If you’re like most garage owners, then you probably haven’t given your garage a good cleaning for years. The garage is just one of those areas that gets neglected. However, if you want to keep your garage in tip top shape and keep the mess at bay then read on!

There are two main problems with garage cleanliness: dirt and clutter. Both can lead to possible dangers for yourself and your garage items. Dirt will attract pests such as mice or cockroaches which can carry disease or chew through wiring or vehicle hoses. Clutter leads to accidents when people slip over boxes or trip over bikes left laying around randomly on the floor of their garage.

In order to combat these problems, here are a few tips on how to clean your garage and keep it clean.

First of all, you need to choose the garage cleaning products that will work best for you. It’s up to you on whether or not you want to stick with household items or purchase some garage specific products. For example, if your garage has a dirt floor then start by first clearing it, throwing down some kind of sheeting and laying down a layer of gravel first. This is the beginning of your garage-cleaning plan.

You’re going to want to remove everything from your garage and sort through it piece by piece. Keep what you can use and throw out/sell/donate what you don’t need any more. If something doesn’t fit into one of those categories then take some time to set it aside. You might want to fix the item or decide you can use it at a later date after all and save yourself time and effort by leaving everything in one place.

After everything is out of your garage, give it a good sweep or vacuum (depending on what kind of flooring you have) and wipe down any garage surfaces that look dirty with your chosen garage floor cleaner. Don’t forget garage door tracks either. Use degreaser for stubborn dirt patches only if they would cause problems once painted over, otherwise just power through them with your pressure washer or garden hosepipe. This part of garage cleaning will also ensure that no dirt makes its way back into the garage when you replace items as well as protecting your new garage flooring.

Now it’s time to start putting everything back into the garage but this time, take some time to organize it. Use custom built cabinets or garage shelves to get everything off the ground and in its place. Label each cabinet or bin with what goes inside for easy access later on. This way, you’ll be able to keep an eye on garage clutter and stop it from building up again.

If you have a lot of items that you don’t use on a regular basis then consider storing them elsewhere. The attic or basement are great places to put seldom-used items and they’re both accessible without taking up garage space.

The final step in keeping your garage clean is to stick to a cleaning schedule. Schedule garage cleaning sessions on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis and get into the habit of clearing out your garage as soon as it starts to look cluttered. Also, if you have kids then teach them garage cleaning safety early on so that they know where things are supposed to go.

With this garage cleaning method in mind, you should be able to keep your garage neat and tidy at all times without too much effort. Pick up some garage floor mats or garage paint today to complete the task.