Discover how to clear-out, clean, and organise your garage with shelving units.
Without realising, most of us have a makeshift tip right inside our homes. We have a space we fill with the things we don't know what to do with and forget about once the doors jammed shut. We are, of course, talking about the garage.
If this sounds like yours, don't worry, you're not alone. Let's take a look at some stats:
Why is this a problem? In short, the garage is a prime and practical space you can use to store home and garden essentials. When it's tidy, it can reinvent your entire home.
To make your space as functional as possible, follow our simple steps to snatch your garage from the jaws of clutter and maximise your floor space. We'll cover:
- What you'll need to get started
- How to clean out your garage
- How to sort through your clutter
- How to designate zones
- Finding the best storage solutions
Let's get started.
Cleaning out your garage
Get prepared
Before you declare war on your garage mess, you'll need a few things.
Start with some storage boxes to sort your stuff into categories - you can also get some labels for your crates; this will save you time and make things easier later.
You'll also need some cleaning equipment like antibacterial wipes, cloths, disinfectant spray, a mop & bucket, and rubber gloves.
If you have larger, heavier items that need moving, consider a sack trolley or truck to help get things around more easily. Our telescopic lightweight sack truck, and heavy duty twin handle sack truck are perfect for this.
De-cluttering the garage can feel overwhelming, so you should try to recruit some helpers - whether it's family, friends, neighbours, or anyone who loves a good cleanout. Getting some help will speed things up and might even make it fun!
Clear out your garage.
Now, it's time to cleanse your garage and throw away the bikes you out-grew years ago.
First, it's best to get your car out on the drive if possible (if it still fits in your garage, that is!) and keeps the door up; so you have a nice open space to work and lay everything out in the garden.
Next, you'll want to get everything out and sort it into piles of things you want to keep, sell on sites like Gumtree, donate to charities such as the British Heart Foundation, give to friends, and stuff you need to throw away. Place these into your labelled boxes to avoid things getting mixed up.
Finally, remember to recycle what you can!
Have a good clean
It's a good idea to give everything a once-over while it's empty - this can help prevent a build-up of mould and remove any cobwebs before you put things back.
Start by dusting down the tops of your cabinets, ledges, and fridge if you have one. Then, wipe your garage walls and the doors with a cloth and antibacterial spray. Next, sweep the floor. Finish things off by cleaning the floor with a mop.
If you want to give the walls a fresh coat of paint, now is the time!
How to organise your garage
Plan your layout
Now, you'll only have the things you're keeping for your refreshed garage space, and it's time to think about where they will go.
By splitting your garage into zones, you can maximise organisation. For example, you can allocate spaces to your gym stuff, DIY, household items, gardening tools, camping equipment, food storage, etc. It's best to store things you use together, together.
Top tips:
- Think about convenience - keep the things you use most often near the door so you can grab them on the go (bikes, gardening tools, pet food etc.). Things like the Christmas tree and Halloween decorations can go in hard-to-reach places.
Before you buy storage, take this opportunity to note down your garage dimensions and how much space your car takes up. You'll want to leave a little space around your car, so you can get in and out without knocking anything over. Doing this will also give you a clear idea of how much room you have to work with when putting everything back in.
Finding the right garage shelving
Now that you've gotten rid of the clutter, it's time to start thinking about storage. Of course, storing things on the floor is a no-go. When it comes to keeping things organised and freeing up space, nothing does the job better than some garage shelving.
Shelving units store your boxes, paint cans, books, golf clubs, and all your frequently used items in your garage. They come with 5-Tiers of adjustable shelves that help keep your things neat and easy to find.
Finding the right storage shelves for your garage depends on a few things, like:
- The size of your garage
- How much do you have to store
- How much do you want to spend?
Luckily, the Rhino Racking garage shelving range covers you no matter your requirements.
What shelving units will best-fit my space?
If you've got a smaller house where space is at a premium, or you're working on a budget, some slimline shelving will do the trick. For those dealing with a mountain of clutter, we have extra deep racking or widespan shelves that give you more storage space per tier. Do you have bulky things to stack? Do worry; we have heavy-duty shelving to provide the extra muscle.
If your garage has poor airflow, is humid, or is prone to mould, we have galvanised shelving with anti-corrosion galvanised steel frames.
To keep things simple, we engineer our units with easy-build designs so you can get them up in no time. Our products are also fully adjustable and can be customised to suit your space, whether you need to alter shelf height, add or remove tiers, or split your unit into two smaller racks.
Shelving units can be freestanding or attached to walls using bolts; both are effective when freeing up floor space.
Finishing touches
Now that you've chosen and built the best shelving for your garage, it's time to get everything back in. Refer to your layout plan, and start getting your items onto your 5 tier shelving units.
Once you have your shelving, you're ready to get set up and enjoy the benefits of extra space, less stress, and more time to yourself (keeping your house tidy can reduce housework massively!).`
Where to next?
Now you know a little more about garage shelving, check out our other informative guides on how to get the most out of your space. You can also chat with our friendly UK team of experts who are on hand to give you impartial advice on storage. Call us on 0191 500 6000, or email us at info@rhinoracking.com.