FALL CLEAN-UP
For most homeowners the garage becomes a catch-all for anything unwanted in the house and anything that has no other place to live. With a little effort, you can reclaim your garage and turn it back into an organized space for the automobile, yard tools and an orderly row of trash cans and recycling bins.
Garages and carports have a way of getting messy when your back is turned. If your garage or carport is a disaster, these suggestions might help you tidy up the space and keep it that way. Set aside a weekend and get your garage back in order in no time at all.
You can make the garage or carport neater by painting boundary lines creating spaces for bikes, the mower, cars and storage bins.
Keep the floor tidy. Kitty litter is effective in soaking up spills. If you have an oil stain on the concrete, pour paint thinner over the spot and then cover it with cat litter. Leave the garage door open for ventilation. When the paint thinner is absorbed, sweep up the litter and dispose of it.
A push broom is the best kind of garage floor sweeper. Keep the handle from coming loose from the broom head by screwing two lengths of wire, one on each side of the pole, about six inches up from the broom head to the top side of the broom head.
Install a mirror in both the front and rear corner of your garage. Set them at a height at which you can check from time to time to see if your tail lights and headlamps are working.
Hang an old tire from the rafter so that it rests against the rear wall of the garage or carport. That way, if you pull in a little too far or your foot slips off the brake, you'll run into the rubber instead of the wall.
You can make a permanent hanger for an extension cord by tying a length of twine or rawhide behind the plug. When you roll up the cord, wrap the rawhide or twine around it, tie into a bow and use the bow loops to hang the cord.
