The garage can be a hard place to keep organized and clean with outdoor toys, cars, storage boxes and more all coming and going throughout the seasons. The summer can be a great time to take advantage of the weather and spend the day outside re-organizing after the hectic winters and cleaning out a space that doesn’t always get much TLC.
Remove everything and organize it
A messy and full garage can be overwhelming to clean. The first thing that you need to do is remove everything to create a clear space to work with, only then you will be able to clean your garage completely.
As you keep removing the items from the garage, segregate them into piles. This will help you put them back in an orderly fashion. This will also help you to decide what you need to keep and what you need to discard.
One good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t used something for a while, then it’s best that you either sell or throw it away. This does not include tools like hammers, saws, drills, torque wrenches, etc. as those are basic home ideas that are good to keep around.
For the things you put in the “get rid” of pile, you can either have a garage sale or sell things online.
Gather cleaning equipment
To start cleaning, you will need brushes, buckets, sponges, brooms and cloths. There is a possibility that you might require oil stain remover, a wire brush, or floor paint if your floor has oil stains. Cleaning your garage in the summer can be advantageous if you can recruit your kids to “volunteer”. You get some extra help plus get to spend some quality family time together.
Clean the Fixtures and Hidden Spaces
Always start from the top and keep cleaning your way down. Years of cobwebs and other dirt may have accumulated on your ceiling and your walls. Keep a cordless vacuum cleaner handy so that you can reach the corners of the walls and the garage ceiling easily. You can also keep a broom with a long handle to clear cobwebs which are out of arm’s reach.
Give your light fixtures, windows and garage door a nice wipe down. Use a car washing sponge to give a good soaking to the windows and walls of your garage. After that, you can use old towels to wipe everything and dry it up.
Cleaning the Floor
You should start at the back and use a broom to sweep the floor. You should keep sweeping right from the back of your garage and sweep off the dirt out of your garage door. This will help you to identify areas where on the floor which you will need to double down your efforts on.
After sweeping the floor, give it a thorough mopping. If there are years of dirt, you may have to scrub hard and use floor cleaning agents.
Once the floor is dry, if you see oil stains on the floor, you can brush them. You can either use a commercial oil stain remover or a wire brush for this purpose. Once the stain is removed, it is easy to clean the floor.
Keep it clean
Once you have made sure that your garage is clean, don’t go back to cluttering it. It is a valuable space. You can keep a lot of things in it if you organize things in your garage properly. Once you’ve restored cleanliness and order to your garage, you’ll realize that the space can be versatile and can be used for several purposes.
About Ellen Biggs
Ellen Biggs is a garage and cleanliness enthusiast and writes at Top Ten Vacuums. She loves to tinker with stuff in her garage and has a quest for DIY activities.
