Spring cleaning. It’s a phrase every homeowner dreads. But spring also means the return of warm weather and getting outside to do yard work. It’s great to breathe in the crisp spring air with a hint of winter chill, and even chores don’t feel so mundane after being cooped up all winter. As you dust away the cobwebs in your storage shed, consider taking to time to order new lawn tractor parts, organize the space and get ready for seasonal lawn maintenance. This step-by-step guide to organizing a garden shed will give you some fresh ideas to get started this season.
Step 1: Clear out your storage shed
The first step in organizing a garden shed is to get all of the clutter out into the sunshine where you can see it, and get rid of anything you don’t need. Then, clear out some space in your basement or garage to store all your tools and equipment temporarily. Sweep the shed clean and wipe everything down with a damp rag and some Murphy’s Oil Soap.
Step 2: Build new shelves and storage space
The key to organizing a garden shed is maximizing all your available space. Install shelves in the corners for pots and watering cans and hang hooks on the back of shed doors for shovels, hoes, rakes and other tools with long handles. Above your potting or work bench, hang pegboard with hooks for your small-to-medium tools. Pegboard is easier to install than individual hooks and it lets your rearrange the tools easily if you need to. Under the bench, build a shelf to store bins off the floor and pots or potting soil on the floor.
Install shelves along the side and back walls of the shed unless it has lot of windows, in which case you’ll want to use stand-alone shelving. Leave space to store your wheelbarrow, walk-behind or riding lawn mower and outdoor power equipment that could be restricted by low shelves or shelves that stretch the entirety of the shed.
Step 3: Paint the interior of your storage shed
Now that you’ve built your new shelves, give them all a nice finishing touch with brightly colored paint. A dark, poorly lit garden shed makes it harder to find what you need. Painting the space with a light color will help brighten your storage shed, making it look cleaner and even fun to organize. It will help reflect the little light you have in your shed making it easier to find even the smallest lawn tractor parts.
Step 4: Organize the tools in your shed
After the paint dries it’s time to put everything in its place. Organize your tools by season so you can easily get what you need for spring planting, summer maintenance and fall cleanup. Use stackable storage containers on your work bench for your small screws, nails and outdoor power equipment parts like spark plugs and trimmer string. Hang handheld tools in the pegboards above your bench and put replacement outdoor equipment and lawn tractor parts in labeled bins under the bench for easy access. It’s wise to order replacement parts for all your outdoor power equipment at the start of the season. This means you have what you need on hand for routine maintenance or repairs.
Store outdoor power equipment, oil and fuel on the shelves and consider storing handheld tools like spades on the corner shelves in flower pots filled with sand and a little oil to keep them from rusting. Finally, bring in in your mower, tiller, wheelbarrow and string trimmer. Store the wheelbarrow in an upright position for maximum space and leave room around the mower to navigate the shed and get at other tools easily. Tillers and trimmers will fit nicely into corners.
Step 5: Keep your storage shed organized
It’s no good knowing how to organize a tool shed if it doesn’t stay organized. Some quick and dirty tips for keeping your shed clean? Label everything, put tools back as soon as you’re finished using them and sweep and dust regularly.