Where am I and why is it so messy in here?

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Cleaning up your garage - Brief article

What room am I? I see a lot of "traffic" every day, and I typically am the most disorganized room in the house. Hint: I de not have an oven. Answer: I am the garage.

This holiday season, The Lehigh Group, maker of Crawford-branded garage and home workshop organization products, is encouraging homeowners to think outside the spring cleaning box and tackle the room that really needs a dean-up--the garage.

"By properly organizing and securing items, it's easy to make the garage a cleaner and ultimately safer place for your family," says Debbie Hanson, director of external affairs.

Eliminate excess. Many garages become dumping grounds for unused, outgrown, and broken objects. As with any organization process, the key to clearing away clutter is prioritizing. The first step is to look through everything and decide what to keep and what to dispose of. If you have purchased new tools or equipment, or simply outgrown certain items, consider donating the older ones or tossing them.

Hang it up. If it becomes a white...