1 5S Phase 1 of 5

Garage: Sort 整理

Remove everything that doesn't belong.

Most garages contain one working vehicle and three cars' worth of stuff. Sort with a hard rule: if it has been in the garage for a year and not used, it leaves.

Understand the zones before you sort

Primary purpose 🚗

Vehicle zone

The car(s) actually park here
Nothing on the floor blocking entry
Clear path to driver door

Wall-mounted 🔧

Tool zone

Pegboard or slotted panel
Hand tools visible + reachable
Power tools in cabinet below

Side wall 🌿

Garden zone

Lawnmower on floor
Garden tools hung vertically
Bags + fertiliser on low shelf

Hooks + rack 🚲

Sport zone

Bikes on wall hooks
Sports gear in labelled bins
Balls in a mesh cage or bin

park 🚗→ grab tools 🔧→ return everything· floor stays clear

⚡

The floor rule: the only things on the floor are the vehicle and the lawnmower. If the car doesn't fit, something needs to leave.

Sort tasks for the Garage

Pull everything out of the garage completely — sort in the driveway
Remove anything that hasn't been used in a year (donate, sell, or bin)
Toss broken tools, paint tins that have skinned over, and empty containers
Remove anything that belongs in the house but drifted to the garage
Separate: keep in garage, donate, sell, bin, return to house
Be especially ruthless with "might need it someday" items

What is the Sort phase?

Sort (整理, Seiri) is the first phase: remove every item that doesn't belong in the space. Expired products, duplicates, broken items, and things used elsewhere all leave before any organising begins. You cannot set up a good system around things that shouldn't be there.

📋 Get the printable Garage Declutter Checklist →

Common questions about the Garage

How do I organise a garage?

The guiding principle is everything off the floor. A pegboard or slotted wall panel for hand tools, wall hooks for bikes, shelving units on the side walls for labelled storage boxes. The floor is for vehicles and the lawnmower only. Pull everything out, sort on the driveway, and only return what has a justified place.

What should I keep in the garage?

Vehicles (the primary purpose), tools actively used, garden equipment, sports and outdoor gear in current season, and labelled bulk storage for seasonal household items. Everything else — including "might need it someday" items — should not be in the garage. A garage that cannot fit the car has failed its primary purpose.

How do I maximise garage storage space?

Wall space is the garage's biggest untapped resource. A full pegboard wall for tools, wall-mounted bike hooks, overhead ceiling racks for seasonal items (camping gear, Christmas decorations), and wall-mounted shelving units free up the entire floor. Most garages can double their usable storage by going vertical.