Simple tips to be more efficient in your garage

Almost everyone has a couple of tricks up their sleeve that make chores and tasks simpler. You likely have a few of your own, and once you develop a superior method of ticking off a to-do list item, it can be difficult to remember what your life was like before.

Here are a few such life hacks straight from automotive experts that you may not have thought of yourself to make your time in your garage more efficient and effective.

• Better organization: A well-maintained garage is a more pleasant place to work and can boost your efficiency. If your shovels, spades and other yard tools are stacked in a precarious pile, it’s time to create a better system.

Freelance automotive writer and photographer Maxwell Matthewson suggests screwing a ripped sheet of plywood to the studs of your shop or garage to hold yard and auto tools vertically and out of the way.

• Spark plugs in a snap: It can be tricky to remove spark plugs from hard to reach or extreme heat locations. Experts suggest attaching a vacuum to a length of rubber hose. With the proper size hose, this same method also works for nuts and bolts.

• Play favorites: Working on your vehicle? Don’t dig to find your favorite tools, says Tom Gerrald of Tripp Gerrald Motorsports. Save time when looking for the right wrench by using tape to color code the tools you reach for first.

• Stay in place: Many professionals mark their nuts and bolts with a paint pen to ensure they haven’t moved or become loose.

• Share: Have your own DIY tips for the garage? Don’t keep them to yourself. Valvoline is spotlighting the creative hacks DIYers around the country are using to make life easier in the garage.

Submit your best ideas, tips and tricks that demonstrate how to improvise and boost efficiency, using the #GarageHacks hashtag at facebook.com/valvoline, twitter.com/valvoline and instagram.com/valvoline.

Check out the full album of garage hacks at http://bit.ly/GarageHacks for inspiration.

Is your time in the garage well spent? With the right tricks, you can innovate the way you restore your ride, make home upgrades and maintain your yard.

(StatePoint)