It is true that attics, basements, and garages offer plenty of storage space, and if you have a house that comes with those, you would want to store additional belongings in the extra unused space. But sometimes this is not a good idea in terms of location, weather and other factors. There are some items you should not consider placing into the attic, basement or garage.
It can be hard to let some items go. On one hand, we want to keep items that hold special memories. However, on the other hand, we want to add to our home and keep up with today's trends. So, it’s important to find the right balance between what we keep and what we clear out. In this article, we are going to dig deeper on what kind of items we should not place in the attic, basement or garage.
One of the biggest factors to consider before making any of these areas a storage room is the temperature instability and extreme temperature fluctuations between summer and winter. Especially in the south, temperatures can easily reach up to and over 100F in summer and drop below freezing point in the winter.
Electronics and Batteries
Things like old computers, laptops, or batteries can be affected by high temperatures. Electronics have batteries in them, and batteries have limited shelf lives. After a while, they are prone to leaking harmful chemicals that can damage surfaces, materials and other items sorted near them. Being stored in an environment that can become overheated, such as the attic, will cause the batteries to lose their shelf life quicker.
Food and Drinks
It may sound strange, but many people do choose to store emergency food in places like the garage or attic. Non-perishable food items and snacks are safe in your kitchen cabinet or pantry or stored in a dry, cool location. The heat and humidity of these places will cause the food to spoil quickly. Food can go bad fast when it is not stored in normal temperatures and can also attract pests to your home. The extreme temperature fluctuations may degrade the quality of the food, making it unsafe to eat for you and your family.
Paint and Cleaning Supplies
Always read the label of the paints or cleaning supplies before storing them. If it becomes too hot, paint cans can explode. In addition, cleaning supplies contain chemicals that may leak and expose you to a hazardous environment when too hot. This can be dangerous especially if you are storing many different cleaning supplies together as most are not to be mixed. If it becomes too cold, the items can freeze or separate, possibly leading to the item becoming unusable.
Holiday Decorations
If your holiday decor includes wax-based items like decorative candles, liquid-filled decors like snow globes, you should avoid storing them in your garage. Candles can melt due to excessive heat, and snow globes contain chemicals that might leak, crack, or damage the other materials.
Flammable Items
Heat sources like furnaces, water heaters, or laundry machines are often placed in the basement of homes. Storing flammable items like gasoline, cooking oils, and even cleaning supplies can be dangerous because they can catch fire easily from a small heat. Putting flammable things in the basement also makes it harder to escape quickly if a fire starts.
Paper Products
Heat and moisture can ruin photos and make ink fade. Paper can curl, turn yellow, or even grow mold. Anything that is made out of paper, like books, magazines, and important documents, does not like moisture. Some places like basements are prone to get damp and wet easily, either due to water leaks or poor drainage, the papers may turn yellow or grow mold, making them unable to be read. To better preserve these items, it’s best to keep things like books, photos, newspapers, and artwork in a dry area in your house.
Vine Disposalis here to help you clear out all of your non-hazardous items at a very competitive price. Whether you want to clear out space for storage or toss old junk, we’re here to help. Just give us a call at 678-315-2193 for a free quote from our team who are eager to assist.
