Organize Garage:
Painting Supplies

My recommendation is always to organize garage areas in bite-sized pieces so you can easily finish the job without getting overwhelmed or stopping halfway through.

Before you organize your painting supplies, go through each item and get rid of anything you no longer need or that is no longer usable. Once you have cleared out the clutter, organizing is so much easier.

Painting supplies require a few considerations when storing.

Safe Temperatures for Paint Storage

Paint needs to be stored in a fairly cool area, between 50-60 degrees (and don't allow paint to freeze, which will often cause it to separate or change consistency, and will no longer be usable).

If your garage stays fairly temperate year-round, it's a good place to store your paint when you organize garage space (otherwise, choose the basement or other more climate-friendly location).

Also find a storage space where you can keep the paint cans off the ground or concrete, because the dampness will typically cause rust on the cans. In addition, store paint away from direct sunlight, furnace, or other heat sources.

Store Paint in Smaller Containers

If the paint cans are less than half full, it's better to store them in smaller containers...the more air the paint is exposed to, the more likely it is to dry out (plus, smaller containers require less room to store!) Canning jars or smaller paint cans work well for this purpose.

Clearly Mark Paint Cans Before Storing

Before you store your paint, make sure each can is clearly marked with the specific color and where you used it, in case you need to purchase more in the future.

Storing Other Paint Supplies

Painting involves special tools in addition to paint, like paint brushes, paint thinner, rollers, drop clothes, stir sticks, paint trays, and so on.

When you organize garage areas, it helps to store everything 'paint-related' in one area of your garage so you can find everything easily the next time you decide to paint.

Paint cans or containers and other liquids work well on shelves or inside cabinets, and plastic covered bins are great to contain all the loose painting accessories so you can grab the entire bin at once.


And when you're ready, move on to Organizing Your Garage: Tools.

---