Shop Cleanliness Tips and Tricks

[jeepinmatt]

Figured it would be good to have a thread on this topic. My shop is a never ending battle against spider webs, dust, oil/grease, and disappearing flat surfaces. I blame myself for the flat surface consumption. Go!

 

[Tom@Hilltop_Machine]

I vacuum and sweep a lot to fight the spiders, bugs, and tool fairies.

 

[benmack1]

I just build another shop when one gets full of crap. The first two are full so I am eyeing the next site

 

[Wes]

Use a buddy's shop and screw all of his stuff up. It's like boats. Better to have a friend with one than to have to maintain one yourself.

 

[CarolinaHD]

Try and clean up every time I do something and put it back where it belongs. Just like momma said.

Every spring and winter I pull everything out or away from the walls and clean like a fiend.

 

[kaiser715]

As for spiders -- mine, since built in 2002, has had a pretty good black widow population. Finally started to get control of it a couple years ago....I'd spray at least once a week with Ortho home defense spray (Shop ORTHO Home Defense Max 1.33-Gallon Insect Killer at Lowes.com). Get rid of the food source, you'll get rid of the spiders.

As to neat and tidy....mine is usually a complete mess, but I pretty well know where everything is in the jumble of parts, tools, and unfinished projects. One thing that helps to restore order is to anytime you go to the shop, or to the bench, make it a point to put 10 things away in their proper place. In no time, it starts getting better.

 

[tlucier]

I just build another shop when one gets full of crap. The first two are full so I am eyeing the next site

Are you shitting me? Well, at least we have a way to set the trusses. You should be getting good at building these by now.

 

[jcramsey]

I've got a 20x20 that is a constant battle to try and fit my wife's car, my project vehicle, baby stuff, all my tools and whatever else doesn't go in the house.

Got some bike pulleys from harbor freight to store our bicycles in the rafters. Some of those cheap red screw in hooks for hanging whatever I can on the walls. Flat surfaces are at a minimum, but usually are filled with random crap that I probably won't ever need but can't bring myself to toss.

I usually sweep the dust from one side into my oil spills on the other side

 

[shawn]

Yesterday, I turned on the exhaust fan and went through the shop with the leaf blower. I had to make a few trips because the exhaust was getting to me.

This is the same way I clean the jeeps.

 

[StretchASU]

I used to be the "bomb went off in the shop" kind of person. Now it just bugs me to death. I have a 6ft table in a small recess in the garage. The bike sits on a stand right in front of it on a mat to catch any fluid that may escape. I make a point before I go in for the night to make a pass through with the push broom. All parts and hardware removed get laid out on the table usually on their respective shop towels depending on where it came from. When the bike goes back together I'll wipe the table down. The rest of the garage is typical usable garage space. Girlfriends car, kayak, fishing/camping gear, gun cabinet I'm slowly restoring etc. All of that seems to get moved monthly, swept then put back. Seems like a lot of work but it really all takes 20 min to move it, sweep and replace.

 

[shawn]

Seems like a lot of work but it really all takes 20 min to move it, sweep and replace

A leaf blower will cut that time by 90%.

 

[R Q]

If I'm in the middle of a repair, the tools stay right there because I'm going to need them to put it back together. But no one else is allowed that luxury (My son). I do sometimes have 2-3 repairs going at once and it can get messy but eventually I get them completed and it returns to somewhat clean. I have a place for everything but also room for it. My shop is 1500 sq ft. Sometimes I use a blower and the exhaust fans but most of the time I sweep. I keep the cover on the Harley for the dust.
I do have to use it for storage too so some stuff gets put under the Willys since it's the one I work on the least. My wife parks her car in there too so I have to work around it.
Every once in a while I throw stuff out to make room for more stuff on the shelves, I hate stuff on the floor but can't help it so it is there.
Don't know what I've contributed but that's my story! lol

 

[GotWood]

On slow days at work I send an employee to clean up!

I need more employees!

 

[WARRIORWELDING]

Every shop I have been in has had space and dust issues. No body I've worked with thought much of blowing one out once a year. They were all industrial and large so no easy task.
Everything should have a dedicated space. @mcutler. Has this nailed to the wall.

Last 2 shops I shared with hoarders. Never ending sadness.

Currently the Good Lord has kept mine sqeakey clean. The side effect is almost no progress.

A blend of kerosene and trandfluid goes a very long way on metal parts as a rust and dust down. Very light coat.

More environmentally friendly is Bal Stal. But not cheap. No residue, not poisonous, but fairly smelly when new. Like dirty socks smelly.

 

[RobMcBee]

Yesterday, I turned on the exhaust fan and went through the shop with the leaf blower. I had to make a few trips because the exhaust was getting to me.

This is the same way I clean the jeeps.

LOL this is me!! I have an old HVAC blower fan that i point out the door and an electric leaf blower that I use to blow out the saw dust. Ceiling is unfinished so I leave the cobwebs alone for now. Tried cleaning it but just made the insulation fall. Tools usually stay where I lay them til I need them again. I usually try to clean up after a big project but sometimes that doesnt always happen. Mostly its just organized chaos.....

 

[Jeff B]

Bug bomb once a year. Sweep and clean up after myself. Still a cluttered mess, but the bugs and spiders stay gone.

 

[XJsavage]

I used to divide my shop and work tools 50/50. Nowadays they've merged.
I keep nearly (except for the antique) every hand tools needed to do anything I want in my truck. Same goes with welder and power tools. I use all of it on a daily basis so I have to have it with me at all times. Going about it this way leaves my shop open for strictly project parts and a lot less often will it get cluttered. For now it's a dirt floor shed, but at least not one to get lost in.

 

[drkelly]

Another 'bomb went off in the garage' owner here. I've kind of given up on trying to keep it organized, and clean until I finish my storage building/shed and can move a lot of the stuff from the garage to the new building. I just don't have any room to organize currently. All the shelves are full, most of the floor is full. I'm a weekend leaf blower garage cleaning guy too. After I finish mowing on Sat or Sun, I fire up the leaf blower, and blow out the garage first, then the front porch, and then blow off the driveway.

 

[mcutler]

View attachment 248240
Every shop I have been in has had space and dust issues. No body I've worked with thought much of blowing one out once a year. They were all industrial and large so no easy task.
Everything should have a dedicated space. @mcutler. Has this nailed to the wall.

Last 2 shops I shared with hoarders. Never ending sadness.

Currently the Good Lord has kept mine sqeakey clean. The side effect is almost no progress.

A blend of kerosene and trandfluid goes a very long way on metal parts as a rust and dust down. Very light coat.

More environmentally friendly is Bal Stal. But not cheap. No residue, not poisonous, but fairly smelly when new. Like dirty socks smelly.

I cringe everytime I go in my photo album and see a picture of the new shop when I first set it up.

This one is pretty current \/, versus above and the last.

But mine does get blown out a couple times a week depending on fab frequency, which has been almost full time the past year. I use an extend blow gun with my shop air to get in, around and under everything.


The shop is in dire need of a spring cleaning. Especially overhead storage. Lots of old never used stuff that need to be discarded, and dust the shelves off. I aim to get the cleanliness back to the new condition pic after I finish the manche...

 

[McCracken]

Kiss my ass

 

[BigBody79]

If you can't find the tool or item you're looking for. Start cleaning. Don't be a hoarder.

 

[ckruzer]

I clean up after every adventure. I pressure wash after every trail before coming back into the garage. Every other weekend I sweep/vacuum. About once a month I pull things out and clean around/underneath.

six sigma taught a very beneficial principle i carry with me. "everything must have a place, and be in its place".

I really like that leaf blower idea. I may just have to go get one.

I do have the say that i most fan of method for the warehouse on the farm. two totes that collect rain from the gutters. one pump and a fire hose. just hose down the to the drain out in the middle.

 

[jcramsey]

As far as bugs/spiders go, I've got a healthy population of these guys who take care of that for me.

They owe me anyway. I saved one of their own from becoming a permanent fixture in my garage floor when I put down the epoxy coating.

 

[Tom@Hilltop_Machine]

I have the lizards to help with the bug and spider control but they leave poop everywhere from their meals. So I don't know whats worse? Bugs and spiders everywhere or lizard poop everywhere.

 

[RenegadeT]

My 2 garage is pretty much a complete disaster. Between years of parts hoarding and 3 kids ages 11-12, I really have too much crap to manage. To make matters worse, I can't seem to make/find time to work on anything, to use up the parts stash, or even dig into it to start the unloading process.
All I can say is I am pretty anal about putting my tools away. Despite the huge mess, I still know if something is missing off the pegboard or toolbox, or few other locations I've found to stash tools.
I do sweep what I can reach pretty regularly.