Garage organization presents some unique challenges: How do you pull together cars with toys, tools, sporting equipment, beach chairs, and cleaning supplies all in one space?

In most homes, garages are full of too much of everything and they become the dumping ground for your home. So if you've accumulated massive amounts of clutter, you are not alone. 

Before you dive into the organization process, you've got to have the right tools in place. Gather the following supplies:

• Heavy-duty trash bags

• A broom or a strong vacuum like a shop vac

• A catch-all basket for odds and ends

• And in some cases, gloves, and masks if you suspect a mouse may have made a home inside. 

Organize Garage Clutter

Do a basic cleaning and give the floor a good once over with a broom or shop vac. Also, look out for:

• Nails and other small items on the floor

• Oil or chemical stains

• Cobwebs

• Any evidence of furry or winged creatures that may have taken up residence in your home

As you are cleaning, begin the decluttering process by tossing anything you know you don’t need in the trash. This way you don't have to deal with it during the decluttering/decision-making phase of what to toss and keep. As with any organizing project, you need to declutter before you can organize, and that means dividing items into familiar categories:

• Toss

• Keep

• Donate

• Sell

Pull everything out of the space and sort it into zones. This will help you actually see what you have, including what's broken, what you've outgrown, and what isn't being used. A driveway is a great place for this. If there isn't enough room, divide and conquer by working on the garage in zones. Choose a corner of the garage to start with, or choose a type of item (beach, sports, small tools, etc.) and declutter slowly.

Not sure whether to keep, toss, trash or donate an item? Ask yourself when was the last time you actually used this.

Organize the Garage Into Zones

Organize your belongings into the following zones:

• Car supplies (windshield wiper fluid, anti-freeze, etc)

• Sports equipment/ outdoor toys

• Tools

• Recycle center

• Gardening

Think of zones like departments in a store, that way you know where each item lives. With this zone concept, you can think as small (three basic zones) or as big as you need to.

Start with the basic five zones above and then work outward from there. Once you have everything sorted, begin assessing how much space each zone is going to take up, and then plan accordingly. For instance, if you need a "beach gear zone," you can easily create one once you have gathered your beach items together and have a sense of how much room it will require.

Plan Garage Storage

Assess your garage storage space and begin storing items in their proper homes. Some easy ways to create more space

• Utilize vertical space: Pegboards and Hooks.

• Use what you have- find bins from around the house. if you have had mice in the past stick to covered plastic bins and add labels.

• Purchase the right products. Figure out what you need before buying organizers.

When planning your garage storage, don't buy an organizing system and then install it and see if it fits all of your stuff. Instead, take a conservative approach to storage planning. Start with some basic garage organizers, like shelving and the items above. Work with the basics and then expand out as you see fit.

Maintain Garage Organization

The last step is to keep this organizing scheme going by doing a quick sweep as often as you need to, whether that is seasonally, monthly, or even weekly. A good basic schedule is to re-organize your garage twice a year in the spring and at the beginning of fall. Rearranging what you need quick access to. 

Garages are high-traffic areas so it’s important to get it right for easy maintenance, but once it’s organized, it’s easy to keep it tidy. 

Happy Organizing

Jocelyn