5 Cleaning Habits To Start Now To Keep Your Garage Clean All Summer

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A garage is a luxury that not every homeowner in the world has. As great as a garage can be for storing things like bikes and lawn care gear, and, yes, occasionally even parking your car in, folks who have one might be quick to tell you that garages come with their own baggage. A garage is, after all, another room in your house, and just like all those other spaces, it requires careful cleaning to be maintained properly.

Keeping your garage in tip-top shape is a slightly different sort of animal than, say, a living room or kitchen. There are, however, several tools and devices that can help you in your cleaning endeavors. All those tools still may not go a very long way in terms of cutting back how much time it will take to clean up or clean out your garage.

That is particularly true if you go extended periods between garage cleanings, as letting the dirt, grime, grass, and muck linger is sure to double the time it takes you to get rid of it. That doesn't stop people from waiting until the beginning of the summer season or the end before they start setting their garage space straight. In the summer months, when the garage is used more frequently, however, it can be beyond helpful to take a more proactive approach to freshening up your garage. Here are a few things you can do to keep that space a little cleaner all summer long.

People don't think much about the doors unless the automatic opener is on the fritz. Apart from playing a pivotal role in securing all the valuables you keep inside your garage, those doors also help keep things like dirt, leaves, and pests out. Thus, it is important to ensure that your garage door actually fits snugly to the ground whenever it is closed.

We'd lay pretty solid odds that it has been a while since folks with garages have actually looked at the bottom seal when the door was closed. It's just as likely that there is some sort of gap down there that's allowing dirt and who knows what else to get in whenever a strong breeze blows. And yes, you can be all but certain that pests are scampering in and out of that garage at all hours of the day.

Thankfully, there are some easy and budget-friendly measures you can take to close that pesky gap and limit how much mess can make its way under there on any given day. That list includes a garage door threshold sealing strip, which adheres to the floor and essentially provides enough elevation to close most gaps that may exist. There are also versions of the threshold sealing strip that affix to the bottom of the door. Both items can currently be purchased through The Home Depot for about $39. Whichever method you choose, it'll need to be regularly maintained to ensure its effectiveness. 

Even after you seal the gap at the bottom of your garage door, mess will invariably still find its way inside. That door is, after all, going to be opened periodically to allow cars in and out. In the spring, summer, and fall, when you're spending extra time working in the yard, it's bound to be open even longer, allowing dirt and debris inside.

Most folks combat this issue with one big sweep before and at the end of winter. If you're really looking to maximize your garage's cleanliness and reduce the amount of time it'll take you to tidy up, sweeping your space more frequently will do just that. We'd even recommend doing so about once a week in the summer when that garage door is more frequently open. At the bare minimum, you should do it once a month. Even sweeping the garage out with a standard broom or push broom on the regular will make a noticeable difference. For most garages, it also won't take more than a few minutes to do so.

If you've got a leaf blower stowed away in the garage, you should also use it to clear dirt and debris collected in the harder-to-reach corners of the space. In addition to straight sweeping, if you've got a shop vac stowed away in the garage, using it to clear dirt and cobwebs from window frames and doorways, even once a month, could also make a huge difference in the cleanliness of the space. 

When you're sweeping up the corners of your garage, you'll be all but certain to notice plenty of grass and dirt collected there. If you're curious as to how all that mess made it past the garage door threshold, you'd be wise to take a look at your lawn care gear. That's because those tools tend to be caked with yard waste after each and every use. 

This is, of course, one of the easier fixes you're likely to encounter when you endeavor to step up the general cleanliness of your garage. In case you haven't cracked the cleanliness code here, it really is a simple matter of wiping down those tools before you store them away after using them. In general, it'll take no time to clean the tools, as wiping them down with a damp rag or microfiber cloth is enough to remove mud and collected grass from lawn mowers, weed eaters, shovels, and trowels. 

It should go without saying that this task should be done outside of the garage. Likewise, you'll want to ensure that each powered device is turned off before you start. For battery-powered devices, you should also remove the battery. This is particularly important when it comes to your lawnmower, as you'll want to flip it over and wipe down the device's underbelly as part of the post-use deep clean. Just for the record, that task is also a key part of properly maintaining your lawn mower.  

When it comes to keeping a neat and tidy garage, we tend to follow the age-old adage, "a place for everything and everything in its place." We have, however, seen enough of other people's garages to know that this is hardly the norm. That is understandable, of course, as it's all too easy to just chuck boxes, tools, and sports gear into a corner of the garage and walk away when you're in a hurry. 

Nonetheless, taking a little extra time to keep tools, cleaners, and sports gear in designated spots in the garage can go a long way in providing a more appealing overall aesthetic. To be clear, we're not talking about going the obsessive route in strictly organizing every item in your garage. However, taking a few minutes each week in the summer months to make sure your gear is properly put away is a vital step in keeping the space clean.

Bringing shelving, cabinets, and storage racks into your garage space can make a world of difference in keeping the space clean. So too can wall-hanging racks for larger items like lawn care gear and bicycles. If your space can handle one, a ceiling-mounted storage rack could also be a legit game changer in your garage's overall setup. If, however, you prefer a more minimalist approach to the space and don't want to add storage options, just do your best to keep everything in your garage in its right place.

While there are exceptions, many garages are relatively devoid of lighting, whether from bulbs and fixtures or from the sun. In the first instance, the problem is easy enough to solve, as adding a few good lights to your garage can fix the issue. Natural light is another story, however, as adding new windows to your garage will likely be too expensive to consider. 

Thus, it becomes more important than you might think to ensure you are maximizing the level of natural light that can come through those windows during daylight hours. The best way to ensure the light is shining brightly through those windows is to clean them regularly. That is especially important when it comes to windows that are set in the garage door itself. Since light is limited when the door is closed, cleaning them at least once a month will ensure you're making the most of their function.

When you're touching up those windows, go ahead and clean any others you might have in the garage, ensuring that you clean them both inside and out. As far as materials go, glass cleaning wipes are well-suited for the job. So too is a bottle of glass cleaner and a roll of paper towels, or even a vinegar and newspaper combo. A small squeegee may also come in handy. If possible, you should also try not to clean the windows in direct sunlight to limit streaking.