Garage Storage: Items to Avoid Storing & Why

1. Books

Storing your books in the garage to save them for the future is not the best idea. Keep in mind that several insects such as the silverfish love dark and damp environments, as well as feasting on starchy substances as the glue used in books. To avoid these bugs, storing books in plastic containers is a better choice that will allow you to share your childhood books with your children or grandchildren someday.

2. Computers

Even if they are old, computers are among what should not be stored in a garage due to temperature and humidity fluctuations that can short out electronics. If it is not possible to keep electronics inside your home, maybe it is time to get rid of them.

3. Clothing

As fur and leather do not hold up well in damp areas, you should consider storing your winter or old clothes in sealed plastic bags in another place of your home, which will also keep moths away from them.

4. Rugs

Keep in mind that the fibers in rugs and carpet can absorb moisture and odor, as well as become a fantastic home for mice and insects. Hence, storing them in your garage is not the best idea.

5. Photographs

Make sure not to store your printed photos in your garage, as humidity, heat, and cold will ruin them eventually.

6. Canned Food

As humidity gets cans to rust and spoils the food inside of them, canned food must not be stored at temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees, so keep them safe in another area of your home.

7. Pet Food

Wherever you decide to keep your pet food, make sure it is inside a sealed plastic container to prevent a pest from coming to your house. Cardboard and paper containers are easily chewed by rodents, so try to avoid them at all costs.

8. Wine

To keep your wine safe, it cannot be stored in your garage. Humidity and temperature changes will alter its taste, and even if the temperature change is one of the ways to tell your garage door needs service, you cannot expose your wine to this risk until you have someone fix the problem.

9. Firewood

Storing firewood in garage is usually a mistake, as it tends to be a magnet for pests that will easily get inside your home sooner or later. If you need to have it around, make sure to store it at least 20 feet away from your home and your garage.

10. Oily Rags

This is an important example of what should not be stored in a garage due to the danger it represents. Oil-soaked rags can start a fire when the internal heat of a room is not allowed to escape.

Nevertheless, there are some tool storage ideas for your garage so you can keep everything in your garage and everyone at home safe.

11. Toys

If there is not another place where you can store toys besides the garage, you must make sure they are inside airtight containers, as dust and other insects might make their way to them, especially to plush toys.

12. Important Documents

Keep in mind that water and moisture in your garage can damage your documents permanently. Therefore, if you must save store birth certificates, medical records, passports, etc. in your garage, make sure to keep them safe in plastic containers.

13. Paint

The paint storage temperature is the most important factor when it comes to its storage, as heat and cold can modify the paint formula. If you verify the recommended storage temperatures on the label, you will see that your garage is not the best place to keep it safe.

14. Sleeping Bags

As we previously mentioned, the garage is not the best place to keep fabric safe. Therefore, make sure to store clothes, sleeping bags, and other fabric items inside your home to avoid mold growth caused by humidity and fluctuating temperatures.

15. Propane Tanks

Generally, propane tanks are not dangerous, but in the case of a leak in an enclosed room, any spark could cause a fire. You can keep it safe outside of your home where is not exposed to extremely high temperatures. Better safe than sorry!