By neglecting the garage and not keeping it clean, you’re just asking for bugs, dirt and maybe even mold to sneak into the garage and maybe even into your living space.
You probably know at least a dozen houses in your neighborhood where the garage is anything but a place to park the cars. It’s more likely a grubby space filled with Christmas decorations, storage boxes and, well, junk.
Tackling the garage may seem a monumental task, but getting it cleared and clean can improve your home and quite possibly your sanity. By neglecting the garage and not keeping it clean, you’re just asking for bugs, dirt and maybe even mold to sneak into the garage and maybe even into your living space.
It’s not as hard as it sounds to reclaim your garage.
Don’t bit off more than you can chew. Divide your garage into four, five or even six areas and tackle an area each week or do two areas over a weekend.
Purge and then purge some more. Many of the items we relegate to the garage are necessary items – holiday decorations, gardening tools or sports equipment. But it’s safe to say many items end up the garage because we don’t really want to toss them, but we don’t need them for day-to-day living.
Be realistic in your approach. If you haven’t used those roller blades in five years, you’re probably not going to start rolling blading tomorrow. And those scraps of lumber you thought you might need someday, well, maybe it’s time to donate those to your local Habitat for Humanity.
Give the garage a thorough inspection, checking for evidence of rodents, harmful spiders or other creepy-crawlies. Look for any water damage or mold and make the appropriate repairs.
And finally, do some sprucing up. Give the walls a fresh coat of paint or put up some baseboards to keep out creatures or drafty winter winds. Put items away neatly in labeled boxes or on racks and shelving.
Now, you’ll finally be able to see those vintage signs you put on the garage walls when you first moved in. And, you just might be able to use your garage for its original purpose – to park the car.
