Over the last few weeks, we’ve talked about making sure one of your most used spaces-the garage-is used for its best purposes-primarily, a place to park your car, not your boxes and other items that case congestion and clutter in a high traffic area.

Getting rid of the items that you don’t use allows you to use your space more efficiently. This applies to any space in your home, but even more so in the garage. The car frequently isn’t the only item that resides in the garage. Lawnmowers and yard care implements, tools, work benches and functional items which help keep the outdoor of your home beautiful and your indoor functioning properly are frequently stored here when a shed or storage space is limited. The garage is a bay or a gateway; the problem with flow in and out of the bay starts when everything else aside from those essential home maintenance items start to clutter up the space.

Sometimes knowing what NOT to store in the garage can help free up the space to be used best for its function. Courtesy of HGTV,  below is a list of common items which many people store in the garage which can not only declutter & make it more useful, but also insure the safety of those items as well as the most important things in your home-you and your family!

Food & Wine

Shopping at bulk stores can be cost-effective, but the garage is not an ideal place to stash your staples. Food can invite rodents and other pests. Plus, exposure to heat and humidity can cause your groceries to spoil. An unused closet or cupboard in the house is a better choice.

Fluctuating temperatures can cause wine to expand and contract, which leads to oxidation. A better bet is a wine cabinet or wine refrigerator inside the house.

Daily Use Items

“Items accessed all the time should be stored in the spaces in which they are used…and overflow items like paper towels can be stored on shelves in the garage and moved into the home as existing items are used up.”’

Cardboard

Don’t store your belongings in cardboard boxes. “The contents will be vulnerable to insects and pests that can damage them…Spiders look at cardboard boxes and say, ‘Wow! What a great new home!’” Instead, choose waterproof, pest-proof plastic bins.

Photographs & Important Documents

Moisture and extreme temperatures can cause cherished photos to stick together and even grow mold. A closet inside your house (not in the basement) is a better choice. Passports, birth and marriage certificates, and other difficult-to-replace papers can be damaged by moisture. Store these in a fireproof box in a home office or bedroom.

Propane, Paint & Hazardous Materials

Due to the danger of ignition, propane tanks should be stored outside the garage. Set cylinders on a flat surface outdoors, away from your house. Extreme temperatures can ruin leftover paint. Place cans indoors, out of children’s reach, in a basement or closet.

Photo: Source