15 items you should never leave in your garage

Your garage can store more than your car, but keeping these items there could be downright dangerous.

Storing pet food in your garage is basically like inviting pests into your home for a delicious snack. But if you must keep pet food in the garage (or even when it’s inside your house), be sure that it is inside a tightly sealed plastic or metal container. Rodents can easily chew through paper or cardboard packaging.

Learn how to prevent pest infestations.

Never store oil-soaked rags in your garage. Spontaneous combustion (and a devastating fire) can occur when oily rags are stored where the internal heat that is generated isn’t allowed to escape.

Discover 10 things in your home that could explode without warning.

You want to save your favourite books from childhood to give to your kids or grandkids someday, but storing them in the garage isn’t the best solution. Silverfish are insects that thrive in dark, damp environments such as garages, attics and crawl spaces and the bugs love to feast on starchy substances, such as the glue that binds books.

While firewood may be an important staple in your home or backyard, it’s also a magnet for pests that will happily make the jump into the house. So store firewood at least 6m away from the house – that includes the garage – and only bring in as much as is necessary.

Fluctuating temperatures and humidity are not ideal conditions for storing fabric. It can get mouldy, and rodents love to chew it. It’s tempting to stash sleeping bags with other non-fabric camping supplies in the garage, but don’t do it! Store sleeping bags, clothes and other fabric items inside your house.

Here are 25 things in your garage that a professional organiser would throw out.

Extreme heat and extreme cold can alter paint formulas. So if the temperature in your garage is a rollercoaster throughout the year, it’s not an ideal place for storing your leftover paint. Check the paint can label for recommended storage temperatures.

Here are 22 extraordinary uses for the junk in your garage

Your child’s favourite toys – especially stuffed animals and other plush toys – should be stored in an area other than the garage. Dust mites, other insects and even mice may have their way with the toys if given the chance. If you must store toys in the garage, make sure they are secured in airtight containers.

A propane tank is usually safe, but if it happens to leak in an enclosed space such as your garage, any small spark – even starting your car – can cause a fire. So never store your propane tanks in your garage or storage unit.

Learn about 20 hidden things in your home that may be a fire hazard.

Printed photos (especially those that don’t have digital copies) should never be stored in the garage; heat, cold and humidity will quickly ruin those cherished memories.

Follow these 18 organising ideas for hard-to-store stuff.