28% of Americans spend over 7 hours a week cleaning up their homes. If you’re one of these people, then you may spend a great deal of time tidying up your garage.

Are you tired of spending so much time doing these chores? Wouldn’t you rather spend your time on your hobbies?

If so, then here are 5 tips for cleaning out the garage so you can organize it better. That way, you can make better use of your time.

1. Declutter the Ground and Tables

Before you start on anything else, first declutter your ground. If you have lots of boxes and other random things strewn about, it’ll be tough to get into every nook and cranny.

It doesn’t matter if these boxes are meant to stay in your garage and not to be thrown out; the first thing you need to do is get them off the ground. You can take some time later to sort through them and organize the things you actually want to keep.

If you feel like you don’t have enough space in your garage to get everything off the ground, then consider installing some shelves. This can make use of all the vertical space you have in there and help get all the clutter tucked away.

Do the same with your tables, as you’ll want to thoroughly clean them before you put your items back on.

A good idea is putting everything outside on the driveway so you can sort through them later.

2. Clean All Surfaces

Now that you’ve decluttered the ground and tables, it’s time to actually clean your garage.

First, you should sweep and vacuum. Make sure to not only get the ground and tables but also along your walls and ceiling. This can help get rid of old cobwebs.

Next, you should scrub the walls. Make a mixture of equal parts water and bleach and use that to clean and disinfect these surfaces.

For the best results, you should wipe down the walls with the mixture, wait 30 minutes, and then scrub it down. This is very effective for mold. You can also use this mixture to scrub down the tables.

Last up is scrubbing the ground. Mix together hot water and laundry detergent to scrub with. This will get rid of any tough stains on the floor.

3. Sort Through Everything

Now that you’re done cleaning the garage, give it some time to air out. This is the ideal time to sort through everything you’ve placed outside.

Make a few piles: keep, sell, donate, or throw away. Once you’re done sorting into these 4 piles, you can sort the “keep” pile even further into different categories. This will help you later on when you put everything back into your garage.

For the other 3 piles, you can either put them all in trash bags or plastic tubs. For the “sell” pile, you might want to take pictures of them in the driveway while there’s good lighting. That way, you’ll have images to post with your listings, all without having to rummage through a bag or bin to get the item back out for pictures.

4. Divide and Conquer

Before you put everything you need back into your clean garage, you need to divide it into different zones. That way, it’ll be easier to not only find the things you need quickly but to also keep it clean for longer. As a result, cleaning a garage won’t be something you have to do all that often anymore.

Remember how you divided all your belongings into different categories? Now, you need to figure out where they should go.

For example, if there are kids’ toys in there, you’ll probably need to slot them somewhere low so your children can get to them easily. The rest of your items should be put in the garage by both accessibility and frequency of use. For instance, if there’s a tool you barely use, that should go at the back while the power drill you use weekly should go in the front.

It may be a good idea to label these “zones” so your family members know how your organizational system works. Not everyone thinks exactly as you do, after all.

5. Put in Shelves, Hooks, and More

Once you’ve figured out where everything should go, you need to put in things to accommodate them. Shelves, boxes, hooks, and wall tracks are great for this. Not only will this make maximum use of your space, but it’ll also make everything look a lot neater.

Once you’ve put in the appropriate equipment, then you can start putting everything back in its place. You may have to make some adjustments, as what you envision may not always work out. However, with a little trial and error, you’re sure to find the right home for everything and end up with a clean and uncluttered garage in the end.

Use These Tips to Make Cleaning out the Garage Easier

With our garage cleaning tips, cleaning out the garage won’t have to be such a chore anymore. You’ll be able to keep it clutter-free so it’s easier to handle.

However, an even better solution is to have a professional cleaning company perform this task for you. That way, they can handle all the work and you won’t have to lift a finger. We at Rescue My Time Cleaning Service can help free up your time so you can do the things you truly enjoy instead.

While we don’t offer organizing services, we are happy to help you free up the time by cleaning the rest of your house. Request a quote for house cleaning services today.