Most of us have to admit that the garage can quickly become overcrowded, piled high with outdoor lake gear and clutter. But there are some ways to get around all that, even if it seems hopeless. When it comes to garage organization, the idea is to utilize the ceilings and the walls to your advantage.
Water Skis
Let’s face it, water skis aren’t exactly easy to store.
Most people lean them up in a corner and end up having to pick them up time and time again.
One smart tip is to place a set of straps on the ceilings for each pair of skis and slide them in. This gets them up and out of the way.
If you don’t like the looks of them hanging overhead, consider installing a plastic or wooden cubby – or several cubbies – along the ceiling of the garage.
Slide the skis into the cubby for easy storage.
Life Jackets
It’s ideal to hang the life jackets from the ceiling as well, especially where they can still be holding a lot of moisture from the lake.
Installing a rod along the top of your garage and using heavy-duty hangers to hang the jackets gets them up and out of the way. This also allows them to properly dry.
Boards
Other items like wakeboards, tubes, etc. can also be hung on the ceiling.
If there is no room, depending on how heavy they are, you can install a heavy-duty industrial size pegboard on the wall and hang them there.
Leaning boards, skis, and other types of lake gear against the wall will not just get in your way but can also scratch and damage your gear.
Should you doubt the pegboard’s stability, you can buy steel brackets that can be screwed to the wall.
This will allow you to mount your wakeboards up along the wall and out of the way.
Another simple idea is to build a durable steel shelving unit along the wall to place odds and ends in, and then place your boards on top of the unit.
Water Shoes
For anyone who has kids knows that water shoes can be difficult to track down.
They occasionally get misplaced and they become damp, mildewed, and downright stinky.
By putting an old milk crate in the corner, you can toss all your wet water shoes into one convenient, breathable receptacle.
The milk crates have plenty of holes for air to pass through them and they are made with hard plastic so water can’t damage them in any way.
Milk crates can also be set on brackets mounted into the wall.
Bicycles
Although bicycles are not used on the water, you can store them easily by installing two hooks on the ceiling or walls of the garage.
Ensure there is the proper amount of distance between the two tires before making any permanent installations.
Flip the bike upside down and slip the tires onto the hooks. This will leave more room for boating gear.
These are just a few of the practical ways you can keep your lake gear organized and your garage uncluttered!