Spring Cleaning: The Essential Starting Point You Need

It’s finally Spring, and you know what that means; Spring Cleaning! And there is no better place to start than in your garage. When the team at Home Method Co begins a whole house organization project, we almost always start in the garage. Why? Your garage is most likely where you are “storing” things you no longer need, and those items are always the first to go. This initial “edit” immediately creates the space we need for the remainder of your project. Why do we need this space in the garage? Let us explain.

Where to Start

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Any organizing project, large or small, always begins with the “edit”. It doesn’t matter if you are organizing one drawer or your 3 car garage. You start by pulling out everything. And we mean everything. Empty your garage by bringing it all out into the driveway. Begin sorting into piles; keep, donate, trash. The trash then needs to be further sorted into subcategories; household hazardous waste (chemicals, old paint, fluorescent bulbs, etc) regular dump items, shredding, recycling, and e-waste, as all of these will need to be taken to different locations. 

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Next is sorting what you think are donations. You will be surprised at what you can not donate.  Remember; mattresses, pillows, hangers, car seats, food, damaged furniture, medical devices, large household appliances, oversized and large furniture, cribs, broken household items, lotions, carpets, rugs, window blinds, all need to be disposed of, and can not be donated. 

Time to Sort

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After you have removed all trash and donations, it’s time to sort what you are keeping. Create categories and store items together. Examples of categories could be; sports equipment, gardening, pool, camping, kids’ clothes, kids’ toys, memorabilia, holiday decor, tools, kids’ artwork and memory bins, car wash, automotive tools/equipment… The list goes on and on. Each garage is different and unique. 

Once your “keep” items are categorized and sorted, you will want to contain everything. Most people would use the largest bins they can find, but we suggest doing it a bit differently. Use all matching bins of course, but in varying sizes. You want to make garage categories smaller and more specific. Use some large bins, but rarely over 56 quarts. These would be used for holiday decor, clothing, and larger items. When it comes to smaller items, use small and medium bins. The more specific the category, the easier it is to find things. Especially when it comes to tools. What you don’t want to do is have to dig through a huge bin just to find a hammer.

Don’t Forget to Clean

Photo courtesy Home Method Co.

Since the garage is empty, first clean the floor, clear the cobwebs, and maybe even paint. Once it’s clean, the shelving goes in. You want to take advantage of all three perimeter walls. Perhaps two walls are for shelving, cabinets, etc. and one is for hanging items. As long as you are using your vertical space. We suggest using clear bins, though some people prefer solid. Whatever bins you use, make sure everything is labeled. Let us say that again. Labeling is the final mandatory step in garage organization. The whole family will know where things go, thus be able to maintain your new system. 

Be sure to leave room to grow. Whether that means space on the shelves or empty bins. Remember when we said for a whole house organization we start with the garage? This is because inevitably you will find many items cluttering up the inside of the house that belong in the garage. You will need the space to bring those things out. 

Well, there you have it. The Home Method Co. home organizing secret to a spring-cleaned garage. If it all sounds too overwhelming, you can always call a professional. A team of experts will swoop in and do it for you. Oftentimes, in just one day. 

Here’s a handy Spring Cleaning Checklist, courtesy of The Home Method Co. if you’d like extra guidance!

Photo courtesy Home Method Co.

About Home Method Co.
Kim Salisbury is the owner and CEO of Home Method Co., a professional organizing company based in Sacramento. In business for over 16 years in the Sacramento area, Kim has also recently expanded into Silicon Valley. Home Method Co. is a proud preferred partner of Real Producers, both in Sacramento and Silicon Valley. Working with the top 500 agents in each market, Kim has vast experience with the interworking of the real estate business, and has tailored her company’s concierge moving services accordingly. Kim is 3rd generation Land Park, her kids are fourth. Many of you may remember her grandfather’s architecture firm, Stafford King, (her grandfather designed Sacramento City College, and her uncle many schools in the area) or her father’s handyman company, Stafford Home Repair. Her Mom taught in SCUSD for over 35 years. Kim is a CK McClatchy High graduate (as is most of her family) and her son is a freshman at CKM now. Her daughter is a freshman at Berkeley. Go Bears! Based in Land Park, but moving clients all over the US, Kim and her team of experts are here to help support agents and their clients by getting homes ready for market and handling your client’s entire moves, start to finish. Basically, making your lives much easier.