Five Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Garage Space

Spring is the best time of the year to sort through accumulated clutter and overhaul your organization systems (or lack thereof). There’s a reason we use the expression “Spring cleaning,” after all. As the long, dark nights of winter shifts toward warmer weather each year, it makes sense to see how you can optimize one of the most underutilized spaces in any American home – the garage.

While our service team may be better at repairs than cleaning, we’ve seen a fair few garage spaces in our time and have picked up quite a lot of knowledge about the subject over the years. Below we’re going to share some of our favorite garage spring cleaning tips and tricks with you to help you get the most out of your garage.

How to Make Your Garage a Better Place with a Good Spring Clean

Garage Living reported in 2018 that 47% of surveyed Americans can't park in their garage due to clutter. It's used as a dumping ground by many. If that’s the case at your home, the following tips should help you whip it into shape in no time.

1) Make Sure You Have a Plan

A lot of people have good intentions when setting about giving their garage a good old spring clean, but most have no plan. They just rush in, tidying a few things away here, organizing a corner over there. But that's not going to get the job done. To spring clean a garage right, you need to have a plan before you start, and you likely need to enlist some help (friends or family) to assist you, otherwise, it'll take too long and you'll lose all of the enthusiasm you had at the start.

So write down what you're trying to achieve, create a checklist, make a list of supplies you'll need, and divide up the tasks. After that, be realistic with how long it will take and pace yourself.

2) Remove EVERYTHING and Get Rid of Clutter

The first part of your action plan should be to remove absolutely everything that you possibly can from the garage. If it’s not nailed or screwed to the wall, floor or ceiling, it should be removed. Why do this, you ask? It’s just very difficult to see how you can organize your garage space when you’re just peering into a space overflowing with piles and piles of items. Emptying it all out allows you to clearly see what could go where.

This process also serves another purpose. As you’re taking everything out of the garage, you can determine which things can be discarded right off the bat. Got some old parts from a garage door repair that you’ll never use again? Dispose of them! Had your old garage door opener leaning against the far wall for months? Now’s the time to get rid of it.

If in doubt, ask yourself the following question: when was the last time I used this? If the answer is “years ago” it’s probably safe to say you won’t miss or need the item.

3) Leave Your Garage to Air Out

Another major problem garage clutter creates is restricted airflow. If your garage space stinks, this could be partly to blame. So once you’ve emptied it out, now is the perfect time to properly ventilate it for an hour or two. If your garage has any windows, open them all. And of course, leave the garage door wide open to get that airflow. You could even plug in a floor fan to speed this up.

4) Give It a Wipe Down + a Good Sweep

Now your garage is empty and has been allowed to air out, it’s the perfect time to get rid of any dirt and dust that has accumulated on the floors, walls and other surfaces. Start by wiping everything down, and then grab a brush and be as thorough as you can. If you really want to go to town here, you could grab your garden hose and hose the floor down with a special cleaning agent.

5) Give Your Garage Door and Opener a Check-Up

While your mind is laser-focused on improving your garage space, it's a good time to check on the condition of your garage door and see if any repair work is necessary.

It’s a good idea to give it a wipe down with a sponge and some soapy water. Once you’ve done that, grab some lubricant and check all of the moving parts are sufficiently lubricated. Also, check if anything sounds loose. Sometimes rattling or banging can indicate a more serious problem that might need require professional garage door repair, but often something just needs tightening up.

Next, inspect the entirety of your garage door and hardware, looking for any signs of rust, warping or other damage. If you spot anything, it might be wise to call your local garage door repair company to investigate further.

We're Here to Help - No Matter the Season

We hope this short guide inspires you to make your garage as functional as the rest of your home this year. If you require garage door repair in Loveland or any advice regarding garage door maintenance, don’t hesitate to call C & M Garage Doors.