilings for overhead storage by mounting shelves and tracks to it. You can build shelves to keep your bulky stuff overhead. Install a ceiling track system and simply slide your storage boxes on them for easy storage. You can even mount your ladders or bikes on the ceiling with hooks or hangers to clear up some floor space. Moreover, you can also hang your fishing poles overhead with a simple rack system.
Hang Your Tools and Ladders
If your garage tools and gardening materials are just sitting there on the garage floor blocking space, you can hang them on the walls or the ceiling to free up floor space. Hanging the tools and such on the walls makes them easier to organize and access when needed. Track systems or monkey bars are a great way to hang up stuff with handles. They give you a much more systematic way of arranging your tools.
Install a Pegboard
Another way to provide easy storage for your garage is to install a pegboard in your garage. You can use this pegboard to install hooks or small shelves and then use them to store or hang your stuff. You can maximize your wall space by installing pegboard walls and utilizing them for storing stuff like mounting bikes, tools, golf clubs, or your fishing poles!
Go for Open Shelving
If you’re not a fan of the closed off cabinet storage, try open shelving. Open shelving gives you the needed space to store all your stuff while still keeping them out in the open. You can see what you have placed where and access it even more easily. It also gives more storage space and open and spacious look to your garage. If you opt for storage boxes or organizers, you can label them for easier access. You can even mount these shelves on the wall to free up more floor space. This will make cleaning the garage floor so much easier!