OCU 11: Garages

Inspired by a listener’s request, this episode tackles the common challenge of garage clutter. Garages often become catch-alls for things we might need someday and tend to fill every inch of space, including inherited or leftover items.

I share two main methods to organize your garage:

1. All at once: Dedicate a full day or weekend to completely clear out, reduce, sort, reduce again (to remove duplicates), arrange, and maintain. (But don’t start with this huge project if you’re new to organizing!)

2. Piecemeal: Break it down by categories (tools, sports gear, gardening, seasonal décor, etc.) or by physical sections (walls, middle space) and tackle one part at a time.

Key tips:

• Use a “Reduce, Reduce, Arrange, Maintain” process to declutter twice—before and after grouping items.

• Ask yourself simple questions to decide what to keep, like “Have I used this in the past year?” or “Would I buy it again?”

• Arrange items by frequency of use (A = daily, B = often, C = rarely) and assign them to matching garage spaces (easy-to-reach spots for A items, high shelves for C).

• Maintain organization through regular resets, space limits (keep categories contained), questioning new items before bringing them in, and a “one in, one out” rule to avoid clutter buildup.

With these steps, your garage can become a functional, manageable space—not a dreaded storage dump!