Monthly Archives: July 2011

Organising & Cleaning Garden Sheds

Garden sheds come in all shapes and sizes and vary in price, but there is one thing they can have in common and that is clutter. The garden shed tends to be home for all the gardening tools and everything else that can not find a home in the house. So if you find yourself taking half-an-hour to locate something you need, it is probably time to take ‘the bull-by-the-horns’ and organise your garden shed.

Plan

Organising a garden shed can seem like an overwhelming job, but if it’s broken down into smaller tasks it can be achieved without you feeling discouraged. The first step is to make a plan, such as: the completion date, what’s going to stay in your garden shed, what needs to be thrown, and what type of storage equipment you need. Last but least plan the treat you’re going to give yourself after each task is completed!

Dealing with clutter in your garden shed

Tackling clutter in your garden shed can sometimes be difficult to deal with because of the ‘just-in-case’ scenario. A few guidelines may help you decide if you need to keep it or pitch it: if you’ve no idea what it is, if you haven’t used it for over a year, if it’s broken and can not be fixed, or if it’s broken and you’ll probably never get round to fixing it! It can help to deal with one area of your garden shed at a time, for example, starting on the left-hand side and working round.

Once you’ve de-cluttered your garden shed the next step is to sort your stuff into your categories such as: gardening tools and equipments, hardware and tools, outdoor sports equipment, decorating paraphernalia, power tools, and outdoor seasonal decorations.

Cleaning your garden shed

Now that you have everything in neat piles, you’ll probably need to give your garden shed a clean to remove the resident spider/s and spider webs, oil-stains, dried putty, paint, and general dust and dirt. Here are a few tips:

Spider webs – use a stick with some duct tape wrapped around with the sticky side facing outwards. A large broom or a vacuum cleaner is also effective.

Oil stain – remove as much liquid oil as possible with paper towels. Place a cloth saturated with hydrogen peroxide on the stain, wipe the area dry and wash your garden shed floor with a wood cleaner.

Hard putty – brush on paraffin oil. This dissolves the linseed oil in the putty and softens it for removal.

Oiled-based paint or varnish stains – carefully rub the affected area with a cloth dampened in a formulated paint remover.

Dirty surfaces – spray cleaner directly onto the surface and wipe clean. For caked on dirt, spray on the cleaner and allow it to soak for several minutes, before wiping clean. Rinse thoroughly with water and wipe clean.

Storage ideas

To utilise every inch in your garden shed so you can maximise your storage and work space there are several options available to keep your categorised stuff together:

Hanging hooks – they are excellent garden shed organisers for keeping your garden tools in one place.

Shelving – keeps your equipment tidy and in one place.

Containers – ideal for keeping your bits ‘n’ bobs in. Don’t forget to label them!

Pegboards – makes a handy area for hanging small tools, paintbrushes, and extension cords in your garden shed.

Tool box – try to purchase one that will grow with your collection, especially if you enjoy DIY or car maintenance.

Conclusion

Garden sheds can hold a huge amount of ‘stuff,’ and a clean and organised one can enhance the enjoyment of owning a garden shed.

About the Author

Norman Turner wrote the article ‘Organising & Cleaning Garden Sheds‘ and recommends you visit GardeningThoughts.co.uk for more information on garden sheds and wooden cabins.

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