Beware Of Storing These Items In Your Garage!

Let's be honest here, the garage might as well be under the rug for most of us. If the item doesn't have a cozy place within the home, it usually will just get tossed into the garage for later use. This is the only area of your home that can have a mixture of toxic and flammable chemicals, electronic equipment, storable food and much more. The thing is, the garage operates differently than the rest of the house and this should be taken into account when you are storing items.

Check out our list of items that really should not be in your garage.

The temperature control of the garage is different than the rest of the house. Keep this in mind when you are storing your aerosol cans.

This is a tough one because most of us will keep our aerosol cans such as WD-40 or spray paint in the garage, because.. well.., where else are you going o put them. A great rule of thumb is to keep them in the coolest spot of our garage, especially during the summer months with excessive dry heat.

Left over paint, pool chemicals and other cleaners can be a real hazard if there are any mixtures. Ammonia and bleach mixtures will literally kill you.

It is crucial that you know what chemicals you are dealing with and what the potential is in the event that any of them mix, leak onto your garage flooring, or spoil.

This is a good resource to start with, Hazardous Household Chemicals Mixtures, by Deanza College

A lot of people will store guest sheets, extra towels and even old clothes in the garage for later use.

The problem with this is more than a cliche fire hazard. But rodents such as rats will seek out these fabrics for nesting areas, which will absolutely destroy these items, rendering them useless from that point on.

Although canned goods and other non-perishables are generally ok as long as you maintain a dry area around them, it is your pets food that is our biggest concern. Again, the main factor in this decision is your garage's temperature control. If you can't keep the environment cool and dry its best not to keep them in there.

Also, if your food is bagged food, this again will definitly attract rodents into your home so be careful. It's better to store these items in a kitchen pantry with your people food. Like the saying goes, dog's are people too.

Our company Hang It Up Closets, created this article in association with other professional organizers, because this is an issue that most people aren't fully aware of, and is only noticed after a mini disaster happens.

Although we do carry garage cabinets and other weather resistant organizers, it's still best practice to be aware and take the proper precautions.

If you are in the Thomaston, Connecticut area give us a call today for a free consultation and we can discuss your situation in detail - hopefully before any accidents happen.