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a nicely organized garage with boxes and shelves
A garage can certainly be used for extra storage, but a littler decluttering wouldn't hurt.

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  • Business Insider spoke to two professional declutterers about clearing out space in your garage.
  • Old paint, excess building material, and random tools can probably be tossed.
  • If it's been a while since you've sorted old bikes, toys, and sports gear, that's a good start.

A garage can be a godsend if you need extra storage in your house. But it can also quickly become one massive junk drawer.

Before summer races all the way by, now is the perfect time to stop and take stock of the piles, shelves, and boxes.

Business Insider spoke to two professional declutterers about easy things you can toss from your garage immediately.

Here's what the experts said.

Old and unused tools should be discarded or donated to clear up space.
clean garage with a car and a tool bench
If you haven't picked up a tool in a while, it might not have a place in your garage.

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It's easy to accumulate a large collection of tools in your garage, but if you're not using some (for whatever reason), it's probably time to get rid of them.

Tina Horan, a professional declutterer at Uncluttered Spaces, told BI, "Dispose of rusted and duplicate tools so you can improve space efficiency and safety in your garage."

Miscellaneous building materials take up prime real estate.
panels of wood and other building materials in front of a garage
We're often left with excess materials after a DIY project or home renovation.

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If you have random tiles, wooden trim, or hardware from previous home-improvement projects, they usually end up sitting in your garage.

But another professional declutterer from Uncluttered Spaces, Nancy Yerkes, said you're probably not actually going to use them again.

"These items might seem necessary to keep, but in reality, they take up necessary space for more useful items," she told BI.

Paint cans should be tossed if you’ve had them for a while.
old paint cans lined up in front of a garage
Open paint cans shouldn't be kept for more than two years.

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Although it might seem smart to keep extra cans of paint you've used in and around your house for any future touch-ups, Horan said, they actually go bad rather quickly.

"Used paint cans only have a shelf life of about one or two years, so you should go through and throw them out regularly," she told BI.

Old toys and bikes can be hard to let go of, but they take up so much room.
garage full of bikes, toys, and workout gear
Garages can easily become graveyards for kids' toys.

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There's sentimental value in old bikes and toys from when children were young, but Yerkes said some will inevitably need to go.

"Eventually, there's no use for them," she told BI. "They might not be safe to use or donate, and you could be using that space for something new and useful."

Used furniture should be donated or tossed, or it'll just collect dust.
a pink chair sitting outside a shed
Keeping old furniture in your garage can actually wear it out more.

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Instead of keeping old furniture around in hopes of giving it a second life, Horan suggested clearing up space by donating it or throwing it away.

"You should especially be throwing this stuff away or donating it if it takes up tons of room or is sitting in a garage with conditions that contribute to its wear and tear," she told BI.

Outdated sports equipment can be ushered out to make room for new gear.
an organized garage with lots of sports equipment and gear
Once your family has outgrown something, you can pass it on to someone else who will use it.

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Sports equipment like baseball bats, basketballs, and golf clubs can quickly become outdated or outgrown. Over time, it's just invasive.

"By throwing these out, you can make room for new and improved equipment that can be used more," Horan said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
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6 things you need to throw away from your garage right now, according to profes…