HOT PROPERTY
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SPRING CLEANING FOR THE GARAGE
Spring is here, and for many people, that means getting into once-a-year home projects. This year why not add the garage to your spring cleaning list? If your garage is more storage space than a car shelter, here’s some organization tips.
Work when it’sniceoutside: While this is typicallyeasytodoinSouthern California, youdon’t want to freeze or work up asweat. Spring and fall areoften the besttimes to takeonacleaning.
Setaside enough time to do the job: If you haven’tcleaned out your garagefor severalyears (or ever!), chances areyou’veaccumulated alot. Be realistic about howmuch time you’ll need – one weekend is reasonable.
yourself: When wasthe lasttime Iusedit? Will I ever useitagain?Isitbroken? Makepiles: Keep, donate, discard. To prevent hoarding, the American Cleaning Institute suggeststhat youget rid of asimilar item for everynew item youacquire.
Take agood look at the “keep” pile: Sort items by type: gardening, seasonal, tools,etc. Keep similar items together,likebicycles and an air pump.
of the garage(recycling bins) and lesser-used things(fishing equipment) in the back. Buy stackable containers to keep the garagelooking tidy.
Label everything: Mark what’sineachbox – it will makesearching for an item much easier. Write on the sides of the container,not on top,so youcan seethe labels oncethe boxesare stacked.
Usemore than justfloor space: Take advantageofthe walls and ceiling to hold things. A pegboard can be the place to storetools,hats and glovesfor gardening. Install awirerackonawall for rakes, shovels,and brooms.
— CTW Features
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Empty the entire garageonto your driveway: As youpull an item out of the garage, ask
Organize thoughtfully: Likearranging apantry, put items youuse mostfrequentlyinthe front
Organizing your garage is a great spring project.
Photo by trekandphoto /Adobe Stock
