A Complete Guide to Mastering the Art of an Uncluttered Garage

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For many of us, the everyday entry into our homes is through the garage. Imagine how wonderful it would be to arrive into a calm, clean space of tranquility and peace after a busy day of work or running errands and shuttling children to their various activities.

Unfortunately, the garage is often a forgotten, unloved areas of the home that is cluttered, dirty and disorganized.  So instead of being welcomed home to beauty and order, we arrive home to even more chaos. With just a few simple steps, you can rein in the chaos and create the space you’ve been dreaming of.

Step One: Consult with a professional organizer 

Cleaning out your garage is a daunting task, but you don’t have to go it alone. Hire a competent professional organizer to work alongside you. They can assist in sorting, donating, disposing of unwanted items and suggest ways to store the items that you want to keep. 

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Step Two: Formulate a plan with a professional storage solution specialist

Hire a reputable storage solution company to assess your organizational needs, come up with a game plan and provide the best products. Typical garage storage needs include a workbench for home projects, deep storage for large items and shallow storage for bulk panty items and bulk paper goods like toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, and plates. The garage is the perfect spot to store these items as long as the shelving is covered with doors to keep away dust and hide clutter.  

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Key areas to focus on:

Mudroom Storage

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When you arrive home, you need a place to store the items you’re bringing with you. A proper mudroom creates space for coats, backpacks and sports bags, plus a bench or two and a place to store shoes. In older homes, the only space available for this type of storage may be the garage and it is indeed welcomed! The key is to keep lockers, shelves, baskets and hooks neat and tidy, preferably behind closed doors, to preserve a sense of tranquility as you enter your home.  

Sports Equipment

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As the fittest state in the US, we Coloradans love our sports equipment. Bikes, scooters, skis, snowboards, skates, weight training equipment, hockey and lacrosse sticks, pool toys, tennis and pickleball rackets and every kind of ball imaginable—they all need to fit in the garage, along with a car or two.

Slat wall to the rescue! A slat wall is attached to garage walls and outfitted with sturdy hooks, baskets, shelves and sport specific accessories can help us organize our beloved “toys” and get most of them up off the floor. There are also a variety of  bike racks that can be attached to the wall.

Gardening Supplies

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Gardening tools, pots, potting soil and fertilizers, oh my! A slat wall is also the ideal solution for storing gardening items like rakes, brooms, weed whackers and tools. Ventilated slat wall baskets are ideal bins for insecticides, fertilizers and other plant supplements. Open shelves or closed cupboards are ideal for off-season pots, smaller gardening tools, gloves and other paraphernalia.

Catering Kitchens

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Believe it or not, some clients ask us to create simple (or not so simple) kitchen spaces in their garages to provide a space for caterers to organize quietly without interrupting the flow of the party inside. This sometimes involves a warming oven, a microwave, a sink or a stove top. But it can be as simple as countertops for prep work, storage below and upper cabinets for glassware and dishes. A dishwasher or two can also be super helpful.  

Creating order from chaos is possible! With the right systems, smart planning and a little effort, a clean, uncluttered garage and welcoming entry to your home is well within reach.

Polly Lestikow is the President of Closet Factory in Denver, Colorado, which has been creating completely personalized and unique storage solutions for clients for 34 years. View their profile or reach out for a consultation at 303-690-6901.

Sponsored content for this article provided by Closet Factory.