Part 1: Clean Up Your Messy Garage

If you’re anything like my family, you cannot see the garage floor and it looks nowhere near the picture above. We don’t use it for cars, we use it basically for junk. We store everything in the garage from Christmas trees to lawn mowers and there is absolutely no room to walk in to retrieve it. In PA, it is October but we are still having some warm summer weather so it’s the perfect time to open up that garage door, air it out & get clean.

This two part series is going to help you clean your garage & organize it in unique ways that fits you and your family. We’ll also help you find safety gear you’ll need to complete the project! Each “part” is going to require about a weekends’ (or more if you’re a perfectionist) worth of work so prepare accordingly.

 

Part 1: Cleaning Your Garage Out

 

1.) GET RID OF IT: If it no longer has a purpose…pitch it, sell it or donate it.

You never know what a neighbor could need or a friend. If you have a hard time letting go of that bed frame from ten years ago, think of the many people that could actually be putting it to use before it falls apart. Plus you can make some extra cash for things we’re going to need later.

 

2.) CLEAN: Even though I cannot currently see my garage floor from the junk, I don’t think I want to. All the rust, dirt & oil that it has collected is probably atrocious. Remove the things you decided to keep in your garage to the lawn for a few hours & deep clean the floor. It will make you feel better. Most of us have concrete garage floors so to draw the gunk out of the floor, each type of stain requires different chemicals. You are going to want knee pads, safety glasses & gloves for this. And ALWAYS make sure the area you are working in is well ventilated & away from pets & children.

We need to decipher what kind of stains you have in your garage first.

Paint? You’ll need paint stripper & absorbent material. Make a creamy paste & put a thick amount on top of the paint stain. Wait 20 minutes. Scrape off the paste with a scraper & repeat if necessary. Scrub with scouring powder & rinse.

-Make sure to wear a respirator, rubber gloves & safety glasses.

Rust? Pour 1/4 cup of muriatic acid INTO 2 cups of water in a plastic tub. Apply the acid to the rust with a brush. Wait 5 minutes. Scrub & repeat if necessary.

-For this make sure you have rubber boots, goggles, a respirator & rubber gloves.

Oil/Grease? Put 1 oz. of trisodium phosphate into a cub of water in a small plastic container. Ass 1 cup of absorbent material to make a paste. Put a thick layer of the paste of the oil and leave for 24 HOURS. Scrape off the paste. Scrub with water & nylon brush and rinse. Repeat if necessary.

-Make sure you wear eye protection & rubber gloves.

 

3.) ADD FOAM FLOORING TILES OR PAINT (optional): If you are unhappy with how the stains came out, you have other options. You can purchase foam floor mat puzzle piece tiles or paint the floor with epoxy paint! (This looks beautiful but it will take an extra few days)

 

 

**This is not an exhaustive precautionary list. Make sure if this is the first time you are using any of the mentioned chemicals, you have the help of an expert or do thorough research beforehand.

 

Part 2: Organize Your Newly Cleaned Garage (available next Wednesday 10/17/17 at 8am)