Does a trip to the garage fill you with trepidation? That mound of disorganised stuff gradually slumping towards the door, with the gadget you want buried somewhere under the bits of bikes, old paint tins and unmentionable remains of something.
Bite the bullet and follow these handy tips to revolutionise your garage management.
Clear the Clutter
Start by preparing for a visit to the refuse tip and group recycling items into similar materials and get some large strong bin bags. Be ruthless – if you haven’t used it since your last clearout, do you really need it?
Storage
Invest in storage and clear strong crates so you can see what’s in them, or label the boxes that you have for a cheaper solution. Try https://www.rackzone.ie/shelving/industrial-residential-shelving for some creative, compact and useful ideas. Group similar items together and small items such as nails, screws and hooks will fit nicely into one of those divided plastic boxes so you can actually lay your hands on the right size of screw.
Appropriate Usage Areas
Create zones for different uses so that you have, for example, all the garden tools in one place and the power tools together near the work bench. This will help you make your garage a better place to work in by giving space and access to tools for the matter in hand.
Use the Walls
Garages usually have plenty of uninterrupted wall space, so invest in industrial shelving in Ireland – it’s mainly for commercial use but very good for garage storage so you can see where items are. The top shelves can be used for the light-usage items such as the Xmas decorations, whilst the heavy items can be stored at the bottom to save your back and decanted as required on the floor.
Hang ‘Em High
Garages often have unboarded ceilings, so there is a lot of scope to hang long items such as stepladders and ropes from the rafters. There are some specifically designed hooks for hanging bikes that keep them off the floor which can be a real help. For other neat storage ideas, try https://www.pinterest.co.uk/explore/garage-storage/?lp=true.
A good clearout, good storage solutions and a tidy mind should bring your garage into a usable and pleasant state to work in with everything at your finger tips and no dangerous hazards to negotiate.