US Culture Shock: Decluttering My Garage

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In today's video, my American garage needs a good clean.
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[@jimmymac4559]

It’s important to regularly declutter your garage in order to be able to clutter it properly.

[@jonadabtheunsightly]

In the fall, you declutter your garage by moving everything into the basement. In the spring, you declutter the basement by moving things out to the garage. Don't ask about the attic.

[@annihull6373]

Sweeping out the garage over the childhood memories. :-) so glad I could be of moral support. Blessings

[@pamelasimone5084]

LOL!😂

[@pammasheppard1338]

a vicious circle 😁

[@jayhom5385]

Yes. I'll put that down for next year...just like the previous 15 years.

[@kevinbarry71]

As a child; my father's idea of cleaning out the garage was to move everything out onto the driveway, sweep the floor, and then put everything back. Even as a small child I knew it didn't make any sense

[@jenniferpearce1052]

Ive been meaning to do that to mine. Maybe to just see what's in there.

[@ruk2023--]

That is cleaning. He didn't say he was tidying it.

[@AlyKatKitty]

Omg, that’s what my ex always did, all the while yelling that it was my fault it was so messy in the first place, while putting all of his things back into an inaccessible pile so that anything I wanted in the garage was, by default, in the way. This is why he’s my ex

[@kevinbarry71]

@@AlyKatKitty you have my sympathies

[@theturtlemoves9310]

So there is actually some sense to this. Even if you have no intention of getting rid of any of the clutter, it's a good idea to move it occasionally. That way you can disturb any creepy crawlies and rodents that might be setting up shop, and sweep up any rodent poop/bedding that might be present. Clutter is bad enough. Clutter with an infestation is horrible.

[@margaretpratt5963]

I’ve been cleaning and organizing my single car garage for almost 2 weeks. As I found an unfinished project, I finished it. Made donate, hazardous waste, throw out and recycle boxes. Had to wait for new shelving and containers and installed new brackets and hooks. Apologized to my mother for still having her ashes in the garage, but put the dog’s ashes with her to keep her company. Than made a plan with my children to scatter the ashes in the Atlantic next Florida visit. Now aren’t you glad you asked?

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

Aww ❤❤❤. Rest in peace, your mother and canine family.

[@FYMASMD]

Good job!!😎👍

[@gemoftheocean]

Sad. Your mom deserves much better.

[@sparkyheberling6115]

@@gemoftheocean It was just a joke to lighten the mood! A cluttered garage can be a real downer.

[@bjdefilippo447]

Don't suppose I could borrow you for a couple of weeks?

[@XenZenSen]

Monetizing chores, the American way. You have come a long way Lawrence!

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

I saw it as an interesting twist of incentive, lol. Speaking as a woman, you always hear in sitcoms and whatnot of women demanding their husbands clean out the garage. His KZbin channel allows him to make that into content, so it's a great incentive. Maybe we all should start KZbin channels when we clean and de-clutter. I only halfway joke. There really is a market out there for those who can make good videos while doing such tasks. Throw a stone and you'll hit a trillion videos about office makeovers, for example (yes, half of them will either be Asian girls raiding IKEA or western men being sponsored by expensive companies like Grovemade, but the videos do still seem to be popular and get decent views). So, next time your partner drags their feet in doing chores...tell them to monetize it on a KZbin channel 😅

[@CLYMA1.5CHAINZ]

He is so Alton Brown with his deliveries hehe😅

[@marybell3013]

Just recently discovered this channel- I love it! I have a hard time decluttering because I have what I call “EnviroGuilt”, I don’t like to send things to the landfill, because they have become massive mountains of polluting crap. I try to reduce reuse recycle give away, or keep stuff because “I might need it someday”. Ugh it takes not only physical energy but mental and emotional energy too. And other people already have so much stuff that I can’t even give things away.

[@CreatorInTrng]

As a kid, cleaning the garage was one form of punishment meted out for some trumped up charge. The next level was actually cleaning your room. Oh, the horror.

[@builtontherockhomestead9390]

I know your pain.

[@kyledodson2992]

Funny, my mom was the authority in my childhood, and she would tell me to go sweep the garage when I got in trouble but often my dad would be out there chillin and would either let me help work on his corvette, or just ask me to grab him a drink from inside 😂 or…. He’d just say he wanted to be alone, so I’d go to a friends house. My favorite “punishment” by far

[@MegaMantim]

LOL, "Trumped up charge" Thats what our Union called all disciplinary actions...lol

[@Colorado_Native]

That, my friend, is what closets are for!

[@witchhazel4135]

I had to clean out the barn. ☹️

[@stardust949]

My husband and I have owned our home since 1995. It has a double garage (with an attic!). I've lost track how many times our garage has been filled up with not just our stuff while raising 3 sons---but---the stuff of my Mom, after she died, the stuff of my sons when they grew up---moved out, moved back, moved out again---my nephew who needed some place to store his stuff for nearly a year when he was also in transition...and so forth. Owning a garage? IT owns YOU.

[@robinmills8675]

Just like an unfinished basement. Every year my mother would tell my sisters and me to come get our stuff or she was throwing it out. We obviously didn't want our stuff because we never came for it, but darned if I didn't find my 3rd grade report card down there after she died 😂. In my early 50's, along with my parent's clutter, I had to clean out my grandparent's clutter, my clutter, my sister's clutter and my kids clutter. Eighteen carloads of stuff to a charity shop and three 800-got-junk loads later, the basement was clean. I think I can fit everything I own in a small u-haul truck. Lesson learned Mom. 😊

[@huntercrosby8882]

Maybe learn how to say no to people instead of blaming an inanimate structure.

[@anndeecosita3586]

@@robinmills8675Why didn’t you go get it and throw it away while she was alive?

[@robinmills8675]

@@anndeecosita3586 Because she said she was going to. I really didn't need my third grade report card.

[@misspatvandriverlady7555]

@@huntercrosby8882So how many members of your family are you not speaking to and/or are not speaking to you? 🤔

[@RicIngh]

My favorite saying is, "Work fascinates me. I can watch it for hours", especially if someone else is doing it

[@doccross]

Lawrence, I've got to tell you that compared to the Average American Garage, your's was practically pristine from the start. The fact that you could actually park your car in it put you miles ahead of most folks.

[@nogames8982]

The fact that you can fit one car in your garage puts you ahead of most people.

[@cynthiajohnston424]

So true ! As a house & pet-sitter at some beautiful homes w/ multi-car garages , most vehicles cannot be parked in the garages due to CLUTTER !! Also , consider the common sense of US citizens to rent storage units for the clutter overflow ! 😂

[@elultimo102]

Some of us live where they don't have basements, which they should. Thus, we are forced to pile up the garage. Many of us also are without a usable attic space for all our Xmas decorations.

[@seameology]

They only recently moved into that house. Give them a couple more years!🤣

[@margotjones7168]

Never thought I'd enjoy watching someone clean a garage this much!

[@AmyMLevy]

When my husband and I decided to downsize to a much smaller house without a garage or basement, I picked through a few items that I really wanted to keep, then posted a notice on my local buy-nothing group for people to come "clean out my garage" - 2 hours later perfect strangers had removed absolutely everything I didn't want to move. It was really, really satisfying, knowing stuff was going to people who could actually use it.

[@cynthiajohnston424]

Well done - like your style !!

[@Zelmel]

Lawrence, you need a push broom for that garage and whatever else. So much faster than a standard indoor broom.

[@dukkieb]

… or a leaf blower?

[@straybricks]

“And now my garage, like so many in the midwest, looks like it was directed by Michael Bay.” I snort-laughed because it’s 100% true.

[@80sGamerLady]

Laurence, to make your sled slide smoothly, take either soap or a candle and rub it on the tracks to make it go fast.

[@jodala]

And make sure there’s lots of snow. Sledding on grass is no fun. Rocks even less fun.

[@nohrt4me]

Wax paper also works on spec runners and playground slides.

[@Kibannn]

I find that sleds work better when you make the whole thing out of butter

[@LoyaFrostwind]

People do that with skis also.

[@davidcosta2244]

White lithium grease FTW !

[@noone1929]

Have to be careful about spiders, brown recluses don’t look how you’d think. Last year we redid our downstairs bathroom and the guy came in the first day and said he wouldn’t take down anymore of the wall because there were brown recluses in there. As their name implies they hide away we could have had them for years. We had an exterminator come and he sprayed everywhere, attic, basement, garage. He also gave us sticky traps that besides catching our new kitten, I got a good look at the spiders that look a lot like a daddy long legs but with slightly thicker bodies with that famous darker brown “violin” on the abdomen.

[@davidcosta2244]

Chicago is too far north to have brown recluse spiders. They may have black widows, though.

[@catw6998]

Neither is my answer. I hope those foggers work in the get rid of endeavor? I’ve never heard but sure hope so !

[@nrrork]

He's gonna do this with every pain in the ass household chore, which is deviously clever. I'm glad he's on OUR team. 😁

[@hilupianoservice]

My wife and I are a 1 car family, so I fitted half my garage with an indoor playground during COVID. The neighborhood kids were allowed to play there with masks on and the door up.

[@KOKO-uu7yd]

That's LOVELY!🥰

[@adamwhite3584]

You put kids in masks at home? That's so wrong.

[@hilupianoservice]

@@adamwhite3584 We were being extra cautious during the height of the pandemic. We stopped masking in the "indoor" playground once the neighborhood kids were vaccinated. Let's not fall down a political rabbit hole here.

[@KOKO-uu7yd]

@@hilupianoservice I admire your restraint and response to *adamwhite*. Personally, I wonder if they just didn't ACTUALLY READ your post. At least, I'm HOPING it was only that. 🤨😅

[@pamelah6431]

Insane people abusing kids.

[@paulinesoares3594]

If you don’t declutter it, you won’t have room for more stuff to clutter it up again. Lol. Arthur is getting big. So cute. Garage looks great!

[@seameology]

Right? Many times I don't buy things because I have nowhere to put it. But after I declutter, well, then I have room to buy more!

[@user-jq1cw9xz3n]

I always found cleaning the garage a great way to entertain my children whenever they declared they were bored. My daughter uses that same technique now with my grandkids.

[@sylvie1941]

Really loved 'cleaning the garage' with my Grandpa! When mom picked me up after visiting I'd have lots of stuff to take home to put in OUR garage!! 😃

[@cynthiarafferty7662]

​@@sylvie1941Grandpa's revenge for storing your mom's "stuff" that she said she'd come back for when she moved out. I'm in the process of doing that to my son. A box of his high school yearbooks, pictures, memorabilia etc and a box of family pictures. I moved recently and HE told me to go through everything so I did and he gets HIS everything BACK! Plus two Kobalt axes and other tools. Quite a collection of "stuff"!

[@rtyria]

That sounds familiar, only with bedrooms as we didn't have a garage when I was growing up. Now my husband is amazed how hard it is to bore me.

[@misspatvandriverlady7555]

Ah yes, most of my adolescence was spent so bored I longed to either run away or die but I could never, ever mention that for fear of being given “something to do”. Great job avoiding caring about how your kid felt by giving that burden to your kid, Mom and Dad! 😒

[@JariDawnchild]

Are we related? My mother got that trick from her mother, and I've used it on my kid. 😂

[@MisterWinkie01]

"Out if sight, out of mind" is pretty much the norm for a lot of people - especially if you have a lot of room in your home.

[@richb313]

Cleaning out the garage a chore that never ends.

[@sylvie1941]

That's right! 😊

[@dianefiske-foy4717]

You need a push broom for your garage, Laurence. They work better in a garage than a regular broom does.

[@pamelah6431]

Make that a blower. 😁

[@dianefiske-foy4717]

@@pamelah6431 … Yeah, I thought of that. But thought it wouldn’t work so well for a cluttered garage. My son has one, but he uses it for outside (Pool area and driveway, etc.) and the push broom for the garage.

[@susanheston4483]

I don't have a garage, but i have a basement. And that is full of clutter, or junk. Since you cleaned your garage you've given me a push to clean my basement. So I'm marking my calendar for next year. Thanks Laurence, you're swell. Love your videos.

[@StenyGaming]

NO ONE GOES INTO THE BASEMENT! No one...

[@StenyGaming]

Only I go into the basement!

[@susanheston4483]

@@StenyGaming I have to, my washer is down there. I just follow the path of spider webs.

[@StenyGaming]

@@susanheston4483 risk it if you wish The basement is mine.

[@VespasianJudea]

@@susanheston4483 Woman up and get it done.

[@ChrisTtheCarpenter]

I took a youtube break from cleaning my garage to FIND YOU'VE CLEANED YOUR GARAGE. Great time of the year for it and greetings from the far Other end of the state!

[@tricitymorte1]

Yep, the autumn garage clean-up is important. You need to deal with all the stuff you didn't deal with while the weather was good because you couldn't be bothered to. And then spring cleaning is to clean up your house after being stuck inside it all winter and couldn't be bothered to clean that. It's a vicious cycle, but for some reason, we put up with it.

[@ColorwaveCraftsCo]

Exactly! My garage is filled with boxes still from when we moved in 7 months ago

[@tricitymorte1]

@@ColorwaveCraftsCo I've lived in my house 13 years. The cleaning of stuff never ends. Somehow, stuff I've never seen before manages to accumulate in massive piles.

[@lindabaker667]

Hi, Laurence. When your rain started, you should have put your cardboard out to get saturated!! I have been doing this for years. Cardboard gets soaking wet and pliable--start folding! I have folded extremely large boxes into nice, neat "packages" that become very managable. Recycle or discard--whichever works for you.

[@nancysexton545]

brilliant!!!

[@adedow1333]

Just don't leave it out to moulder

[@czarinatx]

Brilliant! Thanks 😂

[@bethjustmann356]

You need to go back to Menards & get a "barn" broom. It's twice as wide & has stiffer bristles. You can use it to sweep water out of your garage or light snow off your sidewalk.

[@davidcosta2244]

AKA push broom.

[@virginiamoss7045]

Oh, dear; you still haven't sealed the bottom of your overhead garage door. You'll just have more mice, rats, squirrels, maybe even opossums, all gnawing and nesting. But the garage looks and functions great now otherwise. Good job!

[@nemo227]

I don't believe that decluttering your garage is allowed under U.S. law. You can build a spare "junk" room or an attic or a basement or store extra crap in a rental storage unit but be very careful about decluttering your garage. Be very careful.🥺😳

[@sparkyheberling6115]

Park your car on the street, otherwise you will be on law enforcement's radar. They'll know you have space in your garage.

[@Loki_Trickster]

@@sparkyheberling6115 Don't forget the two car garage Rule... A 2 car garage can only ever hold 1 running car at a time, with variances for cars on cinderblocks as long as its also used as a table.

[@diamondlou1]

Or, in our case, we built a storage shed (or 3) in the back yard.

[@nemo227]

@@Loki_Trickster That's a real rule. I'm sure I have a copy of that rule in one of my filing cabinets . . . No, I think it's in one of two tub files . . . Nope, maybe I should check the stack of Bankers Boxes. Nope. Now I remember; my wife folded it and put it under the box that holds the old Christmas cards. I'll get it later...

[@nemo227]

@@diamondlou1 Could you build one for us out here in California? The 50 year old shed we have has part of the roof rusted out and the floor is shot (rotted).

[@shrodingerschat2258]

My project for last winter was my garage. And when I say last winter, it literally took me all winter to work on it. I never realized just how much "stuff" I had in my garage that I didn't need. Ended up either burning or throwing away over half of it. The rest is now neatly organized into new wall cabinets or overhead storage. So far, I've managed to stay on top of it and keep it tidy. The key is just to remember to put something back IMMEDIATELY when you're done with it, otherwise it just gets left out and the clutter process ensues.

[@seanjones21]

I do this every year.. The trick is to wait until after the first freeze when the spiders go into hibernation lol

[@kathybouziane5269]

My dad used to have the most organized garage. Anybody remember the baby food jars nailed under a shelf that contained a huge assortment of nails, screws etc ? Tools hung on pegboard outlined in permanent marker so you'd be busted if you didn't put an item back. Rafters had lawn chairs , bikes and sleds suspended. What a guy !

[@dahn57]

Honestly, your garage was pretty damn clean to start with! My grandmother died two years ago, and left a house to clear out and FOUR garages, one of which was a working car maintenance garage with a pit and lots of car repair tools and equipment. It literally took months to organise, sort and clear those garages!

[@joermnyc]

It’s surprising just how much stuff can be hung up using either pegboard, or one of those boards with rail slots in them. The sheer number of hangers they make for things these days is staggering. Of course you have to remember to put things back on their hooks after using them.

[@nimravus01]

Yes! Hanging up stuff is good. Especially for commonly used items. Also, overhead storage often gets overlooked. I'm all for 3D storage, rather than just stacking stuff up on the floor.

[@kenbrown2808]

for the first 5 or 6 years of my marriage, my goal in life was to make a big enough hole in the clutter to fit my lawnmower into my own garage, and my wife's goal was to prevent that.

[@daverave3698]

My wife always plans a spring clean on the garage which usually entails getting everything out, dusting it off, then putting it back. Then there's the Christmas and Thanksgiving decorations. They get pulled out and dusted off every Thanksgiving and Christmas and then on Jan 1 they all get packed up and put back in the garage. Then there are the three sheds, where we follow the same ritual. It's the American way!

[@ginger1549]

When we retired & moved to Florida fromPa it fell to my husband to pack up his garage - which he had not really cleaned out in the 28 years we lived there. I packed up our entire upstairs in the time he spent cleaning that horrid mess. Eventually I just gave up & went down to help him.Thank Goodness most of it we gave away - sold or most of it - threw away. I'd spend all day throwing stuff away then he'd spend all evening rooting thru the trash.

[@andrea.rivers]

I just did my bi-annual garage cleaning over the weekend. More spider prevention than anything. Our garage is stupidly small so we don't park in it anymore. It's full of discarded large furniture I'm trying to get rounded up to donate. My goal is to fit one car in it this winter. lol We'll see. I highly recommend a wet/dry vac. I don't care about brands- I generally only get it at Costco because it's closest and eliminates choices, but I think it was a DeWalt. It was AMAZING during my clean up. Sucked all those dried carcasses up near the garage door like a champ, reached tall spots without issue. While I was tempted to use it to send a message to Brunhilda the porch spider I thanked her for summer mosquito service and spared her life. I also told her if she stayed out of site- it would bode well for the both of us. 😆

[@misskimbenner]

Welcome to now having “junk rooms”, not just a “junk drawer”

[@jasonlescalleet5611]

That’s nothing. I have been half seriously monitoring the light industrial listings in town, looking for a small warehouse. I am always running out of room to put things and so what I need is a whole building devoted to putting things in.

[@catw6998]

@@jasonlescalleet5611I know that feeling - all too well.

[@judywright4241]

Don’t leave out junk closets!

[@fhengal]

People have been storing stuff in the attic (or the crawl-space below the rafters) for decades.

[@anndeecosita3586]

I vowed as a kid not to have a junk drawer when I grew up. So far so good. Now my guest bedroom closet is a whole other deal. 😂

[@LotharTheFellhanded]

I dunno, making your own Adirondack chairs could be a nice winter project and then they're ready for spring. And working in the garage you can be kind of outdoors while working and not be cooped up inside the whole time.

[@robertlangland3351]

Lawrence... you're a hoot... your garage dilemma could not be more better articulated... thank you for making me smile today

[@AlyKatKitty]

Well, that’s just ironic.

[@robertlangland3351]

@@AlyKatKitty how so?

[@SeanMacLennan]

I am Canadian, but every fall I have to try to clean up the garage so I can put the car in it for the winter... well only when it threatens to snow.

[@pkmcnett5649]

Your spaces need more shelving, hangers and benches. I get NOTHING done as a dog owner. He is the boss.

[@laurabustos6560]

As a somewhat and sometimes professional cleaner and organizer. 🤔 Laurence, if I may, please look into bike hanging hooks, peg boards and some nice clear Tupperware boxes so you can see what you have in them.

[@sylvie1941]

...and if you store things in cardboard boxes LABEL them with what's inside it so you don't have to open EVERY single Home Depot box you purchased to put stuff in when looking for a particular item. Yeah, been there. Done that. 😒

[@EthanHyland]

At my old house, which was a trailer or a mobile home, we stored a lot of stuff in the hall bedroom since we didn't have a basement or a garage.

[@GrandDuchessAniya]

My incentive to keeping my one-car garage clean is to keep the car out of the elements. (We have had several hailstorms this year so far.) We don't have basements in our area, but I do have a sizeable walk-in arric.

[@jasonlescalleet5611]

Those Dewalt miter saws are pretty nice. I’ve got their big one and I like it much more than the ones I’d used previously. Definitely worth unboxing and using, in my opinion.

[@leahmollytheblindcatnordee3586]

We had a 2 1/2 car garage built many years ago, but as yours did, we need to declutter it. It isn't easy. We have inherited things from our parents, ourselves and all the things we thought we might do have been stuffed in there. And now, it just sits there and glares at us. Thanks for taking us on your adventure.

[@nexussever]

When I was a kid, a friend gave my sister a live box turtle, who then went missing. 5 years later, we move a piece of plywood that had been leaning against the garage wall, only to find the shell of the very dead and dehydrated turtle. This was my lesson to clean the garage more often. LOL

[@randelbrooks]

Be mindful of fire hazards. Having a lot of stuff piled up everywhere is a real danger. I was a volunteer fireman for quite a few years and it's very hard getting through a lot of stuff to get to where the fire is.

[@hyett1954]

As a kid, if my siblings or I told my father that we were bored, he would have us clean the garage or basement.

[@minnie2185]

I've learned to not keep boxes in my garage. Everything goes in plastic bins. Boxes attract bugs and rodents because they eat the boxes or like to hide in them. Cleaning out your garage every 6 month helps you to not collect junk you don't need or use.

[@lyndamuller2025]

We have neither a garage nor a basement being apartment dwellers. We moved here from a 3 bedroom home and have not yet been able to get rid of all the excess. We live in clutter! There's nowhere to hide! Thank you, Lawrence, for sharing how easy it can be.

[@timothygreer188]

You may want to replace those cardboard boxes with plastic tubs otherwise you're giving mice and squirrels winter nests

[@bellablue5285]

Seconding (or whatever number-ing), peg board, ladder hooks, and bike hooks. And a push broom which will move debris and water. Potentially shelving (or shelf unit) if you've accumulated various cans/tanks/bottles or motorized yard implements (can do shelves with peg board too, depending on weight, wouldn't put a 5 gal bucket of sand up but I do have my blower and hedge trimmers off the floor that way). Really up to how the space works for you, those are what I do with mine since I need to be able to park in the garage in winter (and get a snowblower in and out, as well as trashcans given bears are common here)

[@VickiCampbell-1216]

That was fun to watch. I'm into cleaning and watching people clean. My initials are "V.C." for "vacuum cleaner".😅😑 Jerry Seinfeld once said, "Clean is good until you add the 'ing' ".

[@starman5754]

Sweeping the garage? Oh Laurence, revolutionize your life with a decent leaf blower, blow it clean. Also, if you're serious about mitre saw projects, you'll want to supplement with a Shop Vac as well.

[@laurareutter6928]

Leaf bowers are hellish things. Sweeping is peaceful and meditative😊

[@lmw716]

I didn’t have clutter until I had 4 kids, which was so frustrating to a person who despises clutter. It’s been much easier to prevent clutter, even with the 8 of us, by simply not buying frivolous things and regularly getting rid of things we no longer need. (I do that every 6 months.) Still, half our garage definitely can’t be used by cars because it is taken up by 8 bikes. Not that the garage is big enough to fit a vehicle large enough to transport our family, but that’s besides the point. Lol.

[@catw6998]

Did you pick up 2 more to add to your family dynamics? 4 kids + 2 and 2 more since then, I’m guessing ;).

[@lmw716]

@@catw6998 yeah, we have 6 kids now. I have to work hard to prevent clutter from accumulating with 6 under 13, but it started accumulating when #4 came along. Being done adding to our family has made some decluttering much easier, though.

[@ladyjustice1474]

If you don't want clutter in house, garage, apartment. Think long and hard about what items you bring home, and how often you will actually use it. Such as excercise equipment, kitchen gadgets, table saws, bicycle, or items to start a hobbie that you seem to never have time for. Then there's decore items, clothing, car gadgets, and the list goes on. If your not using it daily it doesn't belong in the house, garage, apartment.

[@sylvie1941]

Yes! Good idea!

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

I love BritBox. One of my faves is Last of the Summer Wine…especially the earliest episodes with Michael Bates as Cyril Blamire. Pater Sallis was always a delight as Cleggy, and of course, he turned out to be the only one to appear in every single episode of this very long running series….from 1973 through 2010!!!!

[@sylvie1941]

My FAVORITE show!! Love that series so much!💜

[@midnightodellewest1999]

We don’t have a garage or a basement. That’s not to say we have no clutter, though. We have two rooms that are just messy, glorified closets. I could never figure out what to call the two extra rooms. I am now going to call one room the garage and the other room the basement!

[@candicewaller403]

I have cleaned many garages, some of them were even mine! My proudest garage project was the complete overhaul at my last house. I designed an organizing system for the walls, took everything out, painted, installed shelving, a huge pegboard, new lighting, and cabinets. It was GORGEOUS and worked fabulously as my partner and I completed all the home renovation projects of our dreams.... Then we sold the house 3 years later and moved to another state. So,,,, I have to do it all again, lol!

[@jodydonaldson4125]

UGH…Garage cleaning. In the Mid-West, it happens twice a year😖. The winter gear and the summer gear. It is a true pain, no doubt, but once it’s done and both of your vehicles fit in, such a good feeling! AND…It makes your neighbors a bit envious!!!

[@milkshake123abc]

Cleaned my garage every spring for 33 years. I recommend Krud Kutter for cleaning off the crud on stuff. Sweep down the walls with a regular broom. Hose down as much stuff as possible. Last step, hose down the floor. Get a push broom for the floor. So much quicker and easier than a kitchen broom. Result...sparkling, bug free, cobweb free zone. Big job but feels so good when it's done. Plus, it's fun playing with the hose. Also recommend getting reels for cords & hanging as much stuff as possible on the walls. Keep up the good work.

[@zwang416]

Such a coincidence to see this video pop up today since we finally cleaned out our garage after 3 years of moving into our home. It felt so good to see the semi-organization and the amount of free space we have now 🤣😂

[@Summer73343]

You are an American Sensation!!!!!🎉 Come to my home… no stuff, junk, things, clutter or crap are allowed in my home. My garage is carpeted, my shed has curtains and my storage rooms are wallpapered, carpeted and have curtains. I would be glad to set you on the right path.😂 Great job on purging your garage .😊

[@hgrace0]

Definitely the easiest way to get things organized is to just not own things 😂 Easier said than done.

[@misspatvandriverlady7555]

Yeah, people keep giving me crap I don’t want or have a use for but which seems like it could be useful and I’m afraid to throw it all out because what if they find out and I am now “ungrateful”? 🤦‍♀️ It definitely helped when my husband with the fondness for frequenting thrift stores and flea markets died, though. 🤔

[@uncletoby-]

Did you remember to oil the wood on the sleds ?

[@JeannineDobson]

Ooh, Laurence! Love the fast motion in this video! You've brought back many memories of the 2 car garage when had beofre my husband passed away. It was chock full of holiday decorations, gardening implements, old toys, lawn furniture, leftover clutter from various family members. We had 2 cars, but they never made it into the garage except when it was going be super cold or snowy. When there was a storm coming, we would stack stuff all the way up to the ceiling, making just enough room get the cars in. I had to climb over my car's console and exit through the passenger door because it was so tight. Ah, memories. 😊

[@CountGremlin]

As an American, Blackadder is so damn funny I'm surprised it's not a household show here, given how popular Mr Bean is

[@dewellspringer7950]

My dad was a very neat, clean focused person. Our garage was cleaned thoroughly about every 6 weeks. This meant taking everything thing out of the garage except the dryer and freezer. This included emptying the shelves. Everything was dusted. The garage floors was cleaned with hot soapy water and rinsed. Literally you eat off my dad's garage floor at that point. With the shelves clean, once the floor was dry, everything was put back in its place. Of course my brother and I were largely responsible for doing this job when we became 9 and 7 years old. It was not one of my favorite chore.

[@MakeitZUPER]

You will do well with this one... Decluttering is a popular topic.

[@suem6004]

Push broom. And bicycle hooks to hang up bicycles. We got clear, locking storage containers that fit our shelves. Labeled as well. Keeps the inventory spider free and organized. I just attended a week long decluttering event with 100 speakers about all things organizing and decluttering.

[@hannabusse8137]

Published 36 seconds ago? weird... I'm just on youtube at the right time.

[@hannabusse8137]

Also, you absolutely have to clean the garage and the sled NOW, not in winter. I mean, I can't clean very well in mittens and a parka. You'll be so glad you can just play in the snow with your niece, no cleaning necessary.

[@privatelyprivate3285]

Fall is the best time to clean winter stuff - no one likes to work in a freezing garage.

[@johnhelwig8745]

All fresh and clean... for the squirrels. I also take a hose and wash the floor, especially after the Michigan winter with the salt and ice on the roads. Once you get settled, I can see you, Laurence, creating a little workshop along one wall.

[@brainwashingdetergent4322]

Those old Radio Flyer sleds can be worth a pretty penny if it’s of the right vintage. I have a house from the 1950’s and it came with stuff hidden in various nooks and crannies, stuff from the 50’s-60’s… I will keep those items hidden in the nooks and crannies until the next owners buy the place.

[@oldtop4682]

VERY IMPORTANT!!!! Get the model and serial number of the miter saw and Google a safety recall. A friend bought one earlier this year and found out about the recall yesterday. We are talking about potentially serious bodily injury to both the user of the saw and folks nearby. It does not affect all models/serial numbers, but please check. Since you have the miter saw..... You may want to measure that wall and design some additional shelving and storage for that side of the garage. A trip to the home center should give you some ideas, but plan it out well or you will be constantly tinkering with new storage ideas and rearranging the damn storage system (which is where I've been for the last 20 years lol). Adirondack chairs are a pretty good (and easy) first project. Remember though, they too will need a place under cover during snow season.

[@charlesfarmer5749]

I’ve been cleaning my garage for 18 years. After the move in, I could barely walk through it. The best time was when we could park both cars in it. Currently I’ll rate it about 50 percent clear.

[@squarewave808]

Nicely done Laurence, and while I do realize (or ‘realise’ if you prefer) that you sort of hinted at this, it’s not a true American garage experience unless you encountered at least one black widow spider. They are for some reason inextricably drawn to impractical refuse that finds its way into garages.

[@skylilly1]

I highly suggest wearing gloves and a long sleeve shirt to keep from getting bitten. My cousin was cleaning out her garage and got a bad spider bite, and spent 10 days in the hospital. She wore no gloves or a long sleeve shirt.

[@squarewave808]

@@skylilly1 Yep, those things are no joke. Fortunately they’re not aggressive, but if you accidentally stick your hand in the wrong place they might zap you. I remember when I was about 13 helping my Dad stack firewood and when I picked up a piece of wood there was a big, fat shiny black widow on it just a few inches from my hand. I never dropped anything so fast in my life!

[@thizizliz]

I've sorted out garages in 3 states. Usually my husband and son immediatly pile stacks of things in front of the items I've carefully organized for easy access. Oh well, beats going to the gym.

[@monicapdx]

Never cleaned a garage, but am in the middle of clearing out the apartment I've lived in 32 years. (Longest I've lived any place in my life.) About $100 worth of 30-gallon trash bags in apartmnt dumpsters, 3 trips to the dump (including a lot of leftover furniture from a former roomie who just left it when he moved into assisted living; thanks a lot, buddy, not), umpteen filling of recycling bins, 6 or 7 Goodwill trips with multiples of the trash bags and boxes full, storing the yarn stash - after paring it down - in a friend's garage, and I *still* have SABLE (Stash Enhancement Beyond Life Expectancy...what? Do painters keep only a few tubes of paints on hand? I think not.) - plus still sorting through boxes of books to keep, previous to also storing them temporarily in friend's garage, and then we're finally down to my bedroom, which is the last room to toss and pack. The stuff I'm keeping is mostly huddling in a corner of the living room, not counting my bedroom furniture and clothes. Mind you, I've tossed mass amounts of stuff about every 10 years, too. But 30 years builds up despite that. Especially if you hand spin (oh, forgot the 3 spinning wheels to keep, and the floor loom to sell), knit, and read voraciously. At least I didn't have around 2,000 books like the last time we moved. Ebooks are a good thing. (Don't gasp, people. I had a friend who by my age, late 60s, moved, and literally had 1 ton of books. I swear. They took up a moving truck all on their own. I myself have around 3,000 in my Kindle library. And I keep them because I re-read books, often. It's the ones I only like enough to read once that I get rid of.) I haven't dared think of the two storage compartments here at the apartments yet... Though at least they'll mostly get tossed..

[@normhal4908]

I'm always remembering what Quintin Crispt used to say about cleaning. "after the first four years it doesn't get any worse".

[@corinnepmorrison1854]

Guess my late husband was an exception to the usual image of an American man… I miss my wonderful, beloved husband…EVERY DAY… I will ALWAYS love you Don…❤️💔 He had an old 1940 Ford in our garage, and our garage was never cluttered! That garage had a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer…and a full-sized freezer, my washer and dryer, shelving filled with a variety of books, cleaning supplies, etc.

[@lindah6954]

I cleaned my garage. Moved the snow blower closer to the front to get to it. Fresh oil change and spark plugs. Nothing like trying to clear out 5 feet of snow 2 days after Christmas.

[@nimravus01]

Quick question: are off-site storage units a big thing in Britian? Its a huge booming business in the US. We seem to accumulate stuff on top of stuff, and thus even our garages cant hold it all. I'm proud to say that my wife and I committed to using our garage for vehicles, and we no longer have any off-site storage. Selling off, giving away, or otherwise discarding old things that we just "needed to save for later" was cathartic, not to mention a boost to the wallet now without storage fees. Plus, our vehicles are safer and less weathered.

[@tiredofit4761]

I always said if I owned a home with a garage I would block it in and make an extra bedroom or den. My daughter has a large home and 2 car garage. She can’t fit one car in it because of clutter. This is the second home she has done this with. Garages usually end up storage space. FYI I have a carport and my husband has trash bins and yard equipment under it so my car barely fits…

[@DanielMWJ]

I don't know what's worse: That you put a video out on youtube about cleaning your garage or that I watched the whole thing and enjoyed it.

[@RoseNZieg]

autumn cleaning is a must!! you don't want to be unprepared for winter.

[@route2070]

To Lav Luka, when you do you're reaction to this video, at 3:03, when you see the brightly colored cubes of stuff, that is bales of recycled material that gets crushed into that shape to make it easier to send to the recycling plant at most retail stores. No we don't send our stuff to the store to be recycled, thatbis their recyclable refuse that they put together after taking things out of the packaging to put on the shelves.

[@KarlRoyale]

You want to make the chairs now in the fall. That way you have plenty of time to build the things. It will probably take longer than you think AND you want extra time to stain or paint the wood and give them plenty of time to dry. Plus you will find that having a project going MIGHT help keep the clutter away. (at the low low cost of making the project take longer)

[@mewregaurdhissyfit7733]

Ooh Lawrence.........What about the house? I know you just moved in, but a lot of Americans do whats called "Spring cleaning" and "Fall cleaning". We clean the house in the springtime to clean up from winter, put winter things away, and even sometimes move things around so the house has a new feel to it. Same thing in the fall, cleaning up from summer and getting ready for winter.

[@rtyria]

I can't clean out my garage because it is currently filled with 3 life-sized camels and magi (the camels weigh 200 lbs each and the magi aren't exactly light either). Somewhere in there is a lawn mower, generator (necessary in my area), and a small army of spiders. It's the spiders mainly holding up the works. They look poisonous.

[@pamelah6431]

Hey, that was some catchy garage cleaning tunes! I'm a landscaper and don't have anywhere besides our garage to store all my work junk, so gar-OJJ cleaning is a regular burden.

[@LindaC616]

The music is Moby-ish

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

I put a wall and a door and window where my bay door was in my garage and made an art studio. I can just almost walk through it for all the stuff lol🤗❤️🐝

[@KathyRee]

Oh, the garage! Mom saved every magazine she ever bought, and those were piled up all over. The neighbors' magnolia leaves would blow into our garage all year, and what with that and all the piles of stuff lying around, we never parked our cars inside. It was nuts! Nowadays I keep my garage clutter to a minimum so that we can park two cars in the garage. Not easy! I still don't know how I find an entire driveway's worth of stuff for a garage sale every year, but I do.

[@nolongeramused8135]

Fun fact: the bigger the garage the fewer cars will be parked in it. Hell, most people have so much crap in their garage that they park in the driveway. The solutions are: 1) Get rid of your crap, 2) Rent a storage unit, 3) Build a large shed in the back yard, 4) Convert your attic into storage, 5) Put in some overhead storage in your garage

[@richj120952]

I feel shame. We moved into our new home 4 years ago. When we moved I took, loads, and loads (rise-repeat) to Goodwill/Salvation Army, and the recycling/trash center. Everything we absolutely needed we boxed and shipped. Most of those boxes are still in my garage, full, not unpacked. So, my garage is pretty cluttered. (There is a path!) When the heat cools down I will attempt to either unpack, and since I haven't used it for 4 years, I guess off it goes to where it can be useful to someone else, or to the dump. But, there is a rub. There are 2 of us, and all that stuff isn't mine. How do you tell a quilter that we need to get rid of those projects/fabric as she hasn't used them? (And still be able to sleep at night, in our bed.)

[@pamabernathy8728]

Be vewy vewy careful. Nice knowing you, will be the refrain from your neighbors.

[@R.M.MacFru]

Did you use Murphy's Oil Soap on the wood parts of the sled?

[@david.mcmahan]

My most miserable garage clean was the total clean-out after selling a house.

[@barbaralewis3832]

What do you mean I did'nt do anything while you cleaned? Oooh Laurence I laughed at you! 😂😂😂😂Thanks for that.