Help me organize my mess

[sasq40]

Need some ideas for oragazing my gargare better, seems no matter I do it alway ends up like a mess like this. Im about to mount my hoist so figured now's a good time to move things around to get a better work flow.

 

[zimman]

Not to be an *** but your problem is you don't put anything away. Even if you had totes, drawers, shelves you have to put things back where they come from. That's the real organization and the hardest part. Those Milwaukee boxes are nice for organizing parts/pieces. Use them.
Nice garage tho.
Zim

 

[gleman]

Need some ideas for oragazing my gargare better, seems no matter I do it alway ends up like a mess like this. Im about to mount my hoist so figured now's a good time to move things around to get a better work flow.

Honestly, it's not that bad just really messy.

I'd consider a ceiling rack to get your dioramas off the floor and out of the way.

The hoses and cords on the floor are a big no for me. Grab a few cheap reels and hooks and force yourself to use them. That loose gas bottle really needs to be secured maybe a bungie to the table leg at a minimum.
The stairs shouldn't have anything on or around them.

Do you have spots for all the tools and junk on the tables?
I'd start there. I have to have the same parking spots for tools or I forget where I put them.
I'd get a labelmaker if you don't have one.

I'd get rid of all the cardboard boxes/bags and organize all the contents into labeled totes.
You might have space for a rack to keep the totes accessible.
Maybe make one spot for the kids toys that's out of the way.

Dedicated garbage can and recycling can.
There's really no reason to have wrappers and trash on the floor.

See if you can consolidate your old paint cans into smaller ones to free up cabinet space.

Good luck and keep us updated with progress pics!

 

[Rst277]

"Stuff" does not go on the floor. Get some shelving, shoe rack, recycling bin, etc and put things away properly. This will require some discipline / relearning but if it's in your hand, put it where it belongs. You will save a lot of time, stay more organized, have a cleaner space and get more actual work accomplished.

 

[loganb]

First step is get rid of the stuff that doesn't belong in the garage. Some goes in a dumpster, some goes to other people's houses(sell it), some may belong in the house.

After that it's start small but start in a corner or a bench area and start creating homes for things. Shelves, racks, you've got too many things without clearly identified homes. Start making homes for everything that is out and about, but start small

 

[gmcgeo]

Need some ideas for oragazing my gargare better, seems no matter I do it alway ends up like a mess like this. Im about to mount my hoist so figured now's a good time to move things around to get a better work flow.

same problem i have. Not putting things back and cleaning up when im done.

 

[FC Matt]

You should try Moduline Cabinets configurator. It will allow you to design a layout that is perfect for you.

 

[niget2002]

How much of that stuff belongs in the garage vs how much of it is in there because the wife/kids had nowhere else to put it?

If it's the latter, stick it in the attic. Then in a year from now when no one's gone looking for it, throw it in the trash.

The rest of it just looks like it needs to be picked up. Maybe add some shelves along a wall. The more height you can use, the less horizontal you take up.

Just don't look at pictures of my shop for inspiration. I know 'what' should be done. That doesn't mean I'm any good at doing it.

I keep telling myself I need to throw away a bunch of stuff and still haven't done it.

 

[nadogail]

“ Everything in It’s Place” assumes you have places for everything.

You need places for your stuff, and when you pick it up put it into its place. When you pick something up, put it into its place. Don’t just shuffle stuff around. When ever I do put something away or get rid of it, it’s time for a little “Happy Dance”

Please don’t follow my example, I have 35 pounds and a 20 pound box.

 

[Rst277]

“ Everything in It’s Place” assumes you have places for everything.

You need places for your stuff, and when you pick it up put it into its place. When you pick something up, put it into its place. Don’t just shuffle stuff around. When ever I do put something away or get rid of it, it’s time for a little “Happy Dance”

Please don’t follow my example, I have 35 pounds and a 20 pound box.

"Every thing has it's place and every place has it's thing" take the time to make your shop this way. Maybe have a corner that is the "parking lot" until you figure out a place or get rid of it. I used to take one day of my Christmas holidays to organize the shop. I'd have been thinking about certain things for months, maybe I bought new tools or sold equipment I don't use anymore, kept a list and strategized and then take a day and build the shelf, label the items, rearrange drawers, put stuff I'm not using on kijiji or donate etc. In my mind, a great way to spend the day.

 

[M.Brane]

The clutter is strong. Try to resist.

Imagine only having 400 sq ft to work with.

 

[sasq40]

Ha after I took these pictures I did get rid of all the **** lying around and hung up all the hoses and tools. My problem is it always ends up like this after a week or two. I think I need to do some rearranging of stuff to optimize my area. I currently have a 16x24 construction shed, a 40x20 tarp shed big things go into, and a 40' seacan that not used things go into.

I think the biggest problem I have with trying to figure out the perfect layout for the garage, is in the winter my wife gets the park in the middle, and if I don't have a truck being worked on my work truck gets parked in there so aviod the snow, so the middle bay and side bay ( where I had the hoist not) I keep empty and avoid any wall storage

 

[retDAC]

Need some ideas for oragazing my gargare better, seems no matter I do it alway ends up like a mess like this. Im about to mount my hoist so figured now's a good time to move things around to get a better work flow. ...

if it's any consolation, yours looks far better than mine. I don't even want to consider taking pix, let alone put them on the Internet.

 

[Rst277]

Ha after I took these pictures I did get rid of all the **** lying around and hung up all the hoses and tools. My problem is it always ends up like this after a week or two. I think I need to do some rearranging of stuff to optimize my area. I currently have a 16x24 construction shed, a 40x20 tarp shed big things go into, and a 40' seacan that not used things go into.

I think the biggest problem I have with trying to figure out the perfect layout for the garage, is in the winter my wife gets the park in the middle, and if I don't have a truck being worked on my work truck gets parked in there so aviod the snow, so the middle bay and side bay ( where I had the hoist not) I keep empty and avoid any wall storage

Most likely it will never be perfect so strive for better. Install the hoist in the best place for you today - maybe 5 years from now you move it. It's ok to change things and evolve.

 

[OccupantRJ]

With all due respect, it is not the room, it is not the stuff, it is your habit in dealing with things. Until you change that nothing will improve. You have to cure the flat surface disease.
I have had workshops for 60 years, and as others have pointed out, nothing is permanent position, and it is always evolving. Keep like objects together. If you continue laying things down just to get them out of your hands, you are doomed to clutter. Success for me seems to be about 60% of the time working on projects, building, repairing, etc, and 40% cleaning and organizing during and after.
Try drive-by organization. Every time you cross the room pick up something and put it away or at least closer to where it belongs. Then at some time sort the small piles and put them away.
This is my toughlove comment for the day and I wish you success. It takes dedication.
And just to show that I do as I preach, pics.

 

[Recoveryman]

I can't point any fingers at you. If pics of my shop went online, I would probably be locked up. But its good to know that others have my disease.
Recoveryman

 

[pbon]

I would invest the time and money in lockers or shelves, floor to ceiling if possible. Use labels and bins or boxes to organize stuff and then keep putting stuff away. It’s part you not bothering part not having a place for stuff. I’d have to play around with layout, but would want one 10+ foot long work bench or 2 smaller ones with cabinets over plus floor to ceiling shelves or lockers.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

A lot of the wood shop things I see, people make tool cabinets/power tools, to scale, then play around with organization, that way before moving anything.
I would add the windows and doors to your basic drawing. This also allows air line planning as I like to try to put one coupler, towards the front of the garage, in between garage doors, for a loose air line for whatever odd use, you may have (neighbor needs air and your loose hose could reach their driveway, some woodworking project your doing in the driveway, etc).

 

[zimman]

You've been given a mandate. Your mission, should you choose to accept is to get after it. Good luck, we're all counting on you.
Zim

 

[racecougar]

Ha after I took these pictures I did get rid of all the **** lying around and hung up all the hoses and tools. My problem is it always ends up like this after a week or two.

Time to work on that then. Make it your mission not to leave the garage without putting everything away each time. It will save you time and frustration in the long run.

 

[gleman]

Time to work on that then. Make it your mission not to leave the garage without putting everything away each time. It will save you time and frustration in the long run.

The best shop investment I made was the; stop early, clean and organize before leaving rule I imposed on myself.

I don't care if its five, ten or twenty minutes early, Starting the next day fresh is great for a positive outlook and productivity.

 

[bluedog225]

What? It’s mostly empty. Your shop looks great!

 

[bornbadbob]

Need some ideas for oragazing my gargare better, seems no matter I do it alway ends up like a mess like this. Im about to mount my hoist so figured now's a good time to move things around to get a better work flow.

I would start with A major clean you if you haven’t used it in 5 years, pitch it or sell it. Next get some good shelving or build some Within a couple of feet of the Cronin. Couple feet wide to store your totes and get theM off the floor.

 

[Fav Onefour]

Lucky ******.

I'd love to have that kind of space and storage options. Those old shelves are pretty tough and easily adjustable. You also have quite a few nice organizational tools like mod packs and totes.

I only have so much time to work on projects. It drives me crazy to waste that time climbing over and moving items that impede my efficiency. Wasting time to look for items and tools would be especially painful.

I like to do a clean, purge, and do reorganization every so often. If I had your space and storage options it might take a little more time. My process is to focus on wall sections and work zones. I take items off the walls and shelves, set it all out and purge the stuff that's useless. You have a lot of floor space for the process. In my case, I lay out possible wall and storage configurations before putting everything "good" back in place. I organize tools around the benches by frequency of use and ease of access. With that starting point, I move on to finding spots for the items used less frequently. Storage can go all the way to your ceilings, so use the space.

It's also helpful to get organized in a way that is easy to clean. I try to keep the floor clear enough that I can literally blow the whole shop clean out whenever I'm done for the day. I call it my leaf blower floor. What it really means is that I don't have anything just laying around. Project piles and misc. stuff adds up and grows quickly. Your floor space or lack of it, is a good way to start getting overwhelmed.
The process for shop organization works better if you put things back in place. If that's not your mantra, don't waste the time to organize. New and clean only happens once if you don't stay on top of the process.

Right now is a good time to get ahead of your storage and organization. The lift will be handy, but keep in mind that you are losing that floor space. The height will limit using the area underneath as true floor.

 

[gleman]

It's also helpful to get organized in a way that is easy to clean. I try to keep the floor clear enough that I can literally blow the whole shop clean out whenever I'm done for the day. I call it my leaf blower floor. What it really means is that I don't have anything just laying around. Project piles and misc. stuff adds up and grows quickly. Your floor space or lack of it, is a good way to start getting overwhelmed.

Very good tip about the floors.

I put all projects in tubs unless they're too big to fit.

In my small workshop and garage everything that can be safely put on wheels is. Makes floor cleaning very easy.

 

[bdbecker]

...My problem is it always ends up like this after a week or two...

More than likely, this is a two part problem. The good news is that one part of the problem is fairly straightforward to solve. The bad news is the other one will take some time. Let's tackle the easy part first since it helps with the second one...

If the storage solution is not easy/convenient to use, it won't be used regularly. Having a spot for everything is good and all, but you also need to make sure that whatever solution you implement is compatible with your workflow. For example, a battery powered drill is generally a high use item in any shop. Drilling holes, driving screws, tightening hardware... a drill has a lot of uses in a variety of applications. It would make no sense to store the drill in the factory blow molded case 15' away from your workbench. You'd want it handy and easily accessible. Whether it be hanging on a hook near your workbench, or in a drawer of a tool chest next to your workbench, it should only take a moment to both access and put away the drill.

As you think about how to store items in your garage, think about how frequently you need to access them. High use items are easy to access and stay near the point of use, low use items can be in a box, on top of a shelf on the other end of the shop. This is obviously common sense, but I see a lot of people get this wrong - myself included. For years now, I've had my welder cart parked in a spot I have to walk by constantly and I just don't use it all that often. It should be in a corner somewhere, not in my main working area.

The second part of the issue has already been touched upon by others - you need to develop the habit of putting things away when you are done with them. I get it. You are trying to get something done and the wife tells you it's time for dinner, so you drop everything and head inside for the night. Come back out to the shop after you're done and spend 5-10 minutes putting things away.

One excuse I used to tell myself is that I might as well leave these tools laying out because I'll need them to finish the project I started. That ends up being a slippery slope and the next thing I knew, I was right back where I started. Now when I'm tempted to just leave a few tools out, I remind myself that it's a heck of a lot easier to put them back because then you will know where to find them.

Another excuse I used to tell myself is that I don't get a ton of shop time - the last thing I want to do is waste time putting stuff away. My perspective has shifted there as well. Not putting stuff away results in me wasting a bunch of time trying to find the tools I need when I do get shop time, which gets frustrating. Walking into a clean and organized shop makes for a much more enjoyable experience.

Apologies for the novel, it's just something I'm passionate about. I'll admit that my shop was in much worse shape than yours was when I first started getting serious about organizing. I'll also admit that I don't always practice what I preach and slip up in staying organized more frequently than I'd like. Do not take anything I've said as a criticism or judgement, instead, think of them as points to consider.

Remember, a well organized shop is a journey, not a destination.

 

[sasq40]

Here's a little update picture. I'm still trying to move odds and ends to their final resting places,but this is so much better!

 

[OccupantRJ]

Oh yeah! You are getting on with it now. Just keep refining things along the way. a couple things I find that help are to sit in a swivel chair in the middle of the shop in down time and slowly scan the walls for ideas and storage patterns. Multiple photos of the shop to examine are good when you are sitting around in the house because you will see things you otherwise would not notice. When using something stationary try to make the space you need to stand as part of the general open area. Think kitchen. Make walkways work for you rather than consuming valuable floor space. Think of it all as a game and a challenge to see how much a percentage of useable floor and wall space you can gain instead of a frustration over lack of productive space.

 

[545_days]

People are creatures of habit, and you need to build some new habits regarding putting things away. Three that have helped me are:

1. Adopt the ruler of ten. Every time you enter your garage, you put ten items back where they belong. A package or group of similar items only counts as one item. (I read about the Rule of Ten here on Garage Journal many years ago.) Eventually you will reach organization heaven when you can't find ten objects out of place.

2. Every time you use a tool put it back rather than setting it down. At first glance this appears to slow you down but in reality will speed you up as you will no longer waste time looking for misplaced tools. Your tool storage will evolve as you start working like this. I'm not perfect with this rule, but I now roll my mechanics cart to the work are as it was intended to be used. I will also use a portable tool box as a temporary home for tools I am using away from their normal storage area.

3. Clean up at the end of each day. If necessary set an alarm so you have 10 or 20 minutes dedicated to cleaning up. It is far easier to restart a half finished project when it is cleaned up and organized.

 

[Fav Onefour]

Oh yeah! You are getting on with it now. Just keep refining things along the way. a couple things I find that help are to sit in a swivel chair in the middle of the shop in down time and slowly scan the walls for ideas and storage patterns. Multiple photos of the shop to examine are good when you are sitting around in the house because you will see things you otherwise would not notice. When using something stationary try to make the space you need to stand as part of the general open area. Think kitchen. Make walkways work for you rather than consuming valuable floor space. Think of it all as a game and a challenge to see how much a percentage of useable floor and wall space you can gain instead of a frustration over lack of productive space.

I do something similar to that method.
I do the scan and stare. I often find areas that just don't work well. (It's easy to add stuff and just put it where it fits.) It's pretty common to find an area that has turned into a cluster of stuff. My remedy is to pull all the stuff and set it on the floor or bench to configure a better layout.
I move rarely used items that away from the main work area. Some of those items get put into stackable totes. The tote trick helps a lot with seasonal items. I have a row of totes by my bench that gets swapped between winter and summer projects. Think lawn sprinkler and lawn equipment parts vs. snowblower and snowmobiles. Those are seasonal use items that just get in the way during the flop season.

 

[gleman]

Here's a little update picture. I'm still trying to move odds and ends to their final resting places,but this is so much better!

I'm really glad you're sticking with it. Shop looks way cleaner and safer. Maybe buy or make a storage system for the space in-between the galvanized lockers? Or a workbench with storage underneath.

 

[M.Brane]

I have a good friend who has an awesome shop with a lift, machine tools etc, but it's a mess. I've repeatedly tried to get him to put **** away unless he needs it agaIn right away. I gave up.

He spends too much time looking for that thing he just had.

 

[MT800]

Me personally, I only use clear totes. The advantage to me is I don't have to remove the tote from the shelf and more importantly
I can see what is in them. I currently have 3 wire bakers racks, unfortunately they have become flat spots, and we all know what happens
with a flat spot!!! What I really don't like is the floor space they take up. I see adjustable wall shelves in my future. I struggle with what to do with my compressor, it is one of those semi permanent things. They kinda have to stay where you put them.
I agree with most of the comments here, put stuff back in its place. I don't have to understand your organization, just you do. LOL

 

[rharman]

People are creatures of habit, and you need to build some new habits regarding putting things away. Three that have helped me are:

1. Adopt the rule of ten. Every time you enter your garage, you put ten items back where they belong. A package or group of similar items only counts as one item. (I read about the Rule of Ten here on Garage Journal many years ago.) Eventually you will reach organization heaven when you can't find ten objects out of place.

2. Every time you use a tool put it back rather than setting it down. At first glance this appears to slow you down but in reality will speed you up as you will no longer waste time looking for misplaced tools. Your tool storage will evolve as you start working like this. I'm not perfect with this rule, but I now roll my mechanics cart to the work are as it was intended to be used. I will also use a portable tool box as a temporary home for tools I am using away from their normal storage area.

3. Clean up at the end of each day. If necessary set an alarm so you have 10 or 20 minutes dedicated to cleaning up. It is far easier to restart a half finished project when it is cleaned up and organized.

Me personally, I only use clear totes. The advantage to me is I don't have to remove the tote from the shelf and more importantly
I can see what is in them. I currently have 3 wire bakers racks, unfortunately they have become flat spots, and we all know what happens
with a flat spot!!! What I really don't like is the floor space they take up. I see adjustable wall shelves in my future. I struggle with what to do with my compressor, it is one of those semi permanent things. They kinda have to stay where you put them.
I agree with most of the comments here, put stuff back in its place. I don't have to understand your organization, just you do. LOL

I like "The Rule of 10". Going to have to try that.

Someone posted recently - "Don't put it down, put it away!". I'm trying to incorporate that thought in the garage and the house. It really helps.

I don't really keep things in "totes" but....
Some years ago, I switched to using various sizes of the clear shoe box type containers from The Container Store. They all get a 1"x4" label from my Dymo LabelWriter. That really helps with the small parts type of organization in the cabinets in my garage. And, they've held up really well.

Picture from Container Store website. Lots of sizes.

 

[M.Brane]

Yes it will constantly evolve as your workflow changes. The key is to recognize that, but still put stuff away in the meantime so you know where to find it.