When you start working on organizing your home, two of the areas you most likely avoid and leave for last are the garage and the basement. Both places are just an easy place to have a build up of boxes and piles of stuff you haven't seem or thought of in years. If you're going to tackle these areas, it will be a good plan to get some large, strong garbage bags and start using them to throw out anything that you won't be using or needing. It might seem hard at first, but once you get started and come up with a system (throw it out or store it better) it actually isn't that bad at all.

Once you start going through everything and make decisions on what to keep and what to throw out, you can start planning how you are going to store everything. Containers are such an important tool in getting organized, so be sure to stock up. They will help protect everything from moisture, mildew, and any animal visitors that may decide your stuff is something to chew on. After you've got everything out, cleaned up, and organized into storage containers, now is the perfect time to give everything, including the floors and walls, a good cleaning before you put everything back for storage.

When sorting your items, do so based on how you use them. Maybe they are seasonal, or you have baby clothes and items you are saving for a younger sibling or cousin, or maybe you've got some items of value to you emotionally and can't stand to throw them out? A good idea is to label these types of things so they can be easily found or at least put them at the front of your storage area so you don't have to dig to find them.

You may have some things that you need to store but will have to get them from time to time. It is a good idea to store these items where you can get to them easily, like on shelves or in cabinets. You can purchase plenty of different types of storage units that you put together yourself and they work great in a garage or basement as they are usually made of metal or plastic and are very durable for years of service.

You can do the same thing when organizing your garage and store everything according to how it's use and when you'll need it. Create a system so that you can rotate seasonal items to where you can get them easily. Over-head storage shelves made just for garages are a great idea and help but make sure it will work ok with your garage door before you go out and invest in one.

Many items, like tools, can be organized on a pegboard, where it is very easy to customize the space, by arranging hooks to fit you needs. This helps clear up space on workbenches, as well.

Used baby food jars and a thick shelf on the wall is a favorite old time nut and bolt organizing solution. Get a nice one-inch thick board, about one foot deep and two foot wide. Use an awl to poke a hole in the lid of the baby jars and then use a short screw to affix the jar lids to bottom of the board and use a simple pair of shelf brackets screwed firmly into the wall to support it at eye level. Now you can put your little screws and nails into the baby jars and twist them into place under the shelf. And you have two extra feet of shelf space.

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Get Organized Now - Ideas, Tips, Tools And More To Help You Organize Your Home, Your Office And Your Life!