(NC)—The eavestroughs have been cleaned, the mower has been put away, the trees are trimmed, and the garden “winterized” – so now that the season of outdoor projects has passed, what's a home handyman to do?
Plenty. This is the perfect time to head inside and tackle your workspace clutter. After a busy summer, workbenches are often in rough shape so now's the chance to take inventory and get organized in just a few simple steps.
1. Zone it. Assign zones for each function. For example, a typical garage might store automobile supplies, sports equipment, gardening and lawn care tools, holiday decorations, and of course, your tools. Focus on 3-5 zones and organize your work space accordingly. This will help keep your workbench free of frisbees, soccer balls, Christmas ornaments and anything else that will interfere with your projects.
2. Store it. Proper storage solutions make all the difference when you are searching for the right tool for the job. Don't just pack things in a box and put it on a shelf above your bench. Look at purchasing an organizational tool chest, and be sure to label each drawer for fast and easy retrieval. And don't forget about those loose screws, nuts and bolts. If you don't tackle this job, you'll always be running out to get extra fasteners for each project – costing you time and money. Many home hardware centres sell organizing cabinets, but even a tackle box from your local sporting goods store will do wonders.
3. Get it. Do you really need a 12v, 14v and an 18v drill? Multifunctional tools are a great way to help minimize clutter. If you have an 18v drill and a small screwdriver you'll be able to tackle nearly all of the jobs around your house. A brand-new product that can help to keep your work bench clutter free is the ReadyWrench by Black & Decker. The ReadyWrench is made of durable vanadium steel with a nickel chrome finish and puts 16 of the most popular standard (SAE) and metric socket sizes at your fingertips, in one convenient hand tool. No more searching for lost sockets and best of all its small size is perfect for most projects from assembling furniture to fixing up that old bike for next spring. The ReadyWrench is available at major home centres and hardware stores and makes a great gift.
4. Maintain it. Stick to your new system and return things to their right place after each project. An organized workbench will save you time, money and aggravation so you can get back to work – and play.
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