Spring is in the air and with it comes the sudden impulse to tackle home chores. I'm currently out of town for the week. But when I return home, I'll get back on my chore mode again and finish tackling all my tasks! 🙂
But while bright, spotless kitchens and fresh carpets inside the home get all the glory, the garage often remains untouched. The result? An assortment of junk, tools, and toys that clutter up the space, making it not only unsightly but potentially hazardous. A recent survey by The Lehigh Group, maker of Crawford organization and storage products, showed that the garage is the least organized area of the home by a wide margin, with 42 percent of Americans admitting to either having never cleaned their garage or to only cleaning it once a year or less. This leads to a build-up of clutter and also broken equipment.
However, the task of restoring your garage to its past glory need not be overwhelming or expensive. In fact, with just a few hours and the right tools, you can easily restore your garage's functionality and safety, and your own peace of mind. If you're looking to tackle garage cleaning this spring, the experts at The Lehigh Group offer the following steps for clearing the clutter:
Gut the Garage: For the best results, start with a clean slate by pulling every item out of the garage and onto the lawn or driveway. This will help you determine the amount of space available for storage. Before re-organizing, take an extra-wide broom to thoroughly sweep the floor. Then, rinse it out with a garden hose.
Divide the Debris: Separate items into categories such as auto supplies, lawn tools and holiday decorations. Identify the most-used items and separate the rest into three sections: keep, donate, or toss. After deciding what stays and what goes, divide the garage into zones for storing each category of items and identify the most appropriate storage method for each - e.g., boxes, bins, hooks, shelves, etc. Keep small, frequently-used items like gloves and gardening tools at the ready by storing them in a portable carrier.
I recently received the Crawford Safe-Mount Mobile Caddy
to try and I really like the versatility of this well-built storage carrier. It's portable and mountable and it features a sturdy plastic bin for storing everything from spray bottles to weed picks. It's got mesh pockets for odd-sized items such as gloves and cutters, and it also contains a wall mount bracket to keep sharp, hazardous or flammable items off the ground and out of harm's way. Now, I don't have to search for small items in the garage- I have the very handy and portable Crawford Safe-Mount Mobile Caddy to keep them all together! This product has actually helped inspire me and my husband to get more organized with our garage. 🙂
Go Vertical: Another great storage strategy is to use the vertical plane to keep the floor free of clutter. Garages provide ample wall and ceiling space that can easily be used for vertical storage through the use of hanging shelves, pegboards, rails and overhead systems. Important reminder: always remember to follow all manufacturer instructions regarding weight limits when using wall hooks, rails and shelving
Organize Sports Equipment: Establish a solid game plan for storing sports gear and the family's fleet of bikes. Crawford products help with various types of equipment such as grip clamps for bats, and complete sports organization systems that accommodate hockey sticks, bats, balls, helmets, pads and more. For bicycles, cost-effective screw-in hooks, flip-up bike hangers and pulleys all are ideal ways to keep bikes up off the ground and out of the way while they're not in use.
Secure Hazardous Items: Place toxic materials such as lawn chemicals and bug killers in high cabinets or lockable tool chests to keep out of the reach of children. Use well-supported shelves to store cleaning solutions and vehicle fluids. Never store gasoline or propane inside the garage - move these away to a safe and covered outdoor location. Several Crawford products, from basic hooks and tool holders to specialty items are designed to keep garage and workshop spaces clean, orderly and safe. Most Crawford products are easily found at hardware stores across the country. For more information, visit www.crawfordorganization.com.
*WIN IT!
*CONTEST CLOSED* Crawford Organization wants to help you organize your garage by giving away one of the Crawford Safe-Mount Mobile Caddy to one lucky Hip Mama's Place reader! To enter this giveaway contest, just follow the Rafflecopter entry link below. This giveaway contest is open to U.S. addresses only and ends on 04/29/15 at 11:59 PM, EST. Good luck!
*Hip Mama's Place Disclosure: "This is a sponsored post written by me for The Lehigh Group. I received products for testing and for a giveaway. As always, all reviews and opinions expressed are 100% my own".
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Elden Gatley says
I agree that you should secure hazardous items. Otherwise, you have a greater likelihood to get injured. Additionally, you might end up getting sewed if a neighbor gets hurt.
Stephanie B says
It is a real toss up between our kitchen and our closet!
Leela says
My whole house. We moved into a new house that needs a lot of cleaning and work.
Angela Saver says
I would love to get my master bedroom & closet organized because I have a lot to go through & get unpacked & put in the right place!
Melinda Stephens says
I'd love to get my garage organized. Things just get thrown in there, but never get put away. It drives me nuts. The rest of the house is much better in comparison.
Anne Perry says
I'd like to organize the kitchen .
Cheryl says
I'd really like to tackle and organize our garage this Spring so we have room to park cars in it.
Natalie S says
Everything really! I need to do a good spring cleaning - need to really organize my laundry room and add some more functional features and also really want to wash all my windows inside and out. There are just so many of them ha ha
Diana Hatch says
My kitchen cabinets could really use some help
brittani adams says
Our outside!! SO much out there still from all winter and etc.
sara s says
We just moved... so the whole house needs to be organized!
Tandi Cortez-Rios says
I would love to organize my kitchen and my kid's closets, they are a cluttered mess!
allyson tice says
My garage! it has winter gadgets and snow stuff and toys all over!
Sarah says
I really need to organize my craft room!
laurie murley says
my utility room needs to be organized the most
Marnie G (Derrick Todd) says
Definitely our garage. It is a HUGE mess! We've let it go far too long and it has all of our overflow. It is definitely going to be an undertaking!
Kimberly says
I would like to organize our mud room. It is the first thing we see when we come in through the garage and it has become a dumping ground for everything.
Wehaf says
My closet is a mess and filled with clothes I don't wear, so I'd love to whip it into shape.
Nikki Strong says
I'd like to get the attic and the garage organized this year so that I can find things in storage more easily.
Cynthia R says
I need to tackle my spare bedroom, some closets and the garage.
susan miller says
Never enough storage space or organizational materials.
Sarah W says
The closet in our master bedroom is out of control. I would really love to finally get it clean and organized!
Sarah L says
My garage is in dire need of organization & cleaning.
Thanks for the contest.
Michele P says
I need to tackle the spare room closet because it has lots of items I can probably donate and it is full! (everything tends to get stuck in there once we outuse or outgrow it)
Evans B. says
Our closets and the backroom that looks like a storage area 🙂
kathy dalton says
i REALLY NEED TO TACKLE MY BEDROOM CLOSET
Shareen Mioskowski says
The room I really need to organize is my bedroom!! I need to go through all the clothes and separate the old non fitting and get rid of them and organize the new.
Stephanie Phelps says
I would love to tackle our storage room and get everything like my decorations organized so I can get what I need with ease!
chickie brewer says
I need to tackle my bedroom and the closet... I just have so much stuff!!!
Tonya Atkinson says
Actually it would be a blessing to organize my entire home.
rajee says
love to oranize my garage so I need to pick up the gardening stuff easily
crystal gibson says
We have a spare bedroom that has become a junk room and is in desperate need of a good cleaning.
Rebecca Parsons says
For me my garage needs it. We moved in fall of last year and everything went in the garage.
christina moore says
I would use this in my outside building, I need to organize this building, I can not find anything
Sara Zielinski says
I would like to organize the kitchen this spring, it would be nice.
Hargow Wong says
I want to tackle the closet. Spring is here, it is time to put the winter coats in storage boxes.
Dorothy Boucher says
For the inside of the house, my bedroom.. outside of the house, my front lawn
Virginia Rowell says
I need to tackle my office. Nothing is in it's place and I can't find anything. It is time!
Marsalie says
our basement has become our dumping ground for stuff not used anymore. It needs to be organized in a big way!
Rebecca says
I would love for my garage to be organized!
Kelly D says
I would like to organize my garage because I can never find anything in there.
Merlin opop says
I would like to organize my garage as its very messy now
Marilyn Nawara says
The den really needs work -- it's the room that we put everything in when there isn't somewhere else to put it.
Katyann Marne Driver says
id love to organize my daughters play room it is generally a disaster as she loves cars, trucks and super heros so constantly small pieces every where
Rebecca Orr says
I need to tackle the bathroom. It is also our laundry room (I hate it!). So we have to have storage for laundry soap and toilet paper alike. It's pretty much like a war zone in out bathroom right now.
Leah says
Anything! I broke my leg in November and since I can't get around really easy, the whole house looks pretty shabby!!
Jessica J. says
We just bought a new house so the whole house needs to be organized, but the kids playroom in particular. So many toys and puzzles, balls, books, ect.
Kristie says
I'd really like to get my windows clean and other than that I'd like to clean out the kitchen drawers 🙂
Melissa B. says
I would like to organize my spare bedroom because I'm not even sure if I know everything that's stored in there.
colleen t says
Definitely my garage. It would be nice to be able to fit a car in there.
Laurie Nykaza says
I need to do my bedroom and clean out my closet too.
Rust says
My walk in pantry is desperately in need of an upgrade and organization.
Holly E says
Definitely, my closet. It's so cluttered and unorganized. Plus, I can't find anything in it anymore.
wen budro says
Ugh....it would definitely be the garage. It's pretty much a disaster zone at this point in time.
Kristi C says
I would like to organize the master bedroom closet because it is a complete disaster.
kelly tupick says
I really need to tackle my basement this spring. It has become a storge space for anything lying around the house that i couldn't find space for. It's become so clustered with stuff and it's where we have our wood boiler so this is space i really need to clean out for safety issues as well.