Your tips for a well ordered garage storage space

[TheGander]

For the 1st time in my life I have an empty, dry and secure garage. It used to be my late dad’s and ( sorry dad) but it was a hoarded mess, full of mouldering furniture, books, old broken appliances, suitcases of clothes no charity shop would have accepted etc. Stuff was just chucked in there and never seen again. I got it emptied, roof and gutter fixed. There aren’t any shelves there though.
I’m not a car owner so I’m going to use it to store stuff such as some furniture, cleaning products, garden tools.
How can I ensure stuff is stored well and doesn’t moulder/ rust etc?. I have a large tarpaulin sheet to put the dismantled bed frames on, and I’m thinking of buying those plastic storage boxes for the cleaning products- or would a supermarket carrier bag do just as well? All tips gratefully received.

We had metal shelving units with giant Tupperware style boxes. All labelled, so 'camping equipment' 'DIY supplies' 'Garden toys etc etc

Carrier bags are ok as long as they aren't biodegradeable, but hang them up, or use ones that will stand up on a shelf. They need to be labelled, or be fairly transparent.
Tupperware style boxes with lids are better.
Furniture will probably get mildewed if it's fabric.

I have one side with IKEA IVAR shelves. Frequently used items are loose on them. Things like cleaning products, extra cat food, toilet rolls. Then less frequently used items like Christmas decorations are stored in large plastic boxes on the shelves. The other side of the garage has bikes, barbecue, bags of composts. The large things that won’t go on shelves.

I wouldn’t put fabric items in there for long periods. It’s too cold and will get mouldy.

We have Big Dug shelves which are strong and sturdy and reasonably easy to assemble/ move around if you need to. We then store things on them in large boxes - whatever we have around or get in charity shops. Spades, rakes, paint roller extension poles etc are stored in empty dustbins. We keep a clothes rack in ours as well for wetsuits and winter coats and they never go mouldy.

Thanks everyone for your good ideas. There’s a little bit of damp in the corner still ( it was letting water in before I got the roof and gutters fixed) so I won’t put textile sun there just yet, unless in sealed boxes. Shelves would be great and DH is quite handy so I’ll ask him to consider that. Those big dug ones are pricy though!

Shelves, shadow boards for tools and equipment, keep the centre area clear.

But mainly don't use it as a dumping ground for things that you will never useor 'just until'.

When I (reluctantly) have to go into my DHs garage/man cave, I always think 'Dear God, when our time comes, please take me first so I don't have to clear this lot out'.😄