Garage & Attic Cleanouts - Knoxville, TN

Benefits of Keeping Your Garage Clean

A garage is an excellent feature for any home. In most cases, it provides a place to store a vehicle safely. Whether that vehicle is a car, motorcycle, boat, or other means of transportation, a garage keeps it secure and protected from the weather. For some people, a garage is a workshop or storage facility. No matter what a garage is used for, maximize its usefulness by keeping it neat and orderly.

1. Improved Storage Space

Like any storage facility, a well-organized garage makes the most of the space. If unused items are left on the floor, they make that space unavailable. Don't think of the garage floor as the storage space. Make use of the walls for storage, not the floor.

Putting a car in the garage is difficult if a bicycle and yard tools are on the floor. Rakes, shovels, brooms, or hand tools propped up against walls or piled in a corner are an inefficient use of space. Boxes of seasonal decorations may look tidy sitting in the corner of the garage, but they are wasting space if they are all on the floor.

Adding simple storage features, like shelves, hooks, and pegs, can get items off the floor and make the most of available space. A ten-foot section of wall with six-foot high shelves provides 60 square feet of storage! Steel, wood, or plastic shelving can get boxes off the floor and up where they are easy to see and access. Cabinets with doors will give the space a cleaner look. Hooks and pegs, placed strategically on a wall, can keep yard tools and bicycles out of the way and ready to use.

2. Increased Safety

A cluttered garage can be a safety hazard. Someone's foot is bound to get tangled in an extension cord or hose lying on the floor. Yard tools or ladders propped against a wall are prone to falling. A pile of boxes or storage totes stacked in a corner can tip and fall. Remember that you may need the tools in the garage in the event of a power failure or other emergency. Keeping the floor clear of clutter will make it safer to navigate in poor light.

Avoid tripping hazards by hanging hoses and extension cords on hooks. Keep tall tools from falling on you or your car. Hang them on pegs or hooks. Eliminate stacked boxes and totes by storing them side by side on shelving. Be sure to fasten the shelving to the wall so it can not fall.

Another hazard in a cluttered garage is forgotten chemicals. The packaging of household chemicals can be damaged or degraded over time. This can result in leaks or spills. Fumes from such materials can lead to dangerous vapors in the house or even a fire. Keep chemicals safely on a shelf so they can be monitored.

3. Saves You Time

Don't waste time looking for the items you need. Every utensil in the kitchen has a designated spot. The garage should be the same. Every tool should have a hook. Every box should have its place on the shelf.

When working on a project, avoid the frustration of hunting for a tool you know is there — somewhere. When a pipe leaks in the house, don't waste precious seconds looking for the pipe wrench. It's right where it should be — hanging on the tool wall.

Make the best of your garage space. Use hooks, pegs, and shelves to maximize storage. You will make the area safer and more efficient at the same time.