TOP 5 Garage Organization Tips: Southern Illinois
Organizing the Garage: Single Mom Edition
So a little background information. A lot of people who follow me know that I got seperated back in Fall of 2020 and made the move to my duplex in November 2020. Moving solo and coordinating everything is HARD. Like really hard. So finding ways to organize, downsize and simplify are KEY! I truly took a massive leap and downsized myself from 3,000 square feet to about 1,00 square feet. Living in my duplex taught me about keep things in their place because there is a lot of places AT ALL! When I moved into my house I was blessed with A LOT more storage. Well needless to stay my garage has become a HUGE catch all for everything in my life. Toys, home improvement junk, hair extensions (haha), cleaning and cooking items, my deep freeze and MORE! This past weekend I tackled the garage project. IT HAD TO HAPPEN!
I am proud of myself for tackling this job myself. I am proud that I was able to say here is the problem and I am going to fix it. I was able to make my drop offs, sell some of the goodies and donate quite a bit! A garage clean out turned into a closet clean out and toddler room clean out! Let me know what you are purging next!
Clear the crap
As most of you know i moved about 18 months ago and then I moved about 6 months before that too! Moving is a great way to clear the crap. Things I recommend doing prior to a move is getting rid of everything you don’t need and HIRE a moving company like JC Movers and Lumper Service Inc so they can set you up for success in your new home. They are a great option when you're looking for hourly movers in Chicago . If you haven’t used an item in the last 6 months to a year it’s time to donate, sell or trash it! And that’s what I did in my garage this last weekend! I have a goodwill stack, trash can is FULLLL and I’m going to make a little extra cash too! Heck after two moves I found things in my garage that I still have not used so it was time to get rid of that stuff. Decorations, clothes, toys and more that had sat in a tub for 2 years that had ZERO sentimental value. The best thing you can do is get rid of it prior to the move. MAKE YOUR LIFE easier and the movers life easier. No one wants to unpack something they haven’t used in years to then store it again. I am laughing at myself because I did just that!
Photo Courtesy of JC Movers & Service
2. Tool box
So something as a single mom I have been working on is my tool collection! The current state of my tools is tragic! The shelf is literally bowing in the middle so I drove my happy butt over to Lowe’s this weekend and I’m upgrading myself to a fancy stainless steel rolling tool box! I’m very excited about this! I ran over to The Home Depot and snagged this set. I was shocked I was able to fill it so quickly with what little tools I have but surprisingly I have way more than I thought.
3. Good shelving
I can not preach good shelving enough! Sturdy industrial shelving is KEY! These type of shelves hold everything and up to 2,500 pounds! The best thing about good shelving??? When you move these shelves can go with you and holding up in the moving trucks! My favorite shelf in the garage is from Sam’s Club. I am so glad I invested in this one! Sometimes cheaper isn’t always better when it comes to investing in your spaces. You definitely don’t want to put in all of this work and buy cheap shelves to fall apart and break!
4. Place for everything
I have found when organizing having a place for everything is literally key! If you don’t have a place for it just gets tossed. Like currently my hair extensions are on top of my freezer! We have a lot of things to organize and multiple trips will likely be taken to the store! I still have some work to do and I want another BIG shelf but for now this space is feeling a lot more put together and not a complete train wreck. Keeping my holiday decor all together has always been super helpful for me when I am decorating for a season! Now adding in a toddler, his baby clothes, cleaning supplies and tools organizing everything is more important that ever!
5. Maintenance
In our to maintain a space that is organized you have to take care of that space. Putting things away. Maybe even a “catch all” bin to put stuff away at a later date! Taking 10-15 minutes to just carry stuff inside, not toss stuff in the garage, take your recycling more often. There are so many things I could implement in order to make my space work best for me. People may be like “why the heck aren’t you using your attic space?” WELLLLL I live alone and accessing that space just isn’t realistic for me. As families, as single parents we have to find processes that work best for us!
Make sure you head over to @caffeineuntilcocktails on instagram to follow along with all of my shenanigans in organizing a home for single moms!
It is not perfect by any means! But I am proud of this clean out over the weekend! Thanks for reading!
Thank you to MoversBoost. MoversBoost offers a list of the best moving software for relocation movers in America.
