5 Things You Should Never Put in the Garage
Garages are typically a catch-all for unwanted tools and home-repair supplies, but not everything can be stored safely in a garage. Varying temperatures, unprotected floors, and confined spaces can all spell trouble for some common household products.
Paint
Oil-based indoor paints should never be stored in a garage because of the change in temperature experienced during the summers. High-heat can cause the paints to go bad. In some cases, the metal buckets the paint is stored in can also begin to rust because of high humidity and leaky garage door seals letting water into the garage.
Canned Food
For coupon-savvy shoppers, buying in bulk means finding a place to store all of the extra purchased food. Unfortunately, canned food shouldn’t regularly feel temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. High temperatures, especially those in the high 90’s, can cause food to cook or spoil in the can and make the entire purchase worthless.
Linens and Paper Products
When the storage closet gets full of blankets, linens, and towels, many homeowners use the garage as a secondary storage facility. The downside is that rodents and vermin like to burrow into them and create nests. Avoiding paper products and linens, including storage boxes, means avoiding unwanted rodents in your house.
Old Electronics
Before they get taken to the dump or to the recycling facility, many people use the garage to store old electronics. Extreme changes in heat and cold can cause moisture to build up inside of the devices and render them useless.
Gasoline
Without proper ventilation, gasoline fumes can leak into the garage and build up. The next time you start your car could cause an explosion when the sparks from your engine starting ignite the trapped fumes. Propane is susceptible to a similar scenario and should also be kept in an outdoor shed or well-ventilated part of the house.
