When a new year starts, often people feel more driven to achieve personal goals. If you feel that urge too, take advantage of it and do some home maintenance tasks. We always recommend a good decluttering session for the garage and attic. These are often overlooked areas where mold and pests grow if they aren’t attended to—not to mention that everything you have stored will be affected by these conditions.
In this blog post, you will find decluttering ideas for your garage and attic and essential sorting systems for organizing your things smartly.
Set realistic goals and timelines
This might sound a bit too much, but every decluttering session must have its goals and timelines. Frustration and roadblocks happen when you don’t have an action plan. Trace a map of all the zones or areas you want to tackle and define in which order you need to do each zone (sometimes, while you work, you need to carry or temporarily store stuff in different places). Also, consider that decluttering a garage or attic takes time, so you might want to divide the work into several days.
Create a sorting system
Every home is different, so we recommend creating your own sorting method to classify and organize your things. However, if you want the basics, try the three-box system:
Keep: these are things useful in your daily life, and we recommend you relocate them to a new spot, one at a more comfortable reach.
Toss: these are things that you no longer have any use for, and we recommend you donate or sell them.
Store: these are sentimental or seasonal items that you need only a few times a year or are too valuable to get rid of. Store them in a safe place, out of easy reach.
Remember that some things can be recycled or repurposed, so be sure to separate those items too. Reduce your carbon footprint!
Organize by zones
If you want your household life to be easier and your garage and attic to stay tidy longer, you need to put enough thought and strategy into your organization. Put everything in a place where you can find them intuitively. Most people choose to organize their stuff by type and uses. Some good ideas are:
Create zones for things commonly used together, such as auto care in your garage, sports equipment, and gardening.
Frequently used objects like shopping bags and dog leashes must be kept easily at reach, maybe by the door or on hooks in a wall.
Properly store bulkier items: use the corners of your garage to store rarely used, bulkier objects like snow throwers and lawnmowers.
Keep everything tidy
Follow good practices to keep your spaces fresh and tidy. Clear the floor space as much as possible, spray pests to fight insects, and maintain a good ventilation system to prevent mold. Most importantly: return everything to its place!
These are simple and easy decluttering tips for your garage or attic. However, every home is different, and you might find various obstacles and setbacks along the way. Don’t give up! These are tedious but necessary tasks, and you will enjoy the benefits in the long term. Remember that if you need help with your daily home cleaning chores, you can call eMaids. Book your service on our website.
