How to Organize Your Garage for Summer

As the temperatures rise, the birds start chirping, and the flowers begin to bloom, it is a sure sign that spring is in the air! The changing weather signals that it is time for a seasonal changeover in the garage. Put away the shovels and snow blowers and get out the bikes, scooters, lawnmowers, gardening gloves, etc. The easiest way to ensure a smooth transition between the seasons is to have storage space dedicated to seasonal items. Then when you are switching seasons, you can empty everything out for the upcoming season and place all of the out-of-season items in this storage space. This can be a corner in the basement, a shed, or even overhead storage in the garage. Schedule Time - Set aside a day when you are expecting good weather. Make it a family project and get everyone involved. Have boxes for donation items and garbage bags for trash on hand in case you need them. If you are anticipating items for donation, schedule your favorite charity to come and pick-up your donation items a couple of days later. Identify Winter Items - Pinpoint all winter things and group them together in the driveway. Clean - Now that these things are out, take a few minutes to clean your garage before bringing in your summer belongings. Sort - This changeover is a great time to donate unused items, fix broken things, and clean up the belongings you intend to keep. Before storing your winter things, make a decision - toss, donate or keep. If it is toss, put it right in the garbage. If it is donate, put it right into the box, and if it is keep, it goes to storage. Gather Summer Items - Bring out all of your summer things and put them in the garage. If you don't already have "homes" for these items, then take a minute and designate areas, or zones, for your various categories (e.g. sports equipment, tools, gardening, lawn care, car care, etc.). The saying "a place for everything and everything in its place" applies to every room in your house... including the garage. Consider the following:

• Utilize wall space to maximize floor space.
• Think vertical. Shelving, StorWall, or grid systems allow you to take advantage of the vertical space, and gets things off the floor.
• Hooks are great and very inexpensive. They can be used for such items as rakes, bikes, cords, hoses and lawn chairs.
• Explore specialized garage organization products for things like sports equipment, golf clubs, bikes, and lawn & garden. These products will make your life easier and help protect your belongings.
• Don't ignore the ceiling. You can hang a rack from the ceiling to hold off-season items such as Christmas decorations, boats, picnic tables, etc. You can also hang bikes or ladders from the ceiling.
• If you have kids or pets, store chemicals up high or in locked cabinets.

Put It All Back Together - Shop for any needed garage organization products and install if necessary. Put your summer things in their new designated locations, and label any boxes or containers. Place your winter items in the designated seasonal storage space. Now that you have completed your seasonal changeover, put the donation boxes out for pickup, the trash bags in the bin, and sit outside and enjoy a cold glass of lemonade.