Organizing Your Garage Tools

Most of us have too much stuff in our garages, which makes it hard to find anything. You probably need to organize your garage. Professionals suggest you begin by getting rid of things you don’t use. Organizing pros estimate that fewer people are actually using their garages as car storage because of too much stuff. Perhaps you do too. 

Many homeowners have a storage problem with many household items in their garages. Garage organization is essential to keep your garage neat and organized. It will also help you find things you need easier. It is good to get organized from the start. DIY projects are made much easier if everything is labeled and organized neatly in your tool shed.

The Importance of Having Well-Organized Garage Tools

Garage organization tools are important for a few reasons.

First, it’s just nice to have your tools organized! It makes them easier to find, and you’ll be more likely to use them. If you’re like me and you have a lot of tools, it’s easy to forget where you put things—and some of those things might not even be in the garage anymore!

Second, organizing your garage can help reduce clutter. It’s really easy for clutter to build up in your garage if you don’t have any specific places for things. But when you have a designated place for everything in the garage, keeping your home clean and tidy is much easier.

Finally, organizing your garage can save time! When you know exactly where something is supposed to go, it’s quicker and easier to put it there than if you’re looking around for where it should go.

Tips to Organize Garage Tools

Suppose you’ve spent a frustrating amount of time searching your garage for a power drill and screwdriver only to discover that they’re buried under some heavy stuff. In that case, it’s time to organize those tools. Here are some ideas on how to do it:

Get rid of anything you don’t need

You will need a lot of time to declutter your home. Set aside at least a day, or even a full weekend, to do it. Go through everything in your house – including boxes you haven’t yet unpacked since moving in. Ask for help from family members and collect all items you need to get rid of, such as old expired chemicals and stuff that’s broken beyond repair. Put them in plastic bags – sorted by how they’ll be thrown away because things like household chemicals might need special disposal. 

Sort your items

When sorting through your throwables, grouping them into categories like garden gear, sports equipment, seasonal stuff, garage tools, and the like is best. Place them into labeled cardboard boxes or stackable transparent plastic bins you can use later as storage.

Create a floor plan

Don’t buy storage containers until you plan your garage. Take down its dimensions and note the size and location of doors, windows, switches, and receptacles, and of course, how much space your car takes up. Divide the space so it will be easier to find things and put them away faster. Here are some guidelines to help you assign places to store your stuff:

  • Keep items off the floor as much as possible.
  • Store the items you use together close to one another.
  • Place frequently used items close to the garage door.
  • Bulky equipment, like lawnmowers, must be put in corners where they won’t get knocked over by your car or bumped by anyone.
  • Seasonal and rarely used items must be placed in hardest-to-reach spots.

Determine containers and storage materials to use

Now that you know what you’ll keep and how much space you have, it’s time to choose the containers you will use. Here are some of the best storage containers for a garage:

1. Stackable-clear plastic bins with lids

Plastic box

Put Christmas decorations, toys, and camping gear in one box. You should also put cleaning solutions, chemicals, paint, and gasoline into another box with a lid. The lid will keep dust out of the box and protect it from water, pests, and bugs.

2. Jars or other reusable containers

Jars

If you need to store small hardware items like nails, screws, bolts, and studs, look for smaller containers where they can be sorted and easily seen. Simply reuse food jars or clean them out thoroughly before using them. Or, if you’re more frugal, you can cut tops out of milk gallons or laundry detergent containers and use them to organize your small hardware items.

3. Lockable cabinet

Cabinet

Don’t let your kids play with things that could harm them, such as lawn chemicals or fertilizers. Store those items in a locked cabinet. Also, store any fragile or delicate items that might get broken inside a cabinet if you were to sweep up a mess in the same room where those things are stored.

4. Open shelves

Shelves

Another option is to store your hand tools on open shelves. Open shelves are better than closed cabinets because they don’t require additional clearance space to swing the doors open. Plus, closed cabinets would give you an excuse to stay messy and disorganized with your stuff. As we mentioned earlier, closed and lockable cabinets are better used only with things that need extra protection from the reach of children and airborne particles.

Meanwhile, here are other space-saving storage options that are brilliantly useful:

1. Pegboard

Pegboards are a fantastic organizational tool for garages, especially when you have many tools. If you have a wall free for hanging anything, the pegboard can be installed for better decluttering and storage. You can install a variety of compatible hooks, shelves, and organizers to hang small holder tools for wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, and other useful items.

2. Wire baskets

These are good for items that won’t stay put on shelves and those that tend to tip and spill. They’re convenient because they’re lightweight and mobile, so you can hang them on hooks easily and lift them whenever you need them.

3. Wire closet shelves

You can save money and space by using these storage fixtures. They are cheap and sturdy and don’t collect dust like solid shelves. These storage fixtures are available in lengths up to 12 feet and depths of 12, 16, or 20 inches. You can cut long sections using hacksaw or bolt cutters than buying shorter ones.

4. Hooks and brackets

Use hooks and brackets for items that don’t fit on shelves, bins, or baskets. Tools like brooms, long-handled cleaning brushes, foldable chairs, and even bikes can be hung from the wall for safekeeping. You won’t have to work hard to install them, making them easier to get and put away. They work best on plywood walls, but if you can’t install them there, then find studs to hang them from.

5. Wall racks

Using two boards and a saw, you can make a garden tool rack that holds your shovel, hoe, rake, and other similar long-handheld tools. You can also make a shelf to hold all of your screwdrivers by using a piece of wood that’s pre-drilled and attaching it perpendicularly to a wall or cabinet door.

6. Overhead space

The garage ceiling is a great place to store long, flat items you occasionally use—such as ladders and sports equipment like skis or the tree bag. You can also put shelves or ceiling racks for rarely used items or other keepsakes. Just make sure that anything you hang from the ceiling doesn’t interfere with the garage door and has enough space from the roof of your vehicle to avoid scraping. Also, if you put heavy items in there, make sure the storage is sturdy enough – you don’t want any bulky items to ruin your car roof.

7. Store tools within your workbench

If you’re an occasional DIYer, a garage workbench could be important. But if your garage is tight on space, you can use a DIY wall-mounted foldable workbench that could tuck out of the way when not in use and could also act as tool storage at the same time.

Conclusion

There are many ways that you can come up with ideas for organizing your garage tools. You have to ensure that the tools are placed in an accessible area so it would be easy for you to get hold of it. If you don’t want any clutter, it is best to start organizing the garage with baskets and bins. Get organized today so that you can be more efficient tomorrow.

If you want more options when it comes to tools, you may read our Guide to Picking the Only Toolset You Will Ever Need.