You know it’s time to clear out your garage when you need to throw out your bike to make room for another bike.

Seriously, when was the last time you used that old Stairmaster? And must you hang on to all of those smooth jazz CDs? Sure, you can probably make use of that crockpot Aunt Emma gave you two Christmases ago, but do you really need to have three of those around the house?

OK so let’s get right down to it: how do you start clearing out your garage? Let’s break it down for you in four easy steps.

1. Bring Everything Out

We mean everything. Every single item.

See, on the off-chance there’s a vampire (or a nest of ornery hornets) hiding in your garage, you have peace of mind knowing you can deal with this issue with minimal collateral damage.

Also, don’t be surprised if a family of raccoons has decided to move into that old rusty filing cabinet you have in the corner. Clearing out your garage from time to time ensures you don’t have any critters squatting amongst your piles of junk.

Physically dragging all that junk out of your garage and into the sunlight will give you a pretty good idea of just how much you have to deal with in the first place.

2. Sort All Your Stuff Into Piles

For most of us, the garage has been sort of an unorganized dumping ground for all sorts of stuff: shoes and coats, bulk item groceries, moldy bags, sporting gear and equipment, an assortment of appliances, tools you’ve likely only used once, boxes and crates of even more stuff, and so on.

So let’s make an active effort in whittling down all that junk

First of all, ask yourself: which items are you going to keep? Does it spark joy? Set goals. Are you willing to let go of 80% of the stuff in your garage? 50%?

So yes, go ahead and keep those boxes of classic rock vinyl records. But for everything else, you may want to sort them out for:

· Selling through a neighborhood garage sale, or even Craigslist

· Donating to groups like Goodwill, The Salvation Army, and so on

· Giving away to friends and family who might actually need them

· Recycling and disposal

3. Give Your Garage a Deep, Thorough Clean

Before you move everything back, let’s give your garage a good scrubbing down. This way, you get rid of the dank, musty smell.

· For those hard-to-remove motor oil stains, you can use cat litter with a little bit of dish soap and work on them with a wire scrub brush

· For mold and mildew, wipe them away by using a bit of bleach or some vinegar diluted with warm water.

· Give your garage walls a good cleaning from top to bottom by using a sponge mop.

· If you want to, you can give your garage a fresh coat of paint to make it look brand new.

4. Organize Your Remaining Stuff

Wouldn’t it be nice if you can have some breathing space around the garage? Make it into a real functioning room where you can work on a few new projects?

The internet is full of tips and tricks on how to tidy up your garage. Whether you choose to do it yourself or hire a team to do it for you, you might want to:

· Install new shelves so you can organize your stuff into easy-to-reach stacks and piles

· Have storage cabinets to stow away stuff you don’t frequently use (but want to keep)

· Put up some pegboards and hooks to hang your tools.

· Opt for wall-mounted bins so you can maximize your floor space.

· Designate a work area (or work areas), so you can finally get a move on your projects.

A Final Word

Having a cleaner, more organized, more functional garage does have several benefits.

Other than having room for more stuff, you’ll want to make sure you don’t have any potential safety hazards in there like a stockpile of volatile materials or a wormhole to another dimension. You also minimize the likelihood of an infestation of pests, which is an entirely new problem altogether.

Make new room by giving away your old stuff, donating it, or even selling them for a bit of extra cash.

For everything else you’d want to get rid of, call the guys of Junk King Sacramento. They’ve been providing professional, fast, and eco-friendly junk removal services, which can even cover stuff you’ve amassed in your garage.

They can also help you clear your yard, get rid of heavy furniture and unwanted/unused appliances, as well as your recycling and garbage disposal needs. For inquiries and even more details, give the Junk King team a call at 1-888-888-JUNK.