How to Organize and Declutter Your Garden Shed

If you are looking for a great solution to keep your home and garden organized and tidy, you should consider investing in a high-quality garden shed. It is a well-known fact that garden sheds can make it easier to protect and organize tools, equipment, and different items that you don’t want to see lying around. Getting a garden shed is really easy as there are so many different options available on the market, and if you are checking out our website, it means that you already found the best garden sheds UK has to offer. So all you have to do is pick the one that fits your needs best, add it to your shopping cart, and have it delivered. But even if you are committed to keeping things as organized as possible, life will sometimes get in the way and things might become a bit messy.

It is quite common for garden sheds, especially for large and spacious ones, to become cluttered and messy. This is not a pleasant situation and it can make it very difficult for you to find the things that you need and it might even prevent you from using your shed. So, if you want to avoid this situation and to make the most out of owning a garden shed, keep reading. This article aims to help you ‘befriend’ your garden shed by sharing some useful shed organizing tips and tricks.

Make a Path

If your garden shed is cramped and you don’t have access to most of its contents, it would be wise to start your cleaning process by making a path. This might seem like an impossible task at first, but things will get a bit easier once you start moving things around. It might not feel like you are making a lot of progress at first but hang in there. Once you have managed to create a walking path inside your garden shed, decluttering your garden shed will become easier. Being able to reach the things in the back of the shed is very important, as those are the things that need your attention most. While making the path you’ll probably have to start thinking about the things that you want to keep and those that you need to discard, but we’ll talk about this more over the next paragraphs.

Make Different Piles

Our cleaning guide wouldn’t be complete without making piles which are an essential part of becoming more organized. So, if you want to be thorough, make four different piles – a keep pile, a giveaway pile, a recycle pile, and a throw-away pile. You can start putting things in these piles as soon as you start making the path.

The Keep Pile – this is the friendly pile and the one where all the important things belong. The important rule about the keep pile is to only include things that you use frequently or that have a lot of value to you. Try to avoid the “maybe I’ll use it someday” mental concept because it rarely applies. If you haven’t used something in years, chances are you won’t need it in the foreseeable future.

The Giveaway Pile – this pile is perfect for things that you don’t use, but that might be useful to someone else. For instance, if you’ve recently bought a new snow shovel, but you’re keeping the old one just in case, you might feel better if you gave the old one away. There are two different things that you can do with your giveaway pile depending on your needs and preferences – you can either donate the things or you can sell them, it’s up to you.

The Recycle Pile – Another important thing that you need to consider when cleaning your garden shed is recycling what can be recycled. Many items need to be discarded correctly, including electronics, hazardous waste, and construction waste. You probably already know that these things need to be sorted and placed in the right containers. In some situations, you might have to find the appropriate places to discard them or you might have to contact a waste disposal company. In some cases, unwanted electronics and even construction materials can be donated, so make sure you do some research once you have your piles all organized

The Throwaway Pile – And last but not least, the things that don’t fit in any of the three categories mentioned above, can simply be thrown away. This is a pretty straightforward process that doesn’t need much introduction. The rules are simple, if it’s broken and it can’t be fixed or recycled, it doesn’t belong in your garden shed. If you’re in a bit of a hurry and want to see your garden shed clean fast, you can put all the broken, damaged, and unused items in a single pile that you can sort later.

Clean the Shed

At a certain point during the cleaning process, most of your items should be outside, neatly organized in piles. This is the perfect time to focus on cleaning the interior of the garden shed. Start by removing the cobwebs and spider nests. It is recommended to wear protective gloves and long sleeves while doing this, especially if you might encounter dangerous spiders or other insects. Check all the corners carefully and remove any hiding places that might become attractive to unwelcome visitors. Next, sweep the floors, and clean the windows and doors inside and out. Although it might seem like an intimidating task, transforming your dusty shed into a squeaky clean one will turn out to be very satisfying. It can also be a fun activity if you manage to convince your family to help out. You can bribe them with pizza, if necessary.

 Invest in Useful Furniture

If you have some DIY experience, this is a great opportunity to fix or repurpose some of the old materials that you’ve had lying around. A sturdy desk or a table can easily be made from leftover timber or metal and it will surely be a very useful item. You can even create a corner in your garden shed where you can focus on your DIY activities. Whether your hobby is gardening, fixing electronics, or working on your bike, a sturdy table is an essential piece of furniture that will never go unused. Another essential type of storage that is perfect for any type of garden shed, be it small or spacious, is shelving.

Installing shelving in your garden shed isn’t a difficult process and it is worth it as it is a very efficient way to use all the available space. All the tools and small pieces of equipment can be organized more efficiently in boxes and on shelves. Pegs and hook boards are also commonly used in garden sheds and they are perfect for items that you use regularly. If you want to make the most of that vertical space, you should invest in a high-quality pegboard.

Extra Tips for Having a Clean and Organized Garden Shed

• Keep an inventory of the items that you keep in your garden shed. This might sound like a weird thing at first, but just imagine being able to check your inventory when you need something, instead of searching for it for hours. You can keep a list on the shed door and write down all the important things, or you can keep a spreadsheet on your device.
• Make a plan before you start putting all the things back inside. You can organize your stuff by season and by frequency of usage. The items that you use frequently should be assigned a more accessible place, while the ones that you use less can be placed in corners or on higher shelves.
• Check for any holes and crevices and fix them. By taking care of these small problems, you avoid bigger problems such as unwanted guests and water infiltration.
• If you aren’t happy with your current garden shed, invest in a new one. A new garden shed will make your life so much easier. You can even opt for a shoffice, which is a multipurpose garden room.
• Don’t skip the yearly maintenance check. If you want to learn more about garden shed maintenance and cleaning, read our other articles Quick Guide to Organizing Garden Storage Sheds, 5 Creative and Clever Uses for Garden Sheds, and How to Declutter Garden Storage Sheds.

Garden sheds are extremely useful and keeping them tidy and organized isn’t as difficult as it sounds, although it does take a little extra time and effort. If you have any questions about garden sheds UK, do not hesitate to contact us.