Are you a Garage Clutterer? We’ll give you some coaching!
Tuesday | February 9, 2016
You have a garage. But right now, you’re running out in the cold to get into your vehicle, a five-figure investment, which is parked in your driveway. Why? Because you treat your garage like a giant storage shed. Let’s be realistic! Why leave that huge investment outdoors, suffering damage from the cold, the sun, bird droppings, and tree sap? And don’t forget the occasional hailstorm, or how wonderful it is to hop into a scalding-hot vehicle in the middle of our Texas summers!
So…garage? Or giant storage shed? Get your parking space back! Listen to the advice of our own Coach McClutterson!
Coach McClutterson’s Tips
Who, you ask, is Coach McClutterson? She’s the whiz of getting rid of clutter! She’ll show you how to sort through your packed garage and get those things donated to Goodwill.
Now that you’ve watched Coach McClutterson in action, here’s a quick checklist for you to make it even easier!
Set a date, and make it a family affair!
Set aside enough time to do it right. And make it a family project! More hands make faster work.
Sort it out!
Sort your items into three piles: keep, donate/sell, and toss. Put your items in dedicated areas (tarps on the lawn or chalked areas on the driveway both work well). If you already have boxes, use them in the dedicated areas.
The sea shelves! (See video above!)
Yes, you probably have a veritable sea of things stashed on those shelves. And most of it you don’t touch. The garden gloves that are as hard as a rock. That extra old oil (hazardous – see below how to safely dispose of these types of items!). The duplicate tools and extra air pump for that bike parked in the corner, covered in cobwebs (donate!!!). Toss, recycle, or donate!
Speaking of toys…
Old hula-hoop? Roller skates? Exercise equipment? Baseball bats, gloves, and balls that your kids have outgrown? A bicycle (or two) you don’t use? You’d be amazed what you find in the corners of your garage. We’d be happy to take them out of your giant toy box so you can park your REAL toy in there!
Sometimes oldies are NOT goodies!
Old paint? That wood stain you didn’t like? Empty propane tanks? Lawn chemicals that have long expired? Since these are hazardous, they need to be separated into their own pile. The City of Austin Resource Recovery will accept most of these items: http://austintexas.gov/dropoff. The paint and stain can be donated to the City’s remix store: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/austin-reblend. Don’t live near Austin? Look for your city or county’s “Hazardous Waste Disposal” listing.
Maintain yourself
Most people have a lot of lawn maintenance equipment stored in their garage, like a lawn mower – or two or three, because they’re planning on “getting around to fixing that old mower.” You’re not. How about edgers, hedge clippers? Trim down all those extras! We’ll happily accept them! (Help us by emptying out the gas tank first and properly disposing the gasoline.)
Organize what’s left
Now that your shelves are all cleared, organize what you’re putting back. Separate what is stored on them by category. Gardening, house repair items, car items, outdoor sports equipment. Make it all easy to find!
Your reward – a personal parking spot!
Congratulations! Your giant storage shed is now an actual parking spot for your vehicle. Drive it into the safety and neatness of your newly organized space!
