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Even though garages were generally meant to store your vehicle, they have become the home for many, many other objects. Just like any other storage space accumulates random items, so does the garage.

The ideal garage has items organized in shelves, cabinets and is uncluttered, leaving room to actually move around the garage without having to squeeze through, or hop over anything. Here are some tips on how to keep your garage tidy.

1) Remove everything.

Yes, it may seem extreme, but removing everything from the garage and placing it on the driveway allows you to see what you’ve actually collected in there. By removing a few things at a time, you can separate items into piles to get a step ahead when placing items back into the garage. You can also see what doesn’t belong, and what can be thrown out or maybe even donated.

After the garage is empty, and you have your semi-organized piles, go through each pile again and decide –

Do I need to keep this? Some items like snow blowers are very much needed.

Can I make use of this anymore? Maybe you have something that works, but you have no need for, or don’t want anymore.

This is garbage. Items that are broken or just useless, can go into garbage boxes or the dumpster.

2) Organize everything.

Use containers, clear ones – and label them. Store similar items together, and pack them neatly. Containers stack nicely, and with your labels on the front, you can easily know whats in each box. You can use shelving to stack your containers, it keeps them off the floor, and looks neat.

Cabinets are great, especially when they are on wheels and can be moved with ease. Put items that are used more often in the cabinets as they are easily accessible – car detailing products, cleaning supplies etc.

A work bench might be useful for you, and can you can have small bins to hold tools, nuts, bolts and other types of hardware. Look for one that is durable with drawers.

Some people wish that the holidays would never end, while others cant wait to pack it all up and start again next year. Although you may not be ready to put the decorations away, they will need to come down, so here are some tips on how to organize them and make it easier to take them out for the next holiday season.

If you usually just toss all the decorations in a haphazard way, you should invest in some plastic storage containers. Clear ones are the best option as you can see whats inside without having to open and close every box, and they come in a myriad of sizes. There are containers specifically for ornaments to keep them from getting damaged. Label your containers so it is easy to locate the right box

Depending what you are putting inside the box, padding the bottom, top or sides may be a good idea, especially if you have very delicate ornaments you don’t want to even risk getting damaged.

For Christmas lights, wrap them around a piece of cardboard, instead of their own wires. You can also use empty spools if you can get a hold of them from your local home improvement store.

For wreaths and garlands, you want to avoid packing them tightly. Pack them loosely around a piece of cardboard. If you have lots of garland, utilize the plastic storage containers. Smaller wreaths can be packed away in shoe boxes, while larger ones should go in the container with the garland – place the heaviest decorations on the bottom.

For storing your wrapping paper, get one box that fits the large sized rolls. Also put any ribbons, bows, tape and gift bags in this box as well, that way it is convenient for you to find when the time to wrap presents comes along.

Cleaning & Decorating the Porch

• Whether its a large porch, a small balcony, or just steps to your front door, it should be debris free. Clean pine needles, dirt, leaves, and anything else mother nature left at your doorstep.
• Move any toys, or lawn chairs that may be sitting there, store them elsewhere.
• Clean windows facing the entrance, and wipe down the front door
• Use a doormat with a holiday saying written on it
• Add a wreath to your front door – if you don’t want to have a nail in your door, use an adhesive hook
• Use lights around the entrance to add some welcoming warmth

Spruce Up the Inside

• Dust, sweep, vacuum and mop every surface in your home. Even the baseboards.
• Touch up any walls with leftover paint for a quick but effective fix.
• Wash any runners, or carpets – or replace them if they are worn.
• Make space on your kitchen counter-tops. Clean the fridge out, and organize it.
• Make space in your closet for guests winter jackets
• Light scented candles (apple pie, cinnamon, pumpkin pie etc)

Make sure that you clean the home thoroughly before decorating, this includes every room in the home; don’t forget to wipe all windows, window sills, and curtains as well as ceilings and light fixtures. 

Cleaning their rooms.

Having your room in order is a good way to head into the holiday season. If you are having friends and family over for the holidays overhauling the kids bedroom is good idea to make sure there are no unwanted surprises that make their way out from under the bed. Clean out the closets, under the bed and organize clutter. After Christmas its a safe assumptions that there will be lots of new things they need to make space for in their bedrooms so, there must be room for it. Encourage your children to go through their old toys to see which they can donate to other kids in need. 

Food Donations.

During the holiday season food banks often need additional items to help families in need. Have your kids go through your kitchen pantry to find non-perishable food items to donate to a local food bank. Your kids will learn generosity, and your cupboards will be less cluttered.

Making Holiday Cards and Decorations.

Children love arts and crafts time. Grab supplies such as construction paper, glitter pens and festive stickers and encourage your kids to make cards for their friends and families. If you are mailing cards out, kids can help affix stamps to letters. With those same gel pens, plain ornaments can be personalized by your children. Handmade decorations hanging from your Christmas tree at a fractions of the price to buy new ones from the store.

Apply an anti-graffiti coating

Graffiti costs government infrastructures millions of dollars each year, and paint manufacturers responded with the creation of graffiti-repellant coatings. These anti-graffiti substances prevent graffiti paint from bonding to building surfaces. Anti-graffiti coatings are available in standard colours, and can be used as substitutes for conventional paints. They also come in a clear coat that can be applied over finished walls.

Choose dark paint when possible

Darker coats are more difficult to tag effectively. Darker buildings require more time and paint to mark up effectively, making them much more of a risk to graffiti vandals. If you are unsure of how dark to go, try to choose a colour that covers in a single coat.

Plant smalls trees or shrubs

Nobody ever said added greenery was a bad thing, especially in a city’s concrete business quarter. As well as being a pleasant sight and air-cleaning feature, planting trees or shrubs in front of your business walls will make them much less accessible to taggers.

Install efficient lighting

Mounting outdoor lights will add an underrated level of security to your business by increasing the amount of exposure the vandal risks while tagging your property.

Apply an anti-graffiti coating

Graffiti costs government infrastructures millions of dollars each year, and paint manufacturers responded with the creation of graffiti-repellant coatings. These anti-graffiti substances prevent graffiti paint from bonding to building surfaces. Anti-graffiti coatings are available in standard colours, and can be used as substitutes for conventional paints. They also come in a clear coat that can be applied over finished walls.

Choose dark paint when possible

Darker coats are more difficult to tag effectively. Darker buildings require more time and paint to mark up effectively, making them much more of a risk to graffiti vandals. If you are unsure of how dark to go, try to choose a colour that covers in a single coat.

Plant smalls trees or shrubs

Nobody ever said added greenery was a bad thing, especially in a city’s concrete business quarter. As well as being a pleasant sight and air-cleaning feature, planting trees or shrubs in front of your business walls will make them much less accessible to taggers.

Install efficient lighting

Mounting outdoor lights will add an underrated level of security to your business by increasing the amount of exposure the vandal risks while tagging your property.

Choosing a safe shelter:

If your shelter is to provide protection, it must have a mechanism in place to safely conduct the electrical current to the ground from the point of contact. These mechanisms can be inside or outside of your shelter. Lightning can follow metal gutters and downspouts to the ground, or travel within your home through electrical wiring, plumbing, and telephone lines on its way to the ground.

Small shelters such as wooden, vinyl, or metal sheds offer no protection from lightning, nor does any building lacking plumbing, wiring, or dedicated lightning-grounding mechanisms.

Staying safe indoors:

It is imperative that you refrain from making contact with potential grounding pathways during lightning storms. Lightning can damage your home by igniting construction materials, while electronic appliances can also be damaged by surges, but the following guidelines should keep you safe regardless:

• Do not touch corded phones, or any electronics that are plugged in. Unplug electronics well before the onset of the storm.
• Do not touch plumbing of any kind. This means that while the storm rages, you should not wash your hands, take a shower, do wishes, or do the laundry.
• Keep off of porches, and do not stray near windows and doors.
• Keep off of concrete floors, and do not lean against concrete walls in your garage or basement.

Following these tips should keep you safe during the most savage of lightning storms, but damages to your home can still occur. If your home should receive any damage as a result of lightning strikes, you should contact professionals specializing in demolition and renovation in response to these events. 

Choosing a safe shelter:

If your shelter is to provide protection, it must have a mechanism in place to safely conduct the electrical current to the ground from the point of contact. These mechanisms can be inside or outside of your shelter. Lightning can follow metal gutters and downspouts to the ground, or travel within your home through electrical wiring, plumbing, and telephone lines on its way to the ground.

Small shelters such as wooden, vinyl, or metal sheds offer no protection from lightning, nor does any building lacking plumbing, wiring, or dedicated lightning-grounding mechanisms.

Staying safe indoors:

It is imperative that you refrain from making contact with potential grounding pathways during lightning storms. Lightning can damage your home by igniting construction materials, while electronic appliances can also be damaged by surges, but the following guidelines should keep you safe regardless:

• Do not touch corded phones, or any electronics that are plugged in. Unplug electronics well before the onset of the storm.
• Do not touch plumbing of any kind. This means that while the storm rages, you should not wash your hands, take a shower, do wishes, or do the laundry.
• Keep off of porches, and do not stray near windows and doors.
• Keep off of concrete floors, and do not lean against concrete walls in your garage or basement.

Following these tips should keep you safe during the most savage of lightning storms, but damages to your home can still occur. If your home should receive any damage as a result of lightning strikes, you should contact professionals specializing in demolition and renovation in response to these events. 

Dry ice gives cleaning gives professionals:

• significant reduction in cleaning time
• much more manageable labour requirements
• an environmentally responsible clean that uses no chemicals and produces no secondary waste
• an unparalleled clean, removing well over 90% of mold spores from contaminated wood and other surfaces
• incredible access to hard-to-reach places for a more thorough clean

How does it work?

Dry ice blasting relies upon the four physical properties of air-propelled dry ice pellets, remembered easily with the acronym V.A.T.E:

• Velocity – Pellets of frozen carbon dioxide are blasted out of the nozzle with concentrated air pressure operating at a high velocity.
   
• Abrasion – As the pellets make contact with the contaminated surface, their velocity abrades the substance that the customer needs removed (often mold).
   
• Thermal shock – At a temperature of -109 degrees Fahrenheit, the dry ice instantly shocks and freezes the mold, allowing it to loosen and come free of the surface wherein it is embedded.
   
• Evaporation – As the dry ice pellet hits the target substance, it flash-changes into carbon dioxide gas. This creates a further “lifting” or “stripping” effect, as the pellets’ rapid volume expansion drives the target substance off of wood, concrete, or stone surfaces. This evaporating effect leaves no secondary waste behind, aside from a light “saw dust” kicked up by the blasting pressure.

Why it makes sense:

Dry ice blasting is the best mold removal solution. Sanding mold off disperses spores back into the air, and does not sanitize the area without the application of biocide chemicals, adding time, cost, and environmental repercussions to a job that dry ice blasting could take care of. Dry ice blasting is faster than other known methods, and also much safer, being safe to blast around wiring, plumbing, and pipe fixtures.

For more information on dry ice cleaning methods, click here.

Dry ice gives cleaning gives professionals:

• significant reduction in cleaning time
• much more manageable labour requirements
• an environmentally responsible clean that uses no chemicals and produces no secondary waste
• an unparalleled clean, removing well over 90% of mold spores from contaminated wood and other surfaces
• incredible access to hard-to-reach places for a more thorough clean

How does it work?

Dry ice blasting relies upon the four physical properties of air-propelled dry ice pellets, remembered easily with the acronym V.A.T.E:

• Velocity – Pellets of frozen carbon dioxide are blasted out of the nozzle with concentrated air pressure operating at a high velocity.
   
• Abrasion – As the pellets make contact with the contaminated surface, their velocity abrades the substance that the customer needs removed (often mold).
   
• Thermal shock – At a temperature of -109 degrees Fahrenheit, the dry ice instantly shocks and freezes the mold, allowing it to loosen and come free of the surface wherein it is embedded.
   
• Evaporation – As the dry ice pellet hits the target substance, it flash-changes into carbon dioxide gas. This creates a further “lifting” or “stripping” effect, as the pellets’ rapid volume expansion drives the target substance off of wood, concrete, or stone surfaces. This evaporating effect leaves no secondary waste behind, aside from a light “saw dust” kicked up by the blasting pressure.

Why it makes sense:

Dry ice blasting is the best mold removal solution. Sanding mold off disperses spores back into the air, and does not sanitize the area without the application of biocide chemicals, adding time, cost, and environmental repercussions to a job that dry ice blasting could take care of. Dry ice blasting is faster than other known methods, and also much safer, being safe to blast around wiring, plumbing, and pipe fixtures.

For more information on dry ice cleaning methods, click here.

Whether it's the elimination of soot from a fire, restoration after flooding or a simple carpet cleaning, we are ready to help you get started on the right foot.