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How to organize your garage By Melissa Erickson More Content Now MailTribune.com By Melissa Erickson More Content Now Posted Aug. 18, 2015 @ 6:34 am By Melissa Erickson More Content Now Posted Aug. 18, 2015 @ 6:34 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Professional organizer Barry Izsak likens the typical garage to purgatory. “If you can’t find a home for something or are not quite ready to give it away, it ends up in the garage,” said the author of best-selling book “Organize Your Garage In No Time” and the owner of Arranging It All in Austin, Texas. The garage ”becomes the holding place for everything you don’t know what to do with. It is so much easier to put something out there and put the decision off until later than to decide right now. Unfortunately, if you do this long enough, the thought of organizing it becomes a monumental undertaking rather than something that can be managed easily and you become overwhelmed,” said Izsak, a past president of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Instead of getting “blinded by the volume” of bike pumps and snow sleds, plant fertilizer and power tools, Izsak suggests that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to organize. “Create a system that works for you and stick to it. The best system in the world isn’t going to last if you don’t stick to it. Maintaining your system is the key,” he said. Visualize the goal Before starting the organizing process, have a clear idea in mind of how you want to use the garage, what truly needs to stored there and if the intention is to park a car in there — or not. “Once a person determines what the end result will be, then the organizing process can begin,” Izsak said. Start tossing Break the job into small, manageable tasks. “It’s not realistic to think you can tackle 20 years of clutter in a day,” he said. The first step of the garage organizing process is what Izsak refers to as a “gross sort” to reduce the volume. “It means making the simple and easy decisions first and eliminating as much stuff as you can as fast as you can. It will give you an immediate lift, a great feeling of accomplishment and help you clearly see what is left to deal with,” Izsak said. “This serves two purposes: It will better enable you to select the appropriate system for your needs and give you an accurate sense of what you need to create space for.” Take a quick look around and go for the items that can easily be tossed, recycled or given away, such as the baby stroller that hasn’t been used in four years, the six boxes of 10-year-old National Geographics and the broken VCR, he said. “Your goal now is to get through this part of the process quickly and make only fast and easy decisions. Now is not the time to sort screws or plumbing parts. If you come across a box full of old papers or mementos which need to be carefully gone through, put it aside and save that for later,” Izsak said. “You will be amazed at how quickly you will begin to see visible progress if you don’t let yourself get bogged down with the small stuff at first.” Create zones Because the garage is such a multipurpose room, it needs to be divided into zones such as sporting goods, workbench and tools, and lawn and garden, depending on your needs. “Choose a zone to start and remove items from the area. Begin to sort by type and size, so you can actually see how many hammers, screwdrivers and hedge trimmers you have. Then weed out the things you no longer need or have too many of,” Izsak said. Use containers to keep small, like pieces and parts together (nuts and bolts, electrical, plumbing, etc.) and label the container. “Select a home where you will replace the items. It might be the same place you took them from or it might be a new location. By containerizing and labeling, this will keep these items together and will alleviate the need to organize again in six months from now. Then replace the items in their new home,” he said. More tips For safety, consider the following: • Store paints, toxic chemicals and pesticides in a locked cabinet. • Store heavier items on lower shelves to prevent injury. • Keep flammable items away from heat sources and work areas. • Do not use power tools with frayed or tattered cords and unplug when not in use. • Wear goggles when using power tools, gloves when working with toxic substances. • Good ventilation is important. Keep the garage door open. Having trouble letting go? Think about this: • When was the last time I used it? • Is the item still useful and relevant? • Is the item in good working condition and safe to keep? • Do I have a logical place and enough space to keep it? • What’s the worst thing that will happen if I get rid of it? By Melissa Erickson More Content Now MailTribune.com By Melissa Erickson More Content Now Posted Aug. 18, 2015 @ 6:34 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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