'Don't overcomplicate it' – 3 golden rules for a clutter-free garage this summer

If there's one space in your home that's prone to becoming a dumping ground for clutter, it's your garage.

Whether you stack up storage bins, line your shelves, or just resign your space to being perpetually disorderly, pretty soon it can end up packed to the brim with old books, decorations, sports equipment, and clothes, with barely any space for another box, let alone a car.

So, if you're looking to overhaul and organize your garage space, here, professional organizers share their golden rules for acing your home organizing ideas without having to invest unnecessary time or money.

3 golden rules for a clutter-free garage

1. Don’t put it down, put it away

Ever heard of the 'one touch' tidying rule? 'Don't put it down, put it away,' advises Tracy McCubbin, professional organizer, CEO and founder of dClutterfly. 'Repeat that like a mantra.

'The garage becomes a clutter magnet because it’s where we pause instead of finishing. Sports gear? Dropped right by the door. Holiday decorations? Shoved next to the dryer. Gardening tools? Somewhere behind the bikes. It’s not that you don’t have space – it’s that things don’t have a home.'

So, to organize a garage, Tracy stresses the importance of finishing the job the moment you walk into the garage with something in hand, rather than leaving it to sort later. This is particularly important when organizing a garage with too much stuff.

'Create a place for it and put it away. If it doesn’t have a home? That’s your sign you may not need it in the first place.' In that case, why not try decluttering your garage instead, focusing on the easy things to get rid of in your garage right now.

2. Invest in shelving and storage solutions

As Tracy says, 'If your garage floor looks like a yard sale exploded, it's time to lift everything up. Vertical space is your best friend.'

For space-saving ways to use vertical storage, Meghan Cocchiaro, owner and professional home organizer at Organized by Meg, advises choosing wall space as your prime real estate, and storing everything and anything that you can, like rakes or shovels, vertically.

'There you should use singular hooks,' she says, such as the Mainstays Double Hook available at Walmart, which comes with all the necessary hardware for installation included, 'and/or track systems with hooks.' The Wallmaster Garage Storage Organization Wall Mount available at Amazon is perfect for this. You can hang bikes as part of your wall storage ideas, too.

'If you're limited on usable wall space or out of space, move to the ceiling,' adds Meghan. 'Up high you can swap out storage of cold seasonal items like snow shovels, skis and sleds for warm seasonal items like fishing poles, paddle boards and tennis rackets.

'Up high is also a great place to store one-a-year holiday decor changes in large containers with lids,' such as the ZOBER Large Christmas Ornament Storage Box available at Amazon.

And, for storage down low, Ben Soreff, professional organizer at House to Home Organizing, says, 'Most garages lack simple structures. Metal shelves, sometimes called chrome wire shelves, work great; adding caster wheels would be the gold standard.' The top-rated Amazon Basics 5-Shelf Adjustable, Heavy-Duty Storage Shelving Unit, available at Amazon, comes with them already attached.

'Then, use clear bins,' he continues. 'There's no need for fancy storage equipment if you are on a budget. A five-gallon bucket,' such as the bestselling Hyper Tough Small Storage Bin available at Walmart, 'works great for oversized items like hockey sticks and bats. Remember, the garage may get wet or you may need to get rid of mice from a garage. Nothing should live in a cardboard box.' Just remember, he adds, 'Binning up everything in the garage is not organizing, it is the equivalent of throwing everything in the closet.'

The main thing, points out Tracy, with any storage solution you opt for is that they aren't luxuries. Instead, they're tools to make your life easier.

'When you can see what you own and access it easily, you stop buying duplicates and wasting time digging through piles. Don’t overcomplicate it – just get things off the floor and into systems.'

Tracy's pro tip? 'Label everything like your future self is a houseguest who doesn’t know where anything goes.' The Brother P-Touch Label Maker available at Walmart is a great option for this.

3. Create zones and group by category

Finally, recommends Tracy, create zones like you're the 'manager of a mini-warehouse.' This is an effective way to organize a garage without spending anything.

She explains, 'Garages serve multiple purposes – storage, tools, gear, maybe even laundry. The key to keeping it clutter-free is zoning.

'Think like a professional home organizer: holiday decor goes in one corner, camping gear in another, sports stuff in its own spot. Tools? Keep them near a workbench or on a pegboard. Lawn care? All together, by the door that leads to the yard.

'When your garage is zoned like a well-run store, you can find what you need, use what you have, and stop playing garage Jenga every weekend.'

And, if you're struggling to determine these categories, the best way to organize any space is by taking everything, or at least most items, out first, says Ben. 'In a perfect world, you would take most items out and use the driveway,' he recommends.

Garage organizing essentials

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Meet our experts

Tracy McCubbin

Tracy has over 20 years of hands-on experience helping clients, and has been professionally decluttering and organizing since 2006.

Ben Soreff

Ben has significant experience helping his clients transform even the messiest and busiest of spaces, like overstuffed garages, into organized havens.

Meghan Cocchiaro

Meghan is the founder and lead organizer of Organized by Meg, an in-home full service professional home organizing company, in business for 5 years, that helps busy women and families declutter, get organized and unpack their homes after moving.

Wondering how to organize a garage when you downsize? The key thing is working out what you want to keep when you move, before assessing how much storage you'll actually need.