The garage can often be one of the hardest areas to keep organized around the home, because not only does it hold a lot of tools and outdoor equipment, it also tends to be the place where almost every item without a ‘home’ ends up — basically making it a dumping ground.
Extra boxes from a recent move? Toss them into the garage.
Random fitness equipment you haven’t used in 10 years, but you might one day? Goes in the garage.
Seasonal decorations that only get used once a year? Straight to the garage after the holiday.
We’ve seen some garages so full of stuff that the homeowners could no longer fit their cars inside, which sort of defeats the purpose. Right?! This month as brand ambassadors for The Container Store we’ve put together a list of organizing products that will help you optimize your garage space and tidy up efficiently and easily.
Getting Started & Products to Use
Our first rule of thumb for every project is to clear everything out of the space you’re going to organize, and sort through everything one piece at a time. Decide if you’re going to toss the item, keep it, or donate it. Once you’ve finished sorting, take a final look over all of the items you’ve decided to keep, and figure out if there’s anything that should be stored in another area of the house instead of the garage. This will help cut through the miscellaneous clutter that’s piled up and get things back to their respective places.
Once you have cleared the clutter and have a better idea of exactly what you’ll store in the garage, the fun can begin.
One of our biggest tips for garage organization is to use as much vertical space as you can. Get things off the floor and out of the corners. Instead use wall space. Here are a few ways to take full advantage of the walls in your garage:
Get a heavy duty shelving unit. Shelves help maximize wall space and provide a sturdy place to stack multiple storage containers. This 4-shelf starter kit is great if you want to add some shelving to your garage, but don’t need a ton. This Elfa storage system is perfect for anyone who needs a lot of shelves. We always suggest storing your belongings in airtight containers to help keep everything in great shape. These are some of our favorite airtight containers that are ideal for storing seasonal items, off-season clothing, etc. Be sure to label each storage bin with a list of its contents, so you can find what you’re looking for as quickly as possible.
The Ultimate Track Storage Kit comes with a multitude of different hooks that let you hang everything from garden hoses and extension cords to shovels and rakes. We suggest installing it at eye level. That way tools are not only on display where you can spot them promptly, but they’ll also be within reach.
For families with several bikes to store, we recommend buying the Elfa Utility Bike Rack, which lets you hang your bikes, getting them off the floor and out of the way. If you’ve ever banged your ankle on a rouge bike that’s fallen over, you’ll REALLY appreciate getting them off the floor. We love how simple it is to install and how sturdy the hooks are.
Don’t get us wrong, while we highly suggest using as much vertical space as you can, using floor space is also okay — as long as you do it well. We’re not talking about just piling things up and calling it a day. Opt for something like The Container Store’s Corner Double Tool Rack, which is not only less than $25, but it also sits on the floor, fits perfectly into unused corner spaces, and helps you keep your most used tools upright and accessible.
The Heavy-Duty Golf Storage set is another organizing system that can help maximize your garage floors. While it’s intended to hold golf bags, we’ve found it works really well for storing ANY kind athletic equipment. If you have several athletes in the family, you may even want to have individual sets to keep things separate and avoid gear getting mixed up.
If you’ve got so much stuff that you start to run out of wall and floor space, it’s time to go high. Seriously. This ceiling rack lets you safely add even more storage to your garage by taking advantage of that unused space up above.
The Container Store has an extensive selection of products to help you maximize the space in your garage, and we hope all of these tips help you tackle the project. Follow us on Instagram for more organizing tips and daily inspiration.
Thank you to The Container Store for sponsoring this post. All opinions are ours. We may earn a commission when you use one of our links to make a purchase.