It’s time to trade in your snow shovels, sleds and ice skates for lawnmowers, bicycles and basketballs. But how are you going to make room in the garage for all that warm-weather gear.

Here are a few tips on clearing out the clutter and organizing your garage. When you’re done, you’ll even have room to park your car!

Cleaning the garage seems like a daunting task, but breaking it down into steps makes the process easier. Before you start, grab a pen and paper, and head out to the garage. Take a good look around.

Divide your paper into three columns. In the first column, note what items you need regular access to, like garden tools, sports equipment, and the and the recycling bin.

The second column is for those things that can be stored, either in the attic or another out-of-the way place. Finally, items that can be donated, given away or discarded go in the third column.

Use your list to decide the best location for these items, keeping in mind who uses the items. For example, you won’t want to hang your 8-year-old’s bike from a ceiling hook unless you want to take it down every time he wants to go for a ride. And, you definitely want to keep power tools and chemicals such as fertilizers out of the reach of curious little ones.

This is a great time to think about adding new shelves, a pegboard for hanging lightweight items or a chest for tools. Your local home center has lots of choices, ranging from heavy duty shelving units to storage baskets. Or try this idea from OrganizedHome.com: Hang a few drawstring laundry bags along the garage walls. Use the bags to store smaller things like extension cords or other lightweight items. If your family is into sports, storing balls, bats and gloves together is a time saver when you’re rushing off to a game. Just toss the bag in the car and you’re on your way.

Now the real work begins. Empty the garage, sorting each item into groups that match your list: Need, Store and Discard.

Use a broom or brush to clear dirt and from the ceiling, walls and shelves. Then give the floor a good sweep. If the floor is dusty, try throwing some wood shavings (available at pet stores) on the floor before sweeping – the oil in the shavings helps keep the dust down. If there are oil spots on the floor, use a cleaner specially designed to remove them, such as Johnson Wax Professional Concentrated Degreaser or one of the many other brands available at your local hardware store.

Now you are ready to store infrequently used or opposite season items in the attic or the back of the garage.

After you’re done, put the current season’s most used equipment back in the garage so it will be within easy reach.

Finally, tackle the discard pile. Set aside items you want to donate, making sure items that belong together – like the volleyball net and poles – stay together. Make another pile for things you are going to pass along to someone else. Take the remaining stuff straight to the curb or put it in the trash can.

Now, stand back and take a look at your sparkling clean, organized garage!