Inspired by a listener’s request, this episode tackles the common challenge of garage clutter. Garages often become catch-alls for things we might need someday and tend to fill every inch of space, including inherited or leftover items.
I share two main methods to organize your garage:
- All at once: Dedicate a full day or weekend to completely clear out, reduce, sort, reduce again (to remove duplicates), arrange, and maintain. (But don’t start with this huge project if you’re new to organizing!)
- Piecemeal: Break it down by categories (tools, sports gear, gardening, seasonal décor, etc.) or by physical sections (walls, middle space) and tackle one part at a time.
Key tips:
- Use a “Reduce, Reduce, Arrange, Maintain” process to declutter twice—before and after grouping items.
- Ask yourself simple questions to decide what to keep, like “Have I used this in the past year?” or “Would I buy it again?”
- Arrange items by frequency of use (A = daily, B = often, C = rarely) and assign them to matching garage spaces (easy-to-reach spots for A items, high shelves for C).
- Maintain organization through regular resets, space limits (keep categories contained), questioning new items before bringing them in, and a “one in, one out” rule to avoid clutter buildup.
With these steps, your garage can become a functional, manageable space—not a dreaded storage dump!