When do you clean your shop?

[bluecoupe30!]

I am always impressed when I see a facility that turns out some amazing restorations...the cars are so perfect, but when you look around, so is the floor, the bench, the shelves! I mean, how do they do that? Today I actually vacuumed my work area. Never seem to get to that job as it is all I can do to discard rubbish, recycle cardboard, store and label rebuildable cores, get tools back to where they belong and so on. Do you have any schedule or formula?

 

[autowerks]

clean as you work and put the tools back as you finish using them, you are right it takes time but it will take longer to clean a mess not to count the tools lost!

 

[Ed G]

I usually start cleaning after I misplace a tool or a part. Eventually, it shows up. Autowerks has it right- it might seem it takes you more time to get the job done, but in the long run, I think you'll save time and frustration.

 

[Nicad]

When I am immersed in something, the place is a mess and a hazard. It is a great feeling after clean up. Wish I was more orderly. Still waiting for that to happen.

 

[Bwana]

I generally keep getting tools out and laying them about until the job is done or it's Wine:30, which ever comes first

This also seems to be the method of Jack Olsen, god of all things garage. With his garage set up the way it is, it's a snap to put it all away when done.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4581618&postcount=4038

An outstanding read if you've got some time. The first 100 pages or so focus on the garage, the rest, other stuff (including his hot$hit RSR racer)

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55006

 

[Ohmess]

When I am immersed in something, the place is a mess and a hazard. It is a great feeling after clean up. Wish I was more orderly. Still waiting for that to happen.

Ditto. I bought a new 17/19 open ended wrench last month because I couldn't find the one I had, and it still hasn't turned up.

 

[Stevehose]

Yep, my work space is a disaster area until completion, and as a result I have several duplicate sockets and wrenches, mostly 10 and 13mm. It frustrates me and I tell myself to change, but I always fall back into the same trap

Ditto. I bought a new 17/19 open ended wrench last month because I couldn't find the one I had, and it still hasn't turned up.

 

[zinz]

I have reached the tipping point in my garage. A very concentrated effort to declutter is in order. The CS is leaving for disassembly in the next few days, but I plan to use my work space for restoring the individual bits, I need to de-clutter and organize some usable horizontal surfaces if I am to stay on track.

I agree with others above about tools.. clean and return at the end of every day to avoid pitfalls. Sturdy shelving and plastic totes (with labels) sure does help keep things tidy.

Ed

 

[Aussiecsi]

Yep, my work space is a disaster area until completion, and as a result I have several duplicate sockets and wrenches, mostly 10 and 13mm. It frustrates me and I tell myself to change, but I always fall back into the same trap

...but Steve , you have the luxury of a kitchen table workbench ...how many guys have that ?!...and I can understand how sockets and tools can be misplaced amongst the Tupperware .

 

[CSteve]

...but Steve , you have the luxury of a kitchen table workbench ...how many guys have that ?!...and I can understand how sockets and tools can be misplaced amongst the Tupperware .

I rarely bake or cook, but when I do I put ingredients away as I finish using them, put "stuff" in the dishwasher as I go, and "tidy up". Seems to make the process go faster, eliminates adding the wrong ingredients, speaks to my drive for everything in its place. Now, if I could just work on my coupe that way.
Steve

 

[Gransin]

I agree with others above about tools.. clean and return at the end of every day to avoid pitfalls.

Yep, I always put the tools back in place and clean the floor + workbench in the garage at the end of the day, it takes like 5mins and it's so much nicer next day or next time you go out to continue to work on whatever project you got going.
I've never understood how some people/friends can get anything done when all their parts and tools lay around wherever they happened to drop out of their hands But it doesn't seem to bother them, and they still get stuff done!

 

[Layne]

I am not a tidy person. Every space I touch ends up looking like a pig sty. Having a specific place for all tools goes a long way towards helping, but there can't be a place for EVERYTHING. The only way to have an ultra clean shop is to constantly throw things in the trash and then repurchase the same items later. I know people that do this, but I just can't. The best I could do is make a place for tools and supplies, and then pick up for 15+ minutes at the end of every day. I still don't often do it, but it would help a lot.

 

[Bmachine]

Personally I find that both extremes are inefficient. Cleaning and putting tools away right after you use them breaks the rhythm of the work. Wait until the end of the day and by mid afternoon you end up wasting too much time trying to find the tool you used this morning.

What works well for me is to do it based on tasks. If I start by doing suspension work, I wait until I am done with that task and then put all tools away and *roughly* straigthen out the area. Any tool that got dirty gets quickly cleaned with those alcohol hand wipes you get at the drug store. It just takes a few seconds. Then I move on to, say, electrical and I leave those tools close by until I am done with that task. Rinse and repeat.

One reason is that most tasks require a similar set to tools to get done but another will likely require a different set. As long as you stay within one, your brain easily remembers where you last put xyz tool. But once you move onto something else, if you don't put those tools away, the no longer needed ones create a mess which slows down your work.

Then at the end of the day I do a proper clean up of the whole area.

 

[Markos]

I have a two bay garage. One bay is dedicated to e9 stuff, and the other is for my wife. When I do home projects, the wife's spot explodes into total disarray. Her spot has been out of comission for months, while I complete a major project. Then it gets nice and tidy for a few months, and I start another major project.

My workbench is always a complete disaster. I think it's best if I don't have any vertical surfaces. Even the hood of my parts car has e9 seats on it. I can clean it up when I need to, and I do generally know where everything is at.

My shed is by far the worst. When I work in the yard, it's generally an all day thing where I'm so beat that I am literally just chucking things into the shed after dark. Of course the next time I go in there I'm stumbling and swearing as things are falling over and intertwined in there. At least I only have one set of wheels & tires in there now instead of three.