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A functional and stylish garage not only looks great, but it serves a purpose as well. By maintaining a properly organised garage space, your vehicle will have the necessary space to keep it protected from the elements and locked up safely when you are not driving it. Continue reading for some garage organisation tips you can implement in your own home.
Install Practical Storage Solutions
Garages are prone to becoming a catchall for all manner of items. From toys and sports gear that your kids have grown out of to even more sports gear that does not fit in the house, there is an abundance of things that generally end up in the garage. Sometimes, you have good intentions of bringing it in for donation, and other times, you want or need to keep some of the things around. Regardless of the reasoning, if you have items in disarray in your garage, they are bound to bump into the car or fall down on top of it.
Avoid these preventable problems before they occur by investing in storage solutions. Start by assessing the area. If you have bicycles, regardless of how often they are ridden, they can be stashed away by installing a garage bike rack. This is an ideal solution to keep the bikes away from your car and make them easily accessible while saving space.
Next, look at the previously mentioned sports equipment and gear. Make space on one wall and install wall-mounted slats that coordinate with adjustable hooks, hangars, and baskets that will hold everyone’s gear and keep it off the garage floor and away from your car.
Create a Cleaning Station
So often, when you are in the rainy season or the winter months, you may forget to clean your vehicle. Sure, you might run it through a car wash to take care of the exterior to rid it of dirt, grime, and street ice melt. But what about the inside? Instead of waiting until the weather warms up and you can pull it out of the garage to address the interior dust and fingerprinted windows, you can clean it inside the comfort of your garage.
Create a cleaning station inside your garage to make the cleaning process easier and to avoid delaying this important task until the temperature rises once again. Keeping the car clean helps prevent unnecessary build-up and keeps the air fresher while helping the car’s interior look great. It also saves on replacing the air filter more often than needed.
All you need is a rolling cart or other portable workstation that you can pull close to the vehicle and then push back out of sight toward the garage wall when finished. Stock the cart with glass and surface cleaners, microfibre dusting cloths, clean work gloves, and a bin bag to help remove any trash left in the car. Sometimes, protecting your car is as easy as keeping it clean, no matter what the season may be. Remember to have a car vacuum on hand to hoover up rocks, dust, and food crumbs, too. Consider purchasing a rechargeable one that you can keep plugged into a garage outlet for easy access whenever you need it.
Watch this short video for useful tips on how to clean a car’s interior surfaces.
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Remember to Practice Good Habits
If you pull into a nicely appointed and well-organised garage only to amble out of the car with many bags piled in your arms, you are likely to scuff or scratch the car’s interior and exterior. Avoid problems by practising good habits no matter where you are. Take trips into the house to ensure you do not drop anything on the car or accidentally scratch the exterior paint job.
An alternative is to make a landing zone in the garage to unload items before transporting them into the house. This can be a small shelf located near the car or a more functional wheeled wagon that you can load up and easily pull to the door of the house. These seemingly small actions can help preserve the car’s finish by carefully moving your purchases and bags in and out of the car with care and planning.
Rethink the Lighting
Garages used to have a single overhead bulb to light the entire area. Sometimes, if you had a workbench, you might have another task light above the bench, and that was it. Make your garage safer and easier to move around in by rethinking your lighting situation.
If you do not have connections for more overhead lights, you can either DIY a lighting project if you have the required skill set or hire a licensed electrician to do it for you. Look for bright lights so you can see the vehicle’s interior and any other parts of your garage easily. Space them apart to ensure proper light coverage across all areas of the garage.
Also, consider installing a motion detection light inside the garage so it will turn on as soon as you walk into the space without needing to fumble for the light switch and avoid running into the car. It is also a good idea to install a motion detection light on the outside of any rear or exterior garage doors to deter others from gaining unwanted entry inside and keep your vehicle safe.
By spending a little time and effort in making your garage more functional and user-friendly, you will create a space you will enjoy spending time in and a place where you can store your vehicle safely and securely. Stop unwanted scuffs, scratches, and dents by finding a suitable storage space for garage items, such as bikes, sports equipment, and anything else you happen to store out there. Once you take on these tasks, you will be happy you took the time to take care of your vehicle by organising your garage. Whichever way you look at it, it is a win. After all, your vehicle is an investment.
About the Author: John Loughran
