Start Fresh this New Year with a Garage Clean Out

What are you taking from 2022 into 2023? If you are like many of us, an honest answer is that you are taking things into the New Year that are better left behind. Whether we are talking about bad habits or junk that you are not using, it is time to let go of things you no longer need.

Want to start out your New Year on a clean slate? Then consider starting with a garage cleanout. Getting rid of your old junk is not just a way to make things tidier. When you clean out your garage, you also let go of ideas attached to those things. In many ways, the garage cleanout process can be a little like therapy. You evaluate which things add value and purpose to your life, and which things are just taking up space.

When you are deciding whether or not to keep something, we suggest putting things in three categories. The keep it category is for things you know you want to keep. The junk-it category is for things that you know you want to throw out. The junk-it category can include broken items, but it might also include things you no longer use. Then, you have a category in the middle. This is the category for the items that you do not use regularly, but that you think you might use. To decide whether or not to keep those items, you need to ask

• Why am I keeping this item?
• Will I need it in the near future?
• Is there something keeping me from using this item?

Sometimes, you are keeping an item that is broken with the belief you will repair it. If so, give yourself a deadline to fix it, and if it is not fixed by then, throw it out. Other times, you are keeping an item that once served you well, but that you no longer use.

Of course, just because something has passed its use-by date for your life does not mean it is no longer useful to anyone. For example, you may have a garage full of yard tools, even though you have been using a yard service for years. It can hurt to just discard those things. However, if you sell or donate them, then you are getting rid of them with a purpose. They will go on to help someone else. While it may seem silly to some people, it can be easier to let go of your things when you know they will get the proper disposal.

Cleaning out the garage does not just mean getting rid of things. Sure, you should get rid of things that you are no longer going to use, but you need to keep things that you use infrequently. Many of us have tools in our garage that we only use on occasion. Perhaps you have holiday decorations that you use once a year but need to neatly store the rest of the year. That is why organization is such an important part of the garage cleanout process. You can use storage bins to safely, securely, and neatly store the things you want to keep, but do not use on a regular basis.

Once you have your garage tidy, it can make it easier to get to your things. You may even be able to consider things that seem impossible now, like parking your car in the garage! So, give us a call. We are happy to give you a no-obligation free-estimate.

Will a tidy garage guarantee you a tidy life for 2023? Alas, we do not have the ability to promise that. However, starting off the New Year with an eco-friendly waste removal process certainly starts you off on the right foot.