You will rarely meet a man who isn’t fond of his car or the garage. They spend so much time there that it becomes unofficially their man cave. Even men who have a man cave in the basement of the house still spend an inordinate amount of time in the garage. Studies said that men need their me time, too, as much as women do. Since most of the house is laid claim to by the wife and kids, the garage is the only area left to men. That’s why they spend so much time there. It’s their own piece of heaven, away from the usual bustle of the living room and kitchen.
You take care of the garage better than you do the main house, right? Sure, you fix the plumbing when there’s a leak and change the light bulbs when needed. But for the most part, you keep the garage sparkling clean and organized because that’s where you tinker with your beloved car. Men are naturally attached to their cars, whether it’s a vintage one or a family car. They make sure it’s clean and even check the engine from time to time to make sure it doesn’t have any problems.
What Men Should Do to Keep the Garage and Car Clean
During the pandemic, when families mostly stayed in the house, the garage was sort of a haven for most men. Many of them refurbished, redesigned, and reorganized it. One of the things that you have to do, if you are still in the middle of cleaning and organizing the garage, is to call a mosquito control company. The garage has been a sort of breeding ground for mosquitoes because it is dark and cold. If you want to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes while you stay in your “man cave,” you better have it serviced by a trusted pest control company.
You should also make sure the mosquitoes don’t get in the car, which is what will happen if your garage is already infested with these tiny flying and annoying insects. Your kids or other family members may be allergic to mosquito bites. Not to mention, mosquitoes also carry diseases that can land you in the hospital. Keeping your car free from body odor, food, perfumes, sweat, and red or black colors will discourage mosquitoes from getting inside.
Install Lights in the Garage
The reason why your garage feels dark, dingy, and cold is because there is no source of light. You can install a sky window or a clerestory window to let the sunlight in your garage. If that is not possible because of the structure of your home, make sure you have bulbs with high wattage around the garage. Make sure to use fluorescent lights because these are brighter than yellow and warm lights which can make it harder to work in the garage.
Sort the Items in the Garage
Sort the items in four piles: keep, donate, trash, and sell. Keep the items that “spark joy” as Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo said. You can organize them into categories such as Christmas decorations, sports equipment, car tools, and garden tools. Next, the donate pile should be items that will still be useful for some people. Find an organization that will take these. It can be your old car parts, accessories, and tools.
The third pile should be trash or junk. Schedule the sorting when the garbage collector is about to arrive, so you can give them this particular pile. You can also take this to a recycling facility since old phone chargers, wires, and other electronics can still be recycled. Finally, you can ask your wife to organize a yard sell so you can make a profit from some of the old stuff you find in the garage.
Keep the Doors Securely Locked
Garage doors tend to have flimsy locks. If you are spending time in the garage, make sure to spend also on investing in its security. Install security cameras and smart home locks on the garage doors. The garage is one of the common entry points of burglars and criminals. Make sure to discourage them from entering your main home through the garage. With smart home locks, you will make your home a fortress and you will also protect your car from possible a possible thief.
There is always that link between men and the amount of time they spend in the garage. There is nothing wrong with it, of course. If it makes you happy to tinker with your car, take that time to clean and organize the garage, too. That’s one less thing that your wife has to worry about.
