Wouldn’t it be great to walk into your garage and feel relaxed instead of stressed? Garages often end up as makeshift storage spaces used for all the clutter people don’t want in their homes. But if you organize your garage, you’ll be able to find everything you need much more quickly — and it’ll look a lot better, too. Use these five easy tips to help you free up space and store your tools neatly and safely.

Loose screws, rogue fasteners, and wayward washers that are left over from recent projects and ready-to-assemble furniture kits can quickly get out of hand (or just get lost) in your garage. A clever solution: Reach for a few old pill bottles and label each one with its contents. The petite containers are the perfect size for stashing nails, screws, nuts, bolts, and more DIY helpers.

If brooms, rakes, weed cutters, and other cumbersome tools are always tipping over, grab a pool noodle to keep them streamlined and standing up, suggests organizer Jeneva Aaron, founder of The House Wire. “This is a clever way to utilize vertical space and ensure all your tools look neat.” To do: Simply slice a pool noodle in half, then cut grooves where the tool handles will slide in, and affix the “tool noodle” to the wall of your garage with mounting tape. Done!

Over-the-door shoe organizers are perfect for keeping all the implements you need to flex your green thumb neat and easy to find. “Seed packets, gloves, trowels, even bottles of bug spray and sunscreen fit perfectly in the little pockets,” notes organizer Brenda Scott of Tidy My Space. “Simply look for a shoe organizer with clear pockets so you can see everything at a quick glance.”

Instead of leaving hoses and cords to get tangled up in a storage bin, wrap them around an old bucket or paint can, advises professional organizer Sandy Magura. “The bucket will keep the hose secure and prevent it from twisting or kinking.” Then hang the bucket from its handle on a wall hook to keep it tidy and out of the way.

Leftover road salt and half-emptied bags of potting soil can make a mess on the garage floor. “But plastic bins with sealable tops really come in handy to store these items,” says Scott. Just pour the contents of each bag into its own bin and secure the top. “The airtight pails prevent salt and sand from clumping in the humid air.”

This article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.

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