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Garage sale day

Do you park in your garage or is it the place you throw stuff you don't need right now? Has cleaning the garage turned into a two week process that you are dreading? Learn how to plan, gather supplies, and mobilize your family to get the garage well packed and gleaming.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 4-6 Hours

Here's How:

  1. Plan. Come up with a goal that can be accomplished within your available time frame. Find rewards and ideas that can help your family feel motivated to get busy. Plan the cleanup for a day when all able family members will be home.
  2. Advertise. Make small notes detailing the location, goals, date, and time frame for the Family Clean-up day. Be sure to add the fun details that will accompany the day. Tape them to each family member's door. Discuss the ideas over dinner the week before.
  3. Gather Supplies. Trying to go to the home improvement store on the day of the cleanup will only eat away at your time. Take an inventory of the garage. Get a notepad and write down the problem areas. Follow the steps in the Beginning Organization Article to gain an idea of how to go about planning. Gather your supplies.
  4. Last Minute Prep. The day before your cleanup, pick up last minute supplies. Create a general plan of attack for the garage. Refer back to your planning in step 3.
  5. Attack the Mess. With your supplies, motivated workers, and plan, you’ll be ready to take back your garage from the clutter. Work from these basic categories. Trash, Give Away, Short-Term Storage, Long-Term Storage.
  6. Enjoy the Rewards. Treat your family and yourself to something special.

Tips:

  1. Setup and organize the supplies before the start time. Trying to run around the house finding where you put the packing tape will cut into your time.
  2. Don't forget snacks for your family. Try to pick out some favorites for your hard workers.
  3. If you have a large crew, you might be able to divide family members into teams. There is nothing wrong with throwing a little bit of healthy competition into the mix.
  4. Have one of the adults drop off the "give away" pile to a local donation center. Check ahead for dropoff times and items accepted. Other family members can put the finishing touches on the garage while items are dropped off.
  5. Try not to get distracted while unpacking, packing, sorting, and organizing. Do take a little time to reminisce and joke. Your family will remember this event with happiness if there is laughter present during the work.

What You Need

  • Notepad and pencil for planing.
  • Informal invitations for the family.
  • Home improvement supplies, shelves, boxes, etc.
  • Snacks for break times.
  • Reward for hard work.

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