Hey you know what’s at the end of your driveway? The garage! That’s right so this time on the blog we’re going to give you a little help when it comes time to spring clean the garage. It’s asphalt adjacent and any messes in there can quickly spill over to your driveway and cause some problems!
Alright so let’s get down to it – the right way to spring clean your garage. Yes, there is a right and wrong way! Here are a few things you can do to make sure you’re working the right way.
Make a Plan
Stop us if you’ve heard this one. You head into a room knowing you need to clean it. You start with the broom but then you notice the counter is sticky. Grabbing a wipe and cleaner you clear up the counter. While you’re here you think hey might as well take care of the oven. Before you know it it’s time to start making dinner and sure you’ve cleaned the oven but your floor still needs sweeping and your counters are only half taken care of. So, the moral of the story is this: make a plan and stick to it! First, what are you trying to get done?
If you’re looking to declutter your garage and free up space, have a plan on which areas to start with, where you’re going to move containers to, and how you’re going to handle any surprises. Maybe it means having new storage bins ready ahead of time to move stuff over too.
If your aims are for more of traditional cleaning, make a plan. What will you clean first, where will you move things to to clear up some room to sweep, dust, and tackle any spills or stains. Having a plan (and planned help if it’s necessary!) will save you a ton of time in getting everything rolling and completed in an orderly manner.
Decluttering Your Garage
If your garage is anything like some of ours, well, it’s basically a glorified storage unit! Packed to the gills with boxes, bins, tools, crates, etc. Decluttering your garage can do a ton to transform your garage space! Get your plan together, label areas ‘Keep’ ‘Donate’ ‘Sell’ ‘Junk’ and start moving things around. Start pulling things from shelves and putting them into piles. Before you know it you’ll have already cut down drastically on what’s to go back in the garage.
Pro Tip: Wear a Mask
Arizona is a dusty, dusty place and chances are while you’re working in your garage you’ll find that there is plenty of dust to go around. Take care of yourself first and foremost! Breathing in a bunch of dust is a surefire way to stop your cleaning efforts before they really start.
Sweep and Wipe Everything
Turns out cleaning is actually a pretty big tip when it comes to spring cleaning! Wipe down every surface in your garage and sweep up the floors. This includes any surface of furniture that is stored inside the garage.
The floor will likely need some more work, especially if you use your garage as a, well, garage. Car tires, debris, dirt, and anything else you’ve tracked into the floor means your floors could use some serious help. Sweep, mop, and use any necessary floor cleaners to take care of stains. If you’re truly looking to spring clean your garage you can’t just let your floors stay dirty!
Walls are another surface that could use some TLC, chances are. Get a broom or a duster and run it along the walls and ceilings, paying special attention to the corners where cobwebs may have built up.
Get Organized
After you’ve decluttered and wiped down everything it’s time to set yourself up for success and get organized! Take everything in your ‘Keep’ pile and really examine where it should go. What things do you frequently need to grab? What can be safely stored away for most of the year (Christmas lights perhaps?). Make use of any vertical spaces you have to store awkward large items like shovels, rakes, etc. If you are feeling particularly gamey you can even hang things from the ceiling such as bicycles to keep them out of the way.
However you organize, remember that the garage is home to a lot of dirt, exhaust, and more intense temperatures (and potentially pests) so storing them all away in proper containers will go a long way to protecting the belongings and helping stay organized.
With these taken care of you’ll be well on your way to a proper spring cleaning for your garage! Pair that with your freshly cleaned asphalt driveway and you will have set yourself up for success!
