Messy garage

I know how you feel. Garages are very hard to keep organized. I got lucky and bought three very nice big shelving units from a friend when she moved. She insisted she was not going to take money from me so I bought her a nice plant! I picked up box-tops at the grocery store that they send off for recycle. I placed the boxes on the shelves and put all our "stuff" in categories. Now everything is so neat and easy to find. Get you some shelves, Kathy! These are the ones I have.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Style-Selections-72-in-H-x-47-7-in-W-x-18-in-D-5-Tier-Steel-Freestanding-Shelving-Unit/999990408

I know how you feel. Garages are very hard to keep organized. I got lucky and bought three very nice big shelving units from a friend when she moved. She insisted she was not going to take money from me so I bought her a nice plant! I picked up box-tops at the grocery store that they send off for recycle. I placed the boxes on the shelves and put all our "stuff" in categories. Now everything is so neat and easy to find. Get you some shelves, Kathy! These are the ones I have.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Style-Selections-72-in-H-x-47-7-in-W-x-18-in-D-5-Tier-Steel-Freestanding-Shelving-Unit/999990408

start in 1 corner & every day work on it a little at a time

YOU HAVE A GARAGE!??? WOW I WISH WE HAD A GARAGE!!! YOU COULD DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS WITH AND IN ONE . YOURE A LUCKY LADY KATHY! Lol.... I was trying to sound encouraging.... But really you should be proud of your garage and all the many possibilities within all of that. You're luckier than me! I would like to have one and I'd make it my own.... So be proud of your garage by picking it up and fixing it up to your liking. Don't let it go to waste! Under trash and clutter! Get out there and CLEAN THAT GARAGE KATHY AND THEN WHEN YOU CAN DO NO MORE STEP BACK AND SEE ALL THAT YOUVE DONE FOR THE GARAGE BECAUSE ITS YOURS AND BY GOLLY YOURE GONNA BE PROUD OF IT BC YOURE ONE LUCKY LADY TO HAVE IT AND YOU KNOW IT!!!! okay. Good luck! Go clean !!! 🍀😜😁

Get some trash cans - put things back where they belong . if you hang a lot of your tools up on pegboard you could outline them with a marker so when they are thrower about you could easily be able to see where they go and put them back without any problem. I tried. Good luck

So is mine! Waiting for cooler weather to drag everything out and reorganize! Get help if you can. I have lined up a few high school and college kids (I have some lifting that I can't do alone), looking to make a quick buck. Paying them $15 an hour plus buying them lunch. Be sure to order an extra one time use trash and recycle bins from your waste service too if you think you need it.

LOL! You can it! You'll be able to toss things you don't use and are taking up space. You'll find "treasures" you forgot you have. You can make some serious money with the sale you'll hold.

Hello Kathy, I COULD encourage you to make sure you put things back in their place when you finish with them, but that poses the question: DO YOU HAVE A PLACE TO PUT THINGS? How about shelving? You could make your own with cinder blocks and wood if you can't buy some shelving. Use labels where things are supposed to go ;) Below are several links to help encourage you to either buy a place or make a place and then you'll be able to put your things where they belong ;)

In the link below I really like #s 5, 9 , 10, 17, 22, 26, and ESPECIALLY 27, 28 :

https://www.familyhandyman.com/garage/storage/24-ways-to-organize-your-garage-for-fall/

In the next link my favorites for garage storage are #s 6, 13, 29, 30, 31, 34:

https://www.familyhandyman.com/storage-organization/best-ever-storage-tips/?pmcode=IVBJJU103&_cmp=DiyTipsHintsNL&_ebid=DiyTipsHintsNL9/15/2017&_mid=168289&ehid=f9f10a9e7f4b891b913047352d9af6737b97d739

And I believe THIS is my favorite link (I like over half the suggestions!) :

https://www.familyhandyman.com/garage/storage/reclaim-your-garage-organize-it/

With some imagination and some self discipline you CAN OWN your space and your belongings (instead of them owning you by stealing your time and happiness with the clutter) If you keep your space organized you will find your things faster which will give you more time and you will feel better in the long run about everything, including yourself ;)

Thank you for using HOMETALK for organizational ideas, and good luck :)

I got some kitchen and bathroom cupboards for nothing. I put them up in the garage. I even use one for those big pots and pans that refuse to fit in the cupboard with everything else or aren't used that often. I keep small things in the bathroom cupboards as they are not deep and will keep a lot of things like boxes of nails, screws, exacto knives, all kinds of things. It keeps them from getting "lost" in the jungle of shelves. Start in one corner, go through everything and throw away the junk, put tools in one box, paint in one box, etc. to put away later. Don't do it all at once, do it in sections that are reasonable. Once you go through and throw away all the junk, you can decide where you want to put things. Use the metal shelves, or put up your own. Try to organize by putting all paints, etc. together in one spot, with the most frequently used front and center where you can get at them. You soon will have the garage cleaned and organized and you probably won't even recognize it when it's done. Just remember to put things away when used. You can do this, if I can do it, so can you! Now if I could just get hubby to put things away, maybe I will be able to find things again!

thank you for taking the time to answer my question - you have been most helpful.

Thank you so much. I will try to be more tidy after I get the job done.