A garage is a wonderful thing … if you are a car. Unfortunately, if you are a person garages can be a pain to manage and keep clean. Often times garages become a storage unit for everything you aren’t using and turns into a junk storage bin for years of unused possessions. Here are three power tips for doing your own garage clean out.

1. Organize and Install Shelving

You can clean out your garage a lot of times without ever throwing anything out. Organize first. Install some shelving solutions to get boxes and crates of stuff off the floor. Label each box so you know where everything is and where to find it. If you have tools stored in your garage consider installing a pegboard to arrange your tools. Also tools neatly hung on a wall above a workbench makes for an excellent little show piece for your garage.

2. Don’t Store Hazardous Materials in Your Garage

People often store paint, automotive fluids, and cleaners in your garage. While its tempting to store all the chemicals, fluids, and paints you aren’t using in your garage we strongly advise against this. Instead take unused and unwanted hazardous chemicals to a drop-off center that handles household hazardous materials. Most cities have them.

3. Donate, Recycle, and Throw Away

Many of the things in your garage are things you’ll never use again. It is doubtful that your Thirty year old son will ever need or want his rocking horse. But that same rocking horse could make a child’s day when donated to charity. So when you are cleaning out your garage make donation to charities and thrift shop your first avenue of disposal.

Recycle as much as you can. You’d be surprised at what can be recycled. From boxes to yard waste most everything can be recycled.

For items that are simply trash that can’t be recycle, well, throw them away. If you’ve got a fairly full garage or a large garage you may want to consider renting a dumpster for a weekend so you can get rid of all the trash stored in your garage in one fell swoop.

These are some Power Garage clean out tips. The biggest thing when it comes to garage cleans out is to just do it and once you’ve done it keep your garage clean so you won’t have to do it again.

1. Sort and Separate Your Recyclables

Almost every major city has a recycling program so use it. Sort your recyclables from your regular trash. Make sure you wash your cans and plastic bottles out before placing them in the recycling bin to eliminate odors. Compact boxes and fold paper bags to make additional room. And don’t throw trash in with your recycling.

2. Load Your Curbside Trash Correctly

Don’t overfill your curbside garbage bin (or bins). And don’t put hazardous items like paints and household cleaners in your trash bin either. If you have a lot of yard waste to dispose of put it in a green waste bin.

3. When in Doubt Rent a Dumpster

If you are moving from house to house, or simply have a large cleaning job ahead of you, rent a dumpster. A dumpster will provide enough capacity to handle large amounts of garbage without overflowing or overfilling your normal curbside trash. 

4. Put Your Trash Bins Out at the Correct Time

Every city has different regulations about when a trash bin can be place on the curb for collection. Make sure you place you trash bins out at the correct time and in the correct place. And after your trash has been picked up make sure that  you take your bins off the street.

Follow these trash removal tips and you don’t have anything to worry about.