Garages can easily become catchalls for storing all sorts of items from cars to tools to bulk foods. Many storage systems will work to organize the garage, including pegboard, hooks, shelving and cabinets, but cabinets have the added advantage of hiding the items they hold from sight, making for a much neater-looking garage. Does this Spark an idea?
Organizing Cabinet Space
Unlike open shelves, where everything can be seen clearly, cabinets can hide things, a feature that can sometimes make it difficult to find infrequently used items. Label each shelf in your cabinets with the items stored there. When storing many items in your cabinets, make a garage key or use graph paper to list the stored items and post it on the wall. That way, when you enter the garage looking for Christmas lights that you haven't used or seen in a year, you'll know where to find them. Also consider subdividing your cabinet shelves with clear plastic bins, and label these as well.
Utilizing Cabinet Doors
Cabinet doors can be more than just covers for stored items. Utilize the space by creating vertical storage or adding other project organization tools. Pegboard can be applied to the inside of cabinet doors to create out-of-sight vertical storage for frequently used items. Make sure you include enough clearance in the cabinet for the pegboard and the items you store on it. One tip to avoid frustration: Draw a guideline on each shelf to mark the necessary clearance. Heavy magnets can hold plans on either the inside or outside of a metal cabinet door. Also, consider placing a dry-erase board on the outside of the cabinet door so you can jot down notes in the garage without a piece of paper.
Hazardous Item Storage
Cabinets are great for storing hazardous materials, especially chemicals. If you have kids in the house, consider putting a lock on the door to the cabinet. You can even use actual lockers for your hazardous item storage. Label the outside of the cabinets with what hazardous materials are inside. Be careful not to fill the cabinets too full. You don't want to open the door and have the hazardous or sharp items fall out.
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