4 Places to Organize to Get Ready for Summer

Image Credit: TheShelvingStore.com

Summer is finally here and it’s time to get started on all those fun summer activities you spent all winter thinking about. The last thing you probably want to do is think about organizing the house, but at this time of year, certain areas of the house need some extra attention. By spending a little extra time getting these places in order, you’ll actually be helping make your summer even more enjoyable.

Garages and Sheds
Garages and sheds see a lot of activity during the summer months. Now that it’s peak gardening season, you’re going to need to keep things like your lawn mower and all of your gardening tools handy. And depending on what types of summer activities you’re into, you could have other things to store like bikes, sporting equipment, or canoes and kayaks.

Given how many big and difficult-to-store items are found in any garage or shed, keeping these spaces organized can be a big challenge. A great way to start is by maximizing the space on your walls, whether it’s by buying some shelving units, hanging pegboard, or both! Shelving will give you a way to keep things off the floor while pegboard is perfect for organizing tools that aren’t always easy to store.

Storing bikes can be a particularly big challenge. You want them to be easy to access, but you don’t want to be tripping over them, either. Wall-mounted bike racks are a perfect way to keep them out of the way. Depending on the design of your garage, ceiling storage may be another option to store bikes, but that’s something you may want to consider more when summer is over and it’s time to put your bike away for the year.

Guest Rooms
Planning to have a visitor stay with you this summer? Then it’s time to make sure your guest bedroom is presentable. Since guest rooms aren’t always used very often, they frequently become a catch-all space for things you don’t have room for elsewhere -- extra clothes that you haven’t given away yet, fitness equipment that isn’t being used, old furniture that you’re not quite ready to part with, boxes of books that need to put in storage. If this situation sounds all-too familiar, take some time to clear the clutter before company comes.

Once you’ve gotten rid of all the non-essential things, make sure your guest will have places to put their things when they arrive. Pick up a foldable luggage rack so they’ll have a place to set their suitcase and make sure they have a place to put their clothes. Make sure the closet in your guest room is well-stocked with hangers. Putting up some wall-mounted hooks to hang jackets and purses is also a great idea.

Pools
If you have a pool in your yard, it’s probably where you’ll be spending a lot of your spare time this summer. But as you know, pools come with a lot of accessories, like toys and pool cleaning tools and chemicals. You’ll probably also want to keep things like extra towels and sunblock on hand to avoid having to make extra trips into the house.

Keeping the area around your pool organized isn’t just about convenience, it’s also about safety. Making sure all those toys aren’t just scattered around the pool reduces the risk of somebody tripping and falling into the water. If you have young kids, you’ll also need to make sure the chemicals you use in your pool are kept out of reach.

As for your pool toys, rollable mesh bins are a great storage option since they’ll keep toys off the ground, but the mesh is breathable and will prevent mold from growing. Plastic drawers and storage bins are perfect for keeping things like extra towels and sunscreen nearby. Pool chemicals will need to be kept somewhere that’s convenient, but inaccessible to children and won’t reach a temperature higher than 95℉. And don’t forget about all those wet towels that pile up throughout the day! Put up hooks or get a wire hanging rack to give wet towels a place to dry.

Decks and Patios
When you and your family spend a lot of time outside, you might be surprised by how many things you need to store, like toys for the kids, accessories for the grill, or extra insect repellent and blankets for a night out on the patio. To organize your deck or patio, it’s all about finding pieces of furniture that can multitask. While there are plenty of outdoor cabinets and storage chests on the market, there are also lots of pieces that function both as storage and as furniture. Many tables and benches are designed to be opened up and used for storage.