For a lot of us, the garage slowly turns into the place where everything gets put “for now.” A half-finished project, a broken item, or something you’re unsure about can easily end up in a box or on a shelf, where it may sit for years.
If your garage is getting harder to use because stuff keeps piling up, it may be time for a serious cleanout. Removing things you no longer need can free up floor and shelf space and make the items you use much easier to find.
Here are 10 things that may be taking up more room in your garage than they’re worth.
Old Paint Cans
Leftover paint often hangs around long after the room or furniture project is finished. If the paint is dried out, badly separated, or has been sitting around for years, check your local disposal rules and get rid of it properly.
Related: 10 “Tacky” Household Items You Should Get Rid Of
Broken Tools
Almost every garage has a few tools that stopped working but somehow never made it to the trash or recycling pile. If you’ve been putting off fixing that broken drill or cracked shovel for years, it may be time to admit you probably won’t repair it.
Outdated Electronics
Old VCRs, DVD players, desktop computers, printers, and boxes of tangled cords can take up plenty of space without being used. Unless you still need something or it has collectible value, look for a local electronics recycling option instead of letting it sit there indefinitely.
Related: Stop Wasting Yard Sale Space on These 11 Items
Rusty Nails and Screws
Jars, cans, and small containers filled with leftover nails and screws are a familiar sight in many garages. Keep the hardware that’s still in good shape, but toss bent nails, stripped screws, and heavily rusted pieces that you wouldn’t trust for a repair.
Worn-Out Sports Equipment
Sports gear can pile up after kids grow out of it or an old hobby gets left behind. Deflated balls, cracked helmets, broken rackets, and damaged gloves can usually be left in the garage once they’ve reached the end of their useful life.
Outgrown Children’s Toys
The garage often becomes a holding spot for toys that children haven’t touched in years. Sort through the boxes and pass along clean, usable toys, and discard anything broken, unsafe, or missing too many pieces.
Related: 10 Garage Sale Items That Tend to Get Snatched Up Fast
Empty Cardboard Boxes
Keeping a few sturdy boxes around can come in handy for storage, moving, or shipping packages. A giant stack of empty boxes, though, can swallow a surprising amount of garage space, so break down the extras and recycle them.
Old Magazines and Newspapers
Old magazines and newspapers can sit in a corner for years without anyone opening them again. If they’ve been collecting dust and you haven’t looked through them in a long time, recycling them can free up a useful amount of space.
Outdated Lawn Equipment
Broken lawn mowers, weed trimmers, spreaders, and worn-out garden tools can take up a large section of the garage. If something no longer works and repairing it would cost more than it’s worth, getting rid of it can make room for equipment you actually use.
Related: 10 Items You May Wish You Had Kept After Losing Someone You Love
Duplicate Tools
Home projects have a funny way of leaving people with several versions of the same hammer, screwdriver, wrench, or tape measure. Keep the ones you use most and pass along the extras, especially if they’re sitting untouched in a drawer or toolbox.
