I have many pleasant memories of camping with my family – the beach, hiking, fishing and eating around the campfire. Everyone would dutifully unload the car upon our return, but then everyone would disappear. Somehow, it always fell upon mom to clean the camping supplies and put them away. I remember trying to put everything back where it came from, but somehow, it wouldn’t fit on the same garage shelves. How was this possible? Wasn’t it there before? Well, yes and no. We always seemed to buy new camp gear during each trip although we kept all the old gear for back-up. We would end up with multiples of everything. Too many sleeping bags and pads, coolers, stoves, lanterns and oodles of gadgets. You name it, we had it.

The gear began to creep into the floor of the garage in front of the camping shelves. Eventually, it started getting dirty and tattered-looking. Something had to be done? But, what? That’s when I found out about Gear Forward. This is a nonprofit that recycles camping gear to the Boy Scouts or other youth in need (see gearforward.org). You can also donate it to a local hiking or climbing club or the Sierra Club. They will put it to good use. REI and Goodwill have a program called the Give Back Box. You can go to REI.com/givebackbox and print out a shipping label. Put your donations in a box, attach the label and then drop it off at any U.S. post office or UPS store. Making donations to nonprofits will keep huge amounts of gear and clothing out of landfills. Of course, people can also sell excess gear on eBay, Craigslist or Geartrade.com.

How do you arrange your camp gear on shelves in your garage? Please check out our related article in this newsletter on garage accessibility. Garages can be divided into regions for different items: automotive, tools, lawn and garden, recycling, sports and recreation, etc. Use open storage as much as possible. There are all ranges of shelving from very inexpensive plastic shelves to very expensive customized metal and wooden shelves. Pegboard with sturdy hooks can hang some items. Be careful not store things too high and out of reach. Accessing items overhead can be risky when you have to climb a step stool or ladder to get to them. Remember to leave at least 3-4 feet in front of shelves for easy access and put heavier items closest to the floor.

Now, my kids are all grown and gone. The camp gear went to their homes since I no longer have a garage. Although I am welcome to join them on camping trips, my idea of roughing it is to rent a hotel without room service.

It dawned on me when I started moving the last time. I was in my kitchen and packed three full boxes of coffee cups. What? How was this possible? Where did they all come from? I started examining them. It all started with a cute matching pair of cups that I bought for me and my husband as newlyweds forty years ago. They had roadrunners on them (we lived in Tucson, Arizona at the time). They were beautiful – with muted desert colors and cactus. Since that first pair of cups, I had moved to six states, had three children and many different jobs.

Each time I went to a different company, I received another coffee cup with that company’s logo on it. If the company had a particular achievement or product they were promoting, there was another coffee cup issued. While working in that office environment, we celebrated many employee birthdays. Some of my coffee mugs were acquired through this. They had sayings about too much work or having good friends. Some of my favorite cup sayings were, “The best thing about my job is that my chair spins”, “Of course I talk to myself. Sometimes I need expert advice”, or “Rome wasn’t built in a day – I wasn’t assigned to that job.” I kept them all. They reminded me of fun times with my co-workers.

There were also holiday cups. Some were given to me by well-meaning acquaintances who couldn’t think of anything else to give. They often had a small cocoa packet or some candy inside. Some had cute holiday pictures or designs. Sometimes you were given one at a store or at a special event. Which reminds me of another cup category – the nonprofit promotion. I have volunteered for many organizations over the years and they would each give you a cup to commemorate your hours of service. I got one from my children’s school, different disease organizations, the food bank, the city volunteer programs, and the 5K walks. I would receive a mug just for attending a church, a fundraising event or a special program.

Of course, the most cherished mugs were made for me by my children. They had carefully hand-painted and glazed them in school art classes, summer programs or daycare centers.

I often used them to hold things since they were far too precious to actually drink from (sometimes they wouldn’t stand up straight or hold liquids). How could I part with these masterpieces? As I looked over the massive collection, I knew I had to cull it down. After all, I already had coffee and tea cups that matched my table service. But, how far could I cut down the collection?

How many cups are too many? That’s the question. Practical advice from professional organizers is that you need to keep the number of cups your household uses each day times the number of days between dish washings. Add in a couple of extras in case company comes over. That would really limit the number you keep. With smaller kitchens, the cupboard space is sparse and you have to use your few cabinets wisely. An excess of mugs is taking up valuable real estate that could belong to something you use more often like that seal-a-meal or salad spinner. You can easily get rid of chipped, cracked or heavily stained cups. Put away the cherished collectible ones. You can also use tall mugs for holding items like pencils, pens, and straws and you can even re-gift the ones that you received but never used. Put something clever in them and put them back out into the great mug gift-go-round of the universe.

Part of decluttering is carefully examining how your space is used. A hundred coffee cups is probably too many. Look over your cups and donate some to a nonprofit resale shop so another newlywed couple can find a cute matching pair of mugs to start their own collection.

The American garage is a catch-all repository of junk. It is the storage spillover area of the home. When the house can no longer contain them, it’s all there – rejected furniture, used appliances, defunct electronics, toys, and boxes of old clothes. This is in addition to the usual items stored there: tools, lawn equipment, automotive items, camping gear, sports equipment and sometimes recycling. Trying to get everything to fit and stay neat is a challenge.

Accessibility for your garage begins with being able to get into it easily. Most modern garage doors have automatic openers, these are equipped with electronic sensors to prevent the door from closing on people or objects. A keypad outside can control the door if you aren’t in your vehicle or don’t have your keys – it is important to make sure this keypad has easy-to-read lighted buttons and that it is mounted at a comfortable height for all users.

Most building codes require a step down into a garage to prevent spilled chemicals and carbon monoxide fumes from entering the house. Steps up to the house would necessitate using a ramp in order for a wheelchair to gain entrance. Some building codes require the garage floor to slope from front to back. There are also specific requirements for ramps. Consult a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (on The Move Makers staff) for this. If a ramp isn’t necessary, install handrails on both sides of the steps into the home that are 34” to 38” high and can support at least 250 pounds. The width of the door into the house should be at least 32” wide (the front door is usually 36”). A lever-style door handle is preferred over round ones.

In order to make your garage space more accessible, think about how it is organized. Can you park your car in the garage? If so, are there clear paths on either side of it leading to the door of the house? Are stored items off the floors and put on shelves? Having a tidy garage just isn’t nice, it’s essential for people with mobility issues. Pathways must be kept clear to avoid trips and falls. Get rid of items that are never going to be used or are broken – you can take junk to the local dump or hire a garbage hauling service. Take old electronics to appropriate recycling centers. Even old paint can be recycled at Metro Central and South stations. Check on Metro’s website for places to recycle other hard to recycle items (styrofoam, batteries, bulbs, etc.).

For what you need to store in the garage, check out the many garage organizing systems and shelving units sold at home improvement stores. Also, consider storing items in high wall cabinets or on pegboards. Cabinetry should have magnetic latches or hardware that has C or D shaped handles. Avoid storing items overhead and always put heaviest items closer to the floor and in rolling containers to avoid lifting them. If you use storage containers, choose clear ones and keep them open as much as possible in order to visualize and get to those items easier.

Lighting should be full-spectrum in overhead fixtures, this eliminates shadows for people with limited vision. Electrical outlets should be easily accessed, if they aren’t, use power strips to minimize bending and reaching. Using long-life bulbs reduces the need for frequent bulb replacement. Install task lighting at the workbench. Replace your old-style toggle wall switches with lighted rocker-style switches or motion-sensor lights. Keep your cell phone with you while in the garage in case of an accident or a fall.

Be sure to clean the floor of debris and scraps from projects quickly. Repair cracks in the floor and consider painting it with a traction paint to prevent slipping in areas that may get wet. Be careful about how you store flammable or poisonous liquids. Keep them out of reach of children and provide adequate ventilation. If no windows exist, you may consider installing vents or an exhaust fan. Fumes can pose a danger, especially around gas water heaters with pilot lights that are often located in the garage.

When you open your garage door, your neighbors see a microcosm of your home. It represents how you organize your home and your life. It is also an access point to your home. Keeping it organized, safe and accessible can assist all members of your family regardless of age or ability.