If you are like me, the garage becomes a catch-all for everything in the house.  Benjamin Franklin once wisely said, “A place for everything, everything in its place.” As an inventor, you can only imagine what Franklin’s workshop looked like. With today’s tips for garage organization, you can get your garage in shape this summer.

Before we launch into all the great garage organization tips, watch this video for inspiration. Aaron from Canada takes you on a tour of his very organized garage. It is a workhorse for his motorcycle and welding projects. He certainly believes in Benjamin Franklin’s adage. I am sharing it because it gives you a great visual of what an organized garage looks like. You may not be able to tackle every square inch of your garage, but you might be able to start with a corner of it. Also, he is thrifty. He shows how you can accomplish an organized garage without a huge budget.

Organization Tips for Your Garage:

1. Clean your garage first. Ideally you will be able to clean out your garage. Find things that are broken, expired, or never used. Put things in a keep, throw away, or donate pile. Now you can see what you need to organize—your keep pile.
2. Set up zones. Aaron certainly has zones set up within his personal garage. For example, he has an area for bike maintenance or welding. You most likely do not requre the same zones as Aaron. Perhaps you are an avid camper or fisherman, then you will need to think where does it make the most sense to have this zone. Once you’ve narrowed down the different zones you require, then you can begin setting up each zone.
3. Within each zone, decide what you need to store and what you need display. For storage, utilize the heavy duty plastic bins. Label them on the outside for your own sanity. It will make finding things so much easier. For storing smaller items, you can use the grid system on a small compartment organizer like Aaron did for his parts, screws, nuts, and bolts. You can also install cabinets to store items.
   To display items that you need often, you can use pegboards, wooden pallets, slat walls, or magnetic strips. Aaron really thought through which items he wanted to reach for with ease. He displayed them, including his large miter saw. If it is going to be too big of a pain to pull something out from storage on a regular basis, then figure out how to display the item in a smart way.
4. Install retractable reels for cords. This tip is great for any mechanic, carpenter, or hobbyist. Retractable reels enable you to have the necessary cord at the ready and insures that clean up will be a snap. There is nothing worse than tripping over your own cords.
5. Be diligent to stay organized. When you set up zones, you gave everything a place. The key to staying organized is to be diligent to keep everything in its place. It takes time, but this diligence also saves you time in the long run when you are searching for an item for hours because you have an unorganized garage. Labels really aid this process, especially when someone besides you is working in your garage.

Hopefully, you are inspired by Aaron’s organized garage and ready to tackle your own with these garage organization tips. You’ll never know what you can get done in your garage until you try. For more tips, check out this article. It has 23 tips and tricks with photographs. Enjoy getting your garage in order!