Make Yard Work Easier With This Tidy Up Checklist
Whether you love yard work and gardening or just see it as a necessary chore, getting organized at the end of the season will make your work easier every year. Even in a climate that’s warm year-round, organization is still important. It ensures your yard work tools and supplies aren’t damaged by the elements while left outside all year.
Tidying up your tools and supplies can not only make yard work and gardening more enjoyable, but it can save you money. Your organization plan doesn’t have to be elaborate to be effective. Just devoting an afternoon or two can make a big difference. Organizing your tools and materials before you store them away is simple when you start with this checklist.
Invest the time to organize the right way at the right time
When it comes to creating a smooth return to yard and garden work each season, when you organize is almost as important as how you organize. Here’s why: for most of us, yard work is seasonal. The tools and supplies get stored after a big push of activity. We might be feeling a little burned out, so tools are put away carelessly and half-full bags of yard materials are tossed in a corner until they’re needed again.
When it’s time to bring out the lawn tools and supplies, it’s just as we left it: a total mess. Just as we’re ready to jump into working on the yard, our enthusiasm screeches to a halt because we need to organize and untangle what we’ll need before we start working.
Devote an afternoon to getting your yard equipment organized
An afternoon spent decluttering, tidying up and organizing can be surprisingly rewarding. Only when you bring out all of your tools and supplies will you know exactly what you have accumulated. And this is the first step in creating a more harmonious arrangement for your tools.
On the afternoon of your decluttering mission, plan to spend at least a few hours collecting all of your tools and supplies and laying them out together in one spot outside. Once you have a good handle on what you will be organizing, you can start thinking of storage solutions for each type of item.
Pare down your gardening and yard tools
Before you go shopping for products for organizing your stash of tools, review your collection to see if you can free up storage space. We often accumulate half-empty bags of garden products that have dried out or become outdated. Check to see if the products have special requirements for disposal, then let go of the ones you know you can’t use in the future.
Broken tools and duplicate supplies are your next focus in tidying up. Unless you work on your yard in a group, you probably won’t need more than two of the same tools. Broken tools or products you bought and never used are the next to go. You’ll know which items should be removed. They’re the ones that bring up a feeling of “should” when you see them: “I should fix that” or “I should try to use that; I spent so much on it.” It’ll be so much easier to not only store, but also to use, items that you enjoy.
Create or clean out a dedicated storage spot for yard tools
Tidying up your yard work supplies is more than just organizing and purging. Before you install new organizational systems, your shed or garage needs attention, too. Start by clearing out the space you already use by donating usable items or tossing things that aren’t suitable. If your lawn and garden storage area doesn’t exist, don’t worry. You can still create a functional spot for everything with simple products.
Invest in organizational products so everything has a place
Your newly organized lawn and garden supplies will need the right storage solutions. Garden and lawn tools can be hung up on a garage or shed wall for easy access, so look for hooks and wall hangers. Small tools and gardening supplies can be stored on shelving to reduce floor clutter. Invest in plastic storage tubs for loose items. Labeling everything is the final touch to create the perfect storage system.
Watch for big sales on products you use each season
Stock up on products you know you’ll use in your yard this year. Watch for pre-season sales on lawn and garden products and end-of-season sales for tools. Now that you’ve organized what you already have, it’s easier to see what you’ll need for the next season.
Source: Freshome.com
