Organizing and Cleaning the Room That Rarely Gets Love

“Hey we should clean out our garage this weekend.”
“Today is the day; we are going to clean the garage.”
“No, seriously, I can’t park in the garage; it’s time to clean it out.”

Does this sound like you? Been there.

It seems the jobs that we like the least are the ones that get pushed to the end of our to-do list, and sometimes even to the never-actually-get-done list. Cleaning and organizing your garage takes time, patience and in most cases some good ol’ fashioned elbow grease. The Maids take their 22-Step Healthy Touch® Deep Cleaning System to your garage till it’s clean and organized, but if you are ready to tackle it yourself; here are our three easy steps.

1. Get everything out!
Yes, I know this is the worst step, but in order to thoroughly clean and organize it’s important to remove the clutter. It’s time to start donating and recycling all those things you don’t need any longer. No really, get rid of it.

2. Clean, wash and dust.
Whether you use your garage for storage or for your vehicle, most of the time it is an indoor/outdoor space that accumulates dirt and grease.  Use kitty litter (unused of course!) as a garage floor cleaner. Cat litter will absorb the grease and oil spills, so go ahead and stomp on the litter to put pressure on the stain and grind it into the floor. After you are finished, sweep up the litter and your stain should be less noticeable. Scrubbing a combination of baking soda and regular dishwasher liquid will help lift the stains.

Once you tackle stains and remove supplies out of your garage, give it a nice long bath. A power washer works great for this, as does a shop vac. Since often times garages store cleaning supplies and chemical-based paints, it’s best to dust everything off first. Make sure to open the garage door when cleaning to allow ventilation.

One more thing, don’t forget to clean the windows. Dirt and grime tend to cling to windows. With clean windows the place will sparkle.

3. Install a pegboard.
A pegboard is an easy and inexpensive garage organization idea. It helps remove the clutter from the floor of your garage and on to the walls, creating more space for tools and equipment. The pegboard will turn your walls into functional garage storage and will help to keep it organized and clean in the future.  There are also a variety of hooks and add-on’s that hold brooms, dustpans and shovels neatly in place.

Now that your garage is nice and clean and ready to organize, it’s time to put things back in their place. With the exception of the car, start with the large items first. Put sports equipment in clothesbaskets or bins that will help contain them to one spot, and take up less space. Hang items on your pretty new pegboard. You’ll walk away refreshed and a little bit boastful that you actually cleaned out the garage this weekend.