HOLY COW, WOW! These 7 things may surprise you!

By Amanda Lauren | Published on June 14, 2023

While most of us use our garages to store our cars, they’re also ideal for storing just about everything else. From bikes to beach chairs and deep freezers—many items that we don't want to store in the house find a spot in the garage. But garages aren't ideal for storing absolutely everything. From delicate belongings that could get ruined to items that may attract unwanted pests, here are seven things you should never keep in your garage. 1 ) Art Whether it's a painting your kid made or a piece of art you purchased but don’t have the wall space for—keep it out of the garage. “Because the environment isn’t controlled, you’re leaving your precious artwork at risk for mold, mildew, and other conditions that could damage the works. Artwork should be stored in a temperature-controlled, clean, dry place without any humidity," says Alix Greenberg, founder of art and decor brand 2) Important Papers While most of us don’t need to access things like social security cards, passports, car titles, and other documents very often—it’s a bit risky to stash paperwork in your garage. Moisture and humidity can build up. Or unwanted pests may end up ruining these documents, which can be quite a nuisance to replace. Fortunately, paper doesn't take up too much space, so it's probably not a big deal to find a place in your home office or bedroom. If you insist on stashing documents in your garage, it’s best to keep them in a file box, locked in a safe, or in a waterproof container. 3) Books Even if you’re way past your college years, there is a good chance you’ve got a textbook or two lying around, an old dictionary (remember those?), or even that copy of War and Peace you plan on reading every year but don’t. No matter what it is, these volumes belong on your bookshelf or someplace else inside the home. Moisture will not only crinkle the pages, but can cause them to stick together, or worse—end up creating mold or mildew. If you have books you don’t want anymore, donate them to your local library or thrift shop. 4) Pet Food We all love our pets. So it’s only natural to want to keep extra food on hand. But it’s best to leave that 40-pound bag of kibble indoors. Unless you want to attract rodents and vermin, storing pet food in your garage is a terrible idea. These critters are not only attracted to the scent, but they can eat through paper bags and contaminate the food. 5) Paint While it’s okay to store paint in the garage for a few days in the middle of a home renovation project, it’s not a good idea to keep those extra cans there long-term. Most paint should be stored between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme heat or cold can ruin the paint’s consistency. While there’s a chance frozen paint will be usable when it thaws—it’s simply not worth the risk.

(You won't believe the next one on the list....YIKES!...click here to continue reading)