When you first move into a new home, it can be difficult to figure out what all should go where. What do you store in the garage? What don’t you store in the garage? What about your laundry room or kitchen cabinets? What’s best for basement storage? You have a lot of decisions to make!
It’s very easy to toss most things that aren’t welcome in other parts of the home into the garage, but not everything is appropriate to keep in the fluctuating conditions a garage endures. We hope these tips help guide your decision-making process and simplify life as much as possible.
In this blog post, I’ll give you 10 things that are typically not good for storing in the garage. These items have been carefully selected so that you can increase the safety of your home as well as maintain the quality of the stored items.
What is Not Safe to Store in Your Garage?
- Firewood – Not only will having firewood in a garage contribute to moisture buildup, but it can introduce insects and pests as well! Rodents love the warmth of your home and they’ll make themselves right at home if given a chance. An excess amount of wood also raises humidity
- Gasoline – Gasoline is a very flammable liquid and should not be stored in an enclosed garage. If there is a fire, the fumes from the gas can make the situation much worse.
- Pesticides or Herbicides – Many of these chemicals are poisonous and should not be stored near your home. If they were to leak, it would create a dangerous environment for you and your family.
- Flammable Materials – Paints, solvents, lacquers, and other items that could easily ignite should not be kept in the garage. In addition to being a fire hazard, these materials also give off harmful fumes.
- Perishable Foods – Even if you have room in your fridge or freezer for groceries, you should never store food in the garage. What if your garage was to flood or get very hot? People don’t typically think about this, but it can happen, and is important not to risk making a bad situation even worse by placing perishable foods at risk due to sudden temperature changes.
- Alcohol – While some people might argue that certain wines and liquors could be stored safely in the garage, we feel it’s better just not to take any chances with storing alcohol of any kind outside of a cool environment like inside your home where you have control over conditions such as ventilation and air circulation. Once again – if there were ever an accidental fire caused by something else nearby these items will become increasingly dangerous because of their flammability!
- Pets – This one might seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many people store their pets in the garage. Not only is it not safe for the pet, who may escape and get lost or injured, but it’s also very dangerous for the pet to be near gasoline fumes and other flammable materials.
- Electronics – Electronic equipment can be very sensitive to fluctuations in temperature and humidity. By storing these items in the garage, you’re taking a big risk of damaging them permanently. Most electronics will have a range of temperatures that you should keep the product between, so before storing it in the garage, check the temperature.
- Important Documents – You should never store your important papers in the garage. What if there was a fire and everything got destroyed? You would lose all of your important information – including social security numbers, addresses, and more! It’s best to keep these items in a safe place like a locked cabinet or safety deposit box.
- Hazardous Materials – It should go without saying that you shouldn’t store hazardous materials in the garage. What if they leaked? What if your kids got into them and ingested something poisonous or harmful to their health?? You don’t want these items anywhere near your home!
What is Safe to Store in Your Garage?
Now that we’ve listed some items that are typically not safe to store in your garage, let’s take a look at some things that are appropriate. These include:
- Tools – Tools should always be stored in a dry place so they don’t rust and become unusable. The garage is a perfect spot for this because it’s out of the way and you can easily find what you’re looking for.
- Lawnmowers – If your lawnmower is gas-powered, it’s best to store it in a garage where the fumes from the gasoline won’t be an issue. It will also stay dry and free of rust! If there are any spills, just clean them up when they happen so that no problems arise later on down the road.
- Bicycles – Many people don’t consider this but bicycles should definitely not be left outside during harsh weather conditions because they will quickly become damaged by rain or snowfall which could lead to accidents at home or while riding around town. By storing bikes in a garage – preferably indoors somewhere since outdoor storage exposes them to more damage from the elements – you can ensure they are in good working order for years to come.
- Sports Equipment – If your garage is equipped with a storage rack, it’s the perfect location for all of your sports equipment that needs a safe spot while not in use. What about when there is snow on the ground?
Just be sure to keep everything off the floor and place items back onto shelves or hooks after using them so things don’t pile up too high!
While people may think they should store their sporting goods outside where they won’t get wet from water or melted snow, this actually isn’t very effective since harsh weather conditions will damage these materials over time leading to expensive repair bills later down the road. Keep all of your gear inside instead and save yourself the trouble later on!
As you can see, there are definitely some items that need to be stored in a garage and others that should never find their way into this space. Knowing the difference can help you to keep your garage clean and organized, making it a more functional space for you.
Remember, when in doubt, ask yourself if the item can be stored inside or outside. If it can’t be stored indoors, then it probably doesn’t belong in the garage!