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Cleaning out and organizing a garage can be a messy process in itself, requiring you to nearly empty out the space and evaluate what you've got to work with. Depending on the clutter and the junk pile up, it can be a quick afternoon of tidying or a long weekend project requiring a couple trips to the hardware store. Clean out the drawers, the shelves, and the storage units and start over. Don't try to a half-job by moving some stuff around and calling it "reorganized," even if your garage is relatively uncluttered. It's still a good idea to re-evaluate the storage space you do have to use it to its maximum potential. When you're getting started, pair like items with like items. How you choose categories will depend on the stuff you've got in your garage, but you might pair automotive tools with automotive tools, yard tools with yard tools, and sporting goods with other sporting goods for an easy start. You can get more specific as you start organizing. Set up a few tarps on the driveway or in the yard if you've got a real mess on your hands. This can help to keep the mess contained if you've got especially greasy or oily tools. If you've got a cluttered garage, it's important to get rid of anything that's broken, useless, or unnecessary. Doing so should reduce your amount of clutter significantly and make it easier to organize what you really do need more effectively. Here are some questions to help you figure out whether or not a particular item is essential to your garage: Have you used the item in the last year? Does the item work properly? If not, are you likely to fix it in the next year? Is the item valuable, or does it have sentimental value? Whatever you end up putting in the "unusable" pile, get rid of it as soon as possible. Don't take it to the dump "next time you get around to it," do it right now. Clearing out the clutter is the only way to commit to a more organized and efficient work space in your garage. If you don't need it, don't keep it around to take up premium space. Throw away broken or damaged items that are beyond repair and give away duplicate items or outdated items that you've replaced with newer models. You might consider giving away an old busted socket set if you've got a newer set yourself. Recycle scrap metal and other valuable stuff you might find lying around the garage. Consider a garage sale. If your garage is packed to the gills with old Halloween decorations, stacks of Rolling Stone from the mid-80s, and trash-bags full of kids clothes, it's probably time to throw some price stickers on the junk and have a yard sale. After evaluating all the usable items, clean them up as well as possible. Don't put away dirty tools, muddy soccer cleats, and otherwise compromised gear into new, neatly organized places. Spend time committing to clean. If it's been a couple years since you've cleaned up around the space, reorganization is a good opportunity to do just that. Clean the floors with disinfectant and address the dust that's built up over the years. Using a bit of acetone is a great way of quickly cleaning up old stainless steel tools that have been laying around collecting grease. Use an old rag and a small amount of acetone in a well-ventilated area.
Commit to a bigger mess. Start making piles. Distinguish between usable and unusable items. Get rid of the useless stuff. Clean up all the usable items.