Garage Storage Do’s and Don'ts

You just moved. You have piles and piles of boxes from your old house that you just can’t seem to deal with yet. What do you do? Chances are you pile them in a corner of the garage to be dealt with later.

Some things can safely be stored in a garage for a long time. Other things, not so much.

Keep your new home safe by properly storing things in the right place. 

A few items that you should NOT store in a garage include extra fuel, paint or chemicals, furniture, clothing, food, and valuable items.

Fuel and chemicals are always a no-no. This risks a possible fire in your home as well as the creation of dangerous fumes. 

If however your garage is completely climate controlled, it may be perfectly fine to store furniture and general household items in your garage. 

Avoid storing food in your garage. If you have a chest freezer, yes, that is fine. But storing food on shelving in your garage invites rodents to have a picnic at your expense. Avoid storing food in your garage.

As for valuables, avoid keeping those in the garage. Store them in a climate-controlled safe place. Photographs, artwork, antiques, electronics…these should not be stored in your garage.

Out-of season clothing is also best stored elsewhere. Consider using plastic bins with lids that completely seal to store unused clothing in your attic or in an indoor storage space.

Wondering what you canstore in your garage? There are plenty of items that can safely be stored there. These include your cars (of course), as well as lawn tools, gardening supplies, plastic storage bins, sports equipment, and hoses (make sure you drain any water first).