Transformation Tuesday #22: Quick Garage Clean-Out

After returning from vacation, I quickly got right back to work to help a friend reorganize her garage. Even though this wasn't an area of the home she spends much time in, she felt like some things just didn't have a home. This was frustrating because she had to see this every time she had to drive somewhere because clutter was always right there.

In less than four hours, we were able to sort through everything from consolidating tools and extra pantry items to the utility shelf, finding a home for the bikes, and clearing out leftover remodel materials.

I personally think people tend to delay garage and storage until clean-outs because there's always something that turns into a chore for disposing or recycling. We came across a number of old paint cans, extra flooring, and tile. My friend had an almost full container of kitty litter so we used that to mix into the paint cans that were less than half full (handy paint disposal guide can be found here). I hauled away the kitchen remodel materials to Ballard Reuse. Everything else was part of a Goodwill donation run. As I mentioned in a previous post, you can outsource some of these trips to the transfer station or Goodwill by using the Dolly app - it's super easy and you can sign up here (and get a discount on your first scheduled Dolly).

And for the before-and-after:

Some quick tips on preventing the pile up of garage clutter:

• Break down boxes for recycling immediately

• Consolidate loose screws, nails, anchors, etc. so that they fit in the toolbox

• Review leftover paint, cleaning agents, and other hazardous items each season to see how often you're using them/determine if you need to dispose of any items