Get Organized: September 12th is National Clean Out Your Garage Day!

Get Organized: Take Time to Make Your Garage Organized – and Safer

Did you know that Sunday, September 12th is the second annual “National Clean Out Your Garage Day?” Well, it is! Think about your garage – is your garage a hazardous haven for dents, damage and danger? A survey* of 1,000 U.S. adults revealed nearly four in 10 (39 percent) have tripped over an item in their cluttered garage, more than a quarter (27 percent) have hit an object when opening a vehicle door and 22 percent have accidentally hit something when parking. Ouch!

The Lehigh Group, maker of Crawford® branded garage and home workshop organization established ‘National Clean Out Your Garage Day’ to occur on the first weekend after Labor Day since this is a time much of the country transitions from summer to fall and begins putting items such as bikes, lawnmowers and garden tools away for the season.

What’s the best plan of attack? They suggest these organizing tips:

Make Organization a Family Affair

Have old kids’ shoes, clothes and sports equipment in the garage? Invite the kids to participate. Ask them to try on boots, clothing and other gear stored there. They can pretend to put on a fashion show, and you’ll be able to determine which items are either too small or too big and should be given away.

Try It Out

The best way to determine whether you should keep, donate or throw away is to physically go through all of the lawn and sports equipment to see if it works. From there, label each piece with a tag showing its condition and the decision. Give other members of the household a chance to look it over and weigh in on the decision so nothing too sacred is accidentally tossed.

Follow Weight Guidelines

Garages provide ample wall and ceiling space that can easily be converted into storage space by installing hanging shelves, pegboards, storing rails and overhead storage systems to secure your items. For safety’s sake, be sure to follow all manufacturer instructions regarding weight limits on hooks, rails and shelving. Look for storage products that are built for strength.

Keep It Light

Add lighting to shelves and dark corners to make it easier and safer to find the tools and equipment you need, even at night (or all day if you have a window-less garage). All of the boxes and labels in the world won’t work unless you can see what you are organizing.

Clean Items Before Storing Them

Sporting and pool equipment that will go unused until next summer needs to be properly cleaned and dried to help avoid mildew growth. Consider purchasing waterproof bins to keep any other moisture and pests away. This also is a good opportunity to check expirations and wipe down older cans of paint, pesticides and other garage goodies.

Just Sweat the Small Stuff

If your garage doubles as a workshop, use National Clean Out Your Garage Day to take stock of what you currently have, organize and properly store small, loose items, and safely store sharp tools and other objects so they remain out of reach of children. Use pegboards, tool bins and wire baskets to keep parts organized.

We know these tips will help you get organized! AND Crawford has generously offered organizational products for a Buttoned Up Giveaway! Read our giveaway post HERE. You can win these four products from Crawford. They are sold Amazon.com and Lowe’s.

• Multi-Purpose Hook (Item # ST2H) – $5.98

• 4” Straight Slatwall Hook (Item # STSP4) – $4.98

• Two Hook Tool Holder (Item # STSR2) – $9.98

• Catch All Net (Item # STNT20) – $16.98

About Crawford

Crawford offers a wide variety of organization products ranging from basic hooks and tool holders to specialty items designed keep garage and workshop spaces orderly and safe. Most Crawford products retail for less than $20 and are easily found at hardware stores across the country. For more information about garage safety, visit the podcast section at www.firstalert.com. For more information about Crawford products, visit www.crawfordorganization.com.