Reclaim your motor space this spring. Who knows? You might even discover a bike or two in the process.

1. Clean for Spring

The first step toward an organized garage is to dispose of everything you don’t want or need. Make the easy decisions first. Trash that broken wheelbarrow, throw out those moldy magazines, and pitch the rusty tools. To help you wage your personal war on clutter, ask yourself the following questions about each item:

  • Have I used this item in the past 12 months?
  • Is it still useful?
  • Is it in good working condition and safe to use?
  • Is the garage the best place to keep it?
  • And the clincher: What’s the worst that can happen if I get rid of it? Be brutally honest with your answers, and your decisions will come easily.

2. Renew the Space

Freshen up your garage with new paint and clean flooring. Oftentimes, garages were not as carefully finished as the rest of the house to begin with, which makes this step even more important. Once you’ve completely emptied the garage, paint the walls and ceiling and scrub the floor with heavy-duty cleaner until all traces of grease and oil are gone. Improving your garage floor is easy to do and makes a big visual improvement. The new epoxy paints include urethane, which makes the surface more durable. Or use roll-out floor mats made of resin composite or heavy vinyl.

3. Create a Workable System

You can spend less than $100 on a wall mounted bracket to hang tools or thousands of dollars on complete systems that include rolling cabinets, an elaborate workbench, and even appliances such as refrigerators. Whether you invest in an expensive system or some low-cost shelving, install hooks to hang bikes, or dust off that old workbench, the most important step is to store in zones, grouping related items such as garden tools, crafts gear, or auto supplies. Then stick with the system so you don’t end up back where you started!

4. Lose the Junk

Savers, listen up! Here’s how to rid your garage of all the stuff that’s holding you back from getting totally organized.

  • Make an inventory. Identify what you truly value and separate these things— mentally and physically—from the things you’ve kept for years but don’t really care about.
  • Rent a dumpster. This makes it easy to throw away things you might otherwise rationalize keeping because they don’t fit in your regular garbage can.
  • Identify toxic waste. Gather all the old cans of solvent-based paint, lawn chemicals, bug sprays, antifreeze, oil, and any other chemical castoffs and take them to a hazardous waste disposal facility. Call your local landfill for the location of a facility near you.
  • Give to charity. Donate your usable items to organizations or individuals who can use them. You’ll feel better knowing that someone is benefiting from your donation—and you.

Caitlin Bricker on June 1st, 2011