But first a poem:
This is by Kevin Walsh, a 5th grader from Pengrove California.
A birthday gift hidden and never found,
A violin that never made a sound,
Boxes full of something or other,
Maybe someone's long lost brother,
The lost city of Atlantis,
Or a six foot preying mantis,
A couple million science tests,
Maybe Blackbeard's treasure chest,
A bubbling pit of tar and muck
Or maybe just a car and truck.
Think of a garage as just a large closet. So clearing out a garage is handled pretty much the same way you would clear out a closet. There are 2 reasons, other than the fact that it is ALOT bigger, that a garage seems more overwhelming than a closet. The first is that the "keep or toss" decisions are not one person's alone. In other words, cleaning the garage usually means it has to be a family affair. The second is that the garage becomes the "final" repository for items we no longer use and thus, faced with something we haven't seen or used for a long time, we are forced to come to grips with our hoarding tendencies.
1. Set aside a Saturday when you are expecting good weather and gather all the assistance possible. There is alot of lifting, toting and dragging to be done. You need help.
2. Make an appointment for your favorite charity to come on the following Monday to gather wonderful items you will be making available for them.
3. On the appointed day drive all the cars out of the garage (they are parked inside ofcourse) and park them on the street.
4). Have ready several large garbage cans lined and extra garbage bags. Lots of boxes; small, medium and large. Large stick-on labels and a big black pen. Cleaning equipment, broom, dustpan, rags, and, believe it or not, I like a vacuum as well. There is lots less dust filling the air if you use a canister after you have picked up the major stuff with the broom and dustpan.
5. You are ready to begin.
6. Start emptying EVERYTHING out. Just begin removing one thing at a time, As you examine the article decide one of three things: This is Trash - into the garbage can. Believe me there will be plenty of THAT. This is Perfectly Good but I don't use it, need it or want it any more. Start a designated area on the driveway with large boxes where everything for donation will go. This is Something I Will Use, now or in the future. Set this on the opposite side on the driveway.
7. Go through the whole garage making these 3 choices. Start in the middle and work to the outside, start on the right and move around the perimeter to the left, start in the front and move to the back; it doesn't matter as long a you go through EVERYTHING.
8. When you have removed it all, clean the garage. At this point you will probably have several neighbors over wondering what on earth you are doing and several cars stopping to ask if you are having a garage sale. Resist the temptation to chat, you have work to do.
9. Now you are ready to return the contents. This is where the organizing begins. My experience tells me you will find what remains begins to fall into certain categories, sports equipment, general tools, gardening equipment, camping equipment, paper archives, automotive supplies, household maintenance stuff (paint and brushes), etc.
10. If you are determined to keep your garage in order, and you have done some pre-planning, this would be the time when you would install additional shelving or new storage accessories especially made for garages.
11. Determine what part of the garage should contain the areas for the different activities.
12. Now begin returning the "keepers" to the designated locations. Put as much as possible in boxes or containers which you carefully label on the outside as to the contents. If an item does not fit into a box, be sure you put it into a clear plastic bag or other container which can be labeled so that nothing returns to the garage which cannot be easily identified in the months to come. Never put one item in front of another.
13. Leave the contents of donation boxes on the driveway for pickup the next day.
14. Take the many garbage bags to the side to be disposed of on the next garbage pickup day.
Voila. You are done! Take a well earned rest. Have your favorite pizza - delivered.
I hope this has been helpful. Good luck on GETTING ORGANIZED.
Karla Jones, your Professional Organizer
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