Unjumbl

How to declutter a garage in 15-minute zones

A garage is hard to declutter because it is big, heavy and full of unrelated things, and nobody is waiting on it. Splitting it into small zones makes each session finishable.

1. Split the garage into zones

Choose areas you could finish in about 15 minutes each:

• the wall hooks and hanging items
• one shelf, one at a time
• the floor by the door to the house
• the workbench top
• the side where the car parks
• the overhead storage, last

Start with the zone nearest the door. It is the one you walk past most.

2. Sort outside if you can

Move one zone's items onto the driveway, or onto a tarp. In daylight, with everything in view, it is much easier to see what you have, and the garage floor stays clear while you work.

3. Four piles, not three

• Keep: it gets a place, and ideally a label.
• Donate: working, complete tools and gear in good shape.
• Trash or recycle: broken, rusted or incomplete things.
• Special disposal: see the next section.

4. What needs special disposal

Old paint, solvents, motor oil, car batteries, propane tanks, pesticides and fluorescent bulbs should not go in the household trash or down a drain. Check your local household hazardous waste program for drop-off days and rules. Don't mix chemicals, and keep them in their original containers.

5. Questions that work for garage items

• Have I used this in the last year or season?
• Do I have a better one that does the same job?
• Is it complete, with all its parts and the right batteries or cords?
• Would I buy it again today?

More in 15 questions to ask about any item.

6. Stay safe

• Wear gloves and closed shoes.
• Ask for help with heavy things, and lift with your legs.
• Use a stable ladder, and don't climb with your arms full.
• Open old containers outdoors, and stop if something looks or smells unsafe.

7. Put things back by how often you use them

Things you use every week go at eye level and near the door. Seasonal things, such as holiday boxes and camping gear, go higher or further back, in labelled boxes. Rarely used items are the first to question next year.

8. End each session by taking things out

Finish a zone by putting the trash in the bin and the donation in the car. A pile left in the garage is still clutter, and it makes the next session harder to start. How to get a donation pile out of the car.