May 2020 – Organize Detroit

Spring has sprung and it’s that time of year – your neighbor’s windows are open and garage doors are up, and yard work is in full swing. But if you’re embarrassed for your neighbors to see the collection of stuff your garage has accumulated over the winter, this article is for you! Today I am laying out my top organization tips for keeping your garage tidy all summer long, so pull those cars out of the garage and roll up your sleeves because we’re getting down and dirty.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you make the most out of your garage space!

Things get worse before they get better

Start with pulling just about everything you own out of the garage! This will give you the space you need for a good sweeping and spider web wack down.

Have the family on hand

A lot of what is in your garage can usually be thrown away or donated, but make sure you run these past their owners. 10 years later and a family member of mine still won’t let go of the snowboard his father threw away.

Have a designated spot for everything!

There is no reason for a wrench to be found in the kids’ toy box. Make sure your garage is sectioned to make finding what you’re looking for easy and fast. Here are some examples of areas you may want to have:

Workspace (tools, tape, nuts and bolts, garden supplies).
Kids toys and sports equipment
Restock items (dog food, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, food, beer/soda)
Big items (lawnmower, snow blower, weed wacker)
Tall items (brooms, shovels, rakes)

Switch out your snowblower for your lawnmower

Make sure to move your snow blower to the back and your lawnmower to the front for easy access.

Clear Bins: Easy to see what is in there and always use large labels

Try using metal adjustable shelving units.

These are super helpful to put clear plastic bins on. You can adjust shelves for larger objects and bins as well as keeping shelves smaller for other items that you don’t want to waste space with.

Adjustable Metal Shelving from Home Depot

Tool Peg Board

To avoid shuffling through a toolbox every time you need a wrench consider a pegboard.

Utilize Your Wall Space with a Tool Rack

Avoiding rummaging through a closet while your broom falls into the shovel, knocking your weedwacker onto your toes. A tool rack for your yard tools is an amazing alternative. Check these ones out!

Bike Hooks

Although you may keep your bikes on the ground during the summer, hanging them from the ceiling in the winter can be a great way to create space! Our favorite is the bike lift.

Make a Ball Corral

There is no reason to trip over a soccer ball while taking out the trash. Follow this blog to learn how to make a ball corral.

Can Holders

If you haven’t figured it out yet, using your garage wall (and ceiling) space is necessary for organizational success. These can holders will give you easy access to your spray paints, WD-40, Raid, and whatever other cans you have sitting around. Check out this one!

When it comes to organizing your garage there is no limit to how creative you can get, but one thing is for sure, you want to get as much of your stuff off the ground as possible! Have questions on how you can organize your things? Feel free to reach out. And if you use any of these tips and want to show off your new garage on Instagram, tag us at @organizedetroit.

Are you transitioning to a new work environment at home? If so, you may be finding it hard to concentrate or be productive. Your quiet workspace may now be filled with little ones running around and you can’t remember if you just set your notes down in the kitchen, the living room, or your bedroom. Luckily, there are a few organizational tricks that can help you be more productive throughout your day.

(Disclaimer: these are not guaranteed to help settle your kids down.)

Create your office

We know adding an addition to your house may be out of the question, but that is no reason that you can’t set up a small office space in a corner of a room. If at all possible, avoid putting your office in your bedroom. Use either a desk or table that is 100% dedicated to work. Position it against a wall to add storage space.

Try using a magnetic whiteboard where you can write and display notes, papers and other things that you need to remember and keep track of. They’re perfect for places like the kitchen or a hallway! You easily wipe the whiteboard off with a duster or drying cloth. With the SVENSÅS series from Ikea you can create a personal collage with memo boards in different materials ⎼ and change them as often as you like since they all have the same hanging solution and dimensions.

TIP: Hang these with command strips so you can put them up and take them down safely!

Need a spot to keep your essential office supplies (or odds and ends) but don’t have drawers? This 3-tier rolling cart works anywhere and still looks good!

3-Tier Rolling Cart from The Container Store

No file cabinet? No problem! These stackable tote boxes are a great size and they’re stackable. I love the clean lines…and they’re not an eyesore to look at!

Stackable File Tote from The Container Store

We hope these tips help you set your day up for success! Make sure to tell us which one of these organizational tools you used and how it has changed your day. What other organizational tools do you swear by?

Organize Detroit

Month: May 2020

Tips to Tidy Up Your Garage