12 Items to Avoid Storing in Your Garage

Nobody wants to go outside on a cold winter’s night for any reason. That makes it extra tempting to store firewood in your garage. It seems like a great idea. It is easy to access and dry. However, resist the temptation to keep it there. 

Along with dry firewood comes pests and bugs that you do not want to find their way into your house. Even though garages tend to be sealed fairly well, bugs only need a small space to crawl inside and call that pile of firewood home sweet home.

Instead of the garage, Bobvila.com suggests storing firewood on a raised rack that is a few yards away from your home and protecting it with a tarp.

If you like to grill or go camping along the Rocky Mountains, chances are you have propane tanks. Propane tanks are not meant to be stored in closed spaces. If one leaks or becomes damaged, it could cause health and safety risks to you, your family, and your home. Additionally, keeping them in a garage increases fire hazards.

The best place to store propane tanks is in an outside area, such as an open air shed. This will keep them safe from the elements and in a non-hazardous area.

A garage may seem like the perfect place to keep an extra fridge because it is attached to your house, not far from the kitchen, and gives you extra cold storage for a big family and for hosting parties. 

Unfortunately, fridges work best in temperatures ranging from 65-78 degrees, and the temperature changes that occur in a garage can be extreme. That means your fridge will use more energy, ultimately raising your energy costs.

If you need more fridge space, consider a unit that is larger or having a smaller spare fridge in a temperature-controlled room in your house.

Your garage and all of its cabinets look very appealing when you are running out of storage space in your kitchen for canned goods. However, temperature fluctuations and changes in dryness or humidity can damage canned items. Just a little moisture can cause the cans to rust and your nonperishable food to perish.

Kitchen organization might be the solution you need. Are there ways you can rearrange the cabinets to maximize space? Do you have old items on the shelves that need to be thrown away? Sometimes simple reorganization makes a world of difference.

If you have old Game Boys or Nintendos from your childhood that you just can’t stand to part with, keeping them in the garage is not the best idea. Electronic items of all kinds are sensitive to temperature and climate changes.

Consider storing these items in an airtight container under your bed or inside a storage box in your closet. You could also think about donating them to a kid or friend who enjoys cool electronics.

Heavy winter coats and raincoats can take up a lot of space in your closet, so you might be wondering where else you could store them. Then you remember your garage. Stop right there! Your garage is not a good place to store clothing of any kind. Humidity and temperature changes can damage the fibers on your clothes. In addition, moths and bugs of all kinds might find your coat a little too tasty or cozy and decide to move in.

Instead of the garage, keep clothing inside, and consider using large zippered storage bags that are vacuum sealed for seasonal items. You can safely store them under your bed or inside a closet without having them take up too much space.

Paper documents and photos that you need to keep safe and preserved should be kept out of the garage. Storing them in the garage is an open invitation for a bug buffet. Plus, photographs can get ruined and fade. 

The best place to store these items is in storage boxes inside a cool, dark place. For important documents, having a small filing cabinet is a great way to keep things organized and easy to access.

Let’s say you just finished painting the rooms inside your house to freshen things up, and now you need to store the extra paint cans. Avert your eyes from that tempting garage!

When paint is not stored correctly, it can separate or gel, making it unusable in the future, according to The Family Handyman. It’s always best to tap the lid on tightly and store paint in a utility closet or basement until you need it.

Storing gasoline in your garage is tricky, and it’s best to just avoid it altogether. In fact, many communities have strict regulations and restrictions on the amount of gasoline you are able to store. Gasoline is a fire hazard, and improperly storing it could seriously burn.

The best practice for storing gasoline containers is to keep them away from your home and off the floor by using a wooden pallet or similar wooden item. Only use approved gasoline storage containers, too. Remember to keep the containers in a dark area, away from sunlight.

Rodents and bugs enjoy a pet food snack from time to time, so make sure you're not the one providing that snack to them inside your garage. Also, temperature changes can spoil the food. 

Place pet food inside airtight containers or metal cans with tight-fitting lids in a cool, dry place. Don’t keep pet food inside bags or cardboard boxes because critters can easily chew through them.

Children’s toys and stuffed animals that you want to keep need to stay out of your garage. Mice have been known to burrow inside the soft filling of stuffed animals. Additionally, dust mites can accumulate rapidly.

Try large vacuum-sealed zippered bags for stuffed animal storage or consider keeping them inside a designated storage box in a spare closet.

You might have decided to refresh your home with new area rugs, but you still want to keep the old ones to use somewhere else. Remember, area rugs and carpets that are rolled up and stored attract rodents and bugs. They also tend to absorb any odors in a space, so you could end up with stinky area rugs next time you want them.

One idea you could try is to lay them flat and put them under a bed. This won’t take up much space, and you can keep other items on top of them.

Having enough space in your home can be challenging at times, making the garage an appealing storage area for all kinds of items. If you do need to store things in the garage, just remember to do your homework and refer back to this article with any questions.