Clean Sweep Your Garage

According to comedian George Carlin, the meaning of life is just to "find a place for our stuff." Carlin further suggests that houses are just covers for our stuff.

But let’s face it: Our home may be the envy of organizational experts, but when we don't know what to do with something, even a Feng Shui master will forgive us if we toss it into the garage and pretend it doesn't exist.

The good news is people are starting to wage war on their stuff. Clutter is so last year. It's no wonder that a search in Google for "garage organizers" turned up 3,480,000 possible links in 0.18 seconds!

Are you ready to do your part to help America take back its garages?

For starters, you can hire a professional to give your garage a complete makeover. Jill Eastman thought she would get a good deal from the professional garage organizer she met at the Home Show in Miami last year.

"He came to my house with a binder full of examples of his work and said our garage could be done in about two days," Eastman said. She was thrilled.

But even with a 10 percent discount coupon, the cost for a basic package was just under $4,000 – the same amount it would cost Eastman and her husband, Tom, to buy two years' worth of disposable diapers for their newborn twins.

Clean-bottomed babies or functional garage? Decisions, decisions.

After a few hours of searching through the Internet, it didn't take the Eastmans long to realize that if they embraced the do-it-yourself concept, they could have both.

If, like Jill and Tom, you decide that reclaiming your garage is a challenge you’re willing to tackle, here's some advice to keep from getting overwhelmed.

First Things First

Before you buy anything, professional organizers suggest you develop a vision for what you'd like your garage to do.

Do you visualize the space as a functional addition to your house? Would you like to use it for storage, or build a home gym and get those six-pack abs you’ve always wanted? Perhaps you just want your garage do what it was meant to do -- you know, keep your car cozy at night.

The next step is to clear out the junk (also known as the "stuff you’re going to use someday") and do something with it.

Choices include:

1 – Throw it away (the least popular but most rewarding)

2 – Sell it or donate it to charity (donating to charity has a much greater karmic payoff)

3 – Organize and USE IT!

Clutter-Free Glee

Once you've de-cluttered your space, it’s time to divide everything into groups and allocate space to each group, such as tools, sporting equipment, gardening, car supplies, etc.

Next, paint the walls and add a finish to the garage floor. There’s nothing like a fresh coat of paint to make something old look new.

As for the floor, cement, tile, modular plastic flooring and outdoor rugs are among the surfaces from which you can choose.

Do want to plan to park your 3,722-pound 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB in your garage, or do you just want a floor that can handle a couple of 10-pound dumbbells? The answer will help you settle on which floor is best for you.

Your Stuff Gets A New Home

Now that your walls and floors are done, it's time to determine how to store everything you want to keep. Shelves, cabinets, or a combination of both are the most common options.

Now would be a good time to make friends with your local Lowe's or Home Depot manager.

"We did our research online and found the prices were lower than they were at the store," Jill said. "But we printed the prices from the Web site, and the store manager at Lowe's matched it."

With the money they saved by re-doing their garage on their own, the Eastmans were able to buy a new washer and dryer. And, Jill says, they have so much room now; they can even park a car in the garage.

What are you waiting for? Open your garage door, challenge the clutter and see what surprises await you!