Be sure to have a "throw

it out" pile and a "donate it" pile. Throw away broken

toys, almost empty cans of paint, and rusty garden tools. Donate sports

equipment your kids have outgrown or that extra lawn edger.

A place for everything. Now

you know what you need to store. Home improvement stores are a good place

to start. Look for storage systems that match your needs. If your family

owns bikes, consider hooks designed to hang them from the ceiling or a

vertical bike rack to get the bikes off the floor and create more space.

A tall storage cabinet provides a place to put out-of-season toys and

tools. Shelving units or wall-mounted cabinets supply a convenient spot

for sporting equipment.

Take care of your tools. For

many homeowners, the garage doubles as a work area. If your tools have

become scattered over the summer, or if they're in a pile on your

workbench, now's the time to corral them. A pegboard and a good tool

chest will help keep tools safe and handy. Waterloo Industries, the world's

largest manufacturer of tool storage products for professionals and do-it-yourselfers,

has a variety of high-quality options.

"Our Shop Series is perfect

for use in the garage or workroom," said Mark Ryan, senior product

manager at Waterloo. The line includes tool chests, tool cabinets, and

tool centers in varying sizes and drawer configurations to fit any need.

"These types of products are popular with the 'weekend warriors,'

those individuals who love getting their hands dirty once Saturday rolls

around."

There are units that offer

a bulk storage area for those large items or power tools. Many chests

offer split drawers for all your small hand tools as well as a roomy top

tray. If you've found that your tools have multiplied over the summer,

and you've outgrown the storage in your current chest and cabinet,

why not consider adding an intermediate chest to expand your tool storage

capacity? Intermediates are available in most categories and stack in

between your chest and cabinet to help organize your tool clutter.

Start with a clean sweep. Before

you start putting all your organized stuff back into the garage, take

the time to sweep the floor and hose it down to get rid of accumulated

dirt and dust. If your car has been leaking oil, use a product made for

this problem to get it cleaned up as well.

With a little time and compartmentalizing,

it will be easier than ever to find what you're looking for, your

garage will seem roomier and it will be a more pleasant place to work.

You'll find a wide array

of tool boxes and other tool storage ideas at hardware and home improvement

stores such as Sears, Menard's and other retail outlets. Web sites

such as www.waterlooindustries.com are also a good source of information.

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