Garden storage sheds are a fantastic way to extend the storage space of your main house. You can keep anything in this extra space or annex from food to toys to clothes that are out of season to books and tools. But let’s be honest for a second. How easy is it to let a garden storage shed get too cluttered with objects you haven’t used or even seen in years? Too easy. If you are in this situation right now, here are some easy and quick ways to declutter your garden storage sheds.

Out with It All

What does this mean? That any good and organized declutter of your garden storage sheds needs to start with you getting everything out. Choose a sunny day when you know it won’t rain and simply pull everything out. Spread it wide in your garden.

The reason for doing this is that, most likely, you are not the only person in your household who has been storing things in the shed. Think of it like the Room of Requirement in Harry Potter. Chances are almost everyone in your family has been keeping things in there for the longest of time.

Taking all the items out will give you the chance to get reacquainted with everything and decide what belongs to whom. It will also make it easier to see why the objects have been stored in the shed in the first place.

Make a List of Everything in Your Garden Storage Sheds

Use your laptop, phone, or tablet. If you want, you can even attach pictures of all the items you have stored in your shed. When you’re done, call a family meeting and decide based on the visual inventory you have just built what stays and what goes.

Not only will this be helpful while decluttering your garden storage sheds, but it will also help you in the future to discover what things have been added to the shed in the meantime.

The Golden Rule

You might already be familiar with the golden rule of decluttering but let’s go over it again. If you find items in your shed that you haven’t used in over a year or worse, in several years, they have to go. There is a very small chance you will every use them again.

This includes baby clothes and toys, old furniture that has been in there for years on end, clothes that have been out of style for years, kitchenware as well as pots and pans which should not be used again for safety reasons, bedding, and memorabilia that doesn’t have a sentimental value for you anymore.

Gardening Fertilizers

When it comes to fertilizers and chemicals for your garden, as well as any other item of this kind that you have been keeping in your garden sheds, check all their expiration dates.

At the same time, decide if you need them all. Dispose of the ones you don’t need anymore by following the instructions you see on the packaging. Some of them cannot be thrown in the bin and will need to be taken to the hazardous waste disposal area.

Take this opportunity to decide if you want to switch to a more organic way of gardening and pest control, that does not involve chemicals and fertilizers.

Get Rid of Garden Accessories

Buying garden accessories in the first place is an absolute treat. From hanging lanterns to garden gnomes, they find their way to our backyards and shopping baskets for that matter, in no time at all. But we get tired of them just as easily and they end up in our garden storage sheds.

A massive declutter is a fantastic opportunity to let go of a lot of them. First of all, sort through all your garden accessories. The chipped or downright broken ones have to be thrown out. Whereas the ones you just know you will never use again can be donated or even sold. Examples include dream catchers, pink plastic flamingos, ceramic mushrooms, large river stones, and so on.

Remember that outdoor design styles change every year. This means you have the chance to redesign your backyard all the time. And you won’t do it with plastic flamingos.

Organize a Garage Sale

Let’s say you have an entire set of items left after decluttering your garden storage sheds. And that you believe they could find a new home (or new garage). But they could also make you some pocket money in the process. Then the solution is to organize a garage sale.

There are a few things you need to be careful about. Make sure to clean and wash everything before selling it. Especially clothes and toys. Do not include things like chemicals, weedkillers, or motor oil that have been sitting in your garden storage sheds for months or even years. Make sure all the gardening tools you are selling are in perfect condition.

Clean Your Garden Storage Sheds before Finishing the Declutter

If you need to, there is another step before this. It refers to getting rid of pests such as bugs, cockroaches, or mice. But this is not mandatory and it only refers to people who are confronted with these issues.

Nonetheless, you should clean out the garage before returning all the items inside. This will ensure there is no mold, dirt, or dust and that your possessions are safe for another year. Because that’s how often you should do a declutter in your garden storage sheds.

What about You?

Do you have any tips and tricks you would like to share about decluttering your garden storage sheds? How often do you do it? Are there things you like to keep in there for several years or are you happy to see them go? Let us know in the comments!