Garages can hold a very diverse collection of items used for transportation and vehicle care, sporting equipment, a workbench and tools, gardening and lawn equipment, household storage, laundry, and serve as an extra pantry for food storage. Not only are there different types of garage organizers to help keep all these items in good order, but there are different ways to organize the different types of items that people keep in garages.
Cupboards
Freestanding cupboards are useful garage organizers for storing items out of sight as well as locking up dangerous items so that children and animals can’t find them accidentally. As such, they can be used for home cleaning supplies, paints and solvents, auto care products such as oil, radiator fluid, and windshield wiper fluid, and lawn and garden products, such as fertilizer, weed killer, and insect repellant. Special child safety locks are available in many stores.
Racks
Specialized racks can be used as garage organizers for a number of products. Wall and overhead racks are available for bicycle storage. Rack systems of various kinds have been developed for organizing and storing tools by hanging them on a wall. Specialized sports and hobby racks allow for storage of diverse items from golf clubs to ping pong paddles.
Shelving
Different types of shelving are useful in multiple ways as garage organizers. Inexpensive metal shelving with the shelves turned upside-down, lip-up is an easy way to store canning products as well as grocery store cans securely. Special shelving with bins made to fit can be used to store off-season clothing or sports and hobby equipment. Shelving made to fit over the washer and dryer is a great place to keep laundry detergent, dryer sheets, bleach, and special fabric cleaners.
Fold-away Storage
When your garage serves multiple functions, garage organizers that make items available and provide workspace when needed are useful. Even more helpful may be those that make them invisible and keep them out of the way when not needed is an option to consider.
Large-Scale Garage Organizers
Larger garage organizing systems include entire walls of cupboards, cabinets, and work area space. These solutions are more holistic, giving your garage a more planned, finished look. They are also more expensive than other garage organizers.
Containers
Covered bins, garbage containers—with or without their lids, cardboard boxes, metal drums, laundry baskets, and other containers that are often pressed into service on an as-needed basis, as well as wall hooks, screw eyes, and other simple devices, offer a less expensive solution and may suit your needs perfectly well. This will depend on what uses you’re putting your garage to, and whether or not “garage décor” is important to you.
