Old Paint Cans That Freeze and Thaw
Most homeowners don’t realize that storing paint in the garage is generally not a good idea, especially if you live in a location with extreme weather conditions. When paint goes through repeated cycles of freezing and thawing, it can become lumpy. Paint experts consistently warn against keeping paint cans in unheated garages where temperature swings happen regularly. The repeated expansion and contraction breaks down the paint’s chemical structure, making it completely unusable.
Latex or water-based paint typically has an unopened shelf life of 10 years. Solvent or oil-based paint can last up to 15 years unopened. However, these lifespans drop dramatically when exposed to temperature extremes. Professional organizers recommend checking paint consistency before storing – if it’s separated or smells rancid, it’s time to go. You can dispose of old paint cans of latex paint in your regular trash. Oil-based paints should go to a household hazardous waste collection site.
Hazardous Chemical Containers with Damaged Labels
EPA considers some leftover household products that can catch fire, react, or explode under certain circumstances, or that are corrosive or toxic as household hazardous waste. Products, such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides can contain hazardous ingredients and require special care when you dispose of them. When labels become illegible or containers start corroding, these products become extremely dangerous because you can’t identify their contents or follow proper handling instructions.
Safety experts emphasize that never store hazardous products in food containers; keep them in their original containers and never remove labels. Corroding containers, however, require special handling. Call your local hazardous materials official or fire department for instructions. The risk of accidental mixing or misuse increases exponentially when you can’t properly identify what’s inside.
Broken Power Tools That Can’t Be Repaired
Decluttering experts report that garages are graveyards for broken power tools that homeowners keep “just in case” they can be fixed someday. An unsupervised child might feel the urge to try out that big, noisy power tool they see mom or dad occasionally using in the garage. Eliminate any safety concerns by making sure any power tools kept in the garage are properly stored so your kids can’t access them. Garage storage cabinets with locks are the ideal solution and also help keep your expensive power tools more secure from theft.
Professional organizers note that broken tools create multiple hazards beyond just taking up space. They can have exposed electrical wires, sharp edges from damage, or missing safety guards that make them dangerous even when unplugged. For larger power tools that can’t be locked in a cabinet like, say, a stationary band saw or a bigger portable table saw, make sure their safety locking mechanisms work properly. If the safety mechanisms don’t function, it’s time to dispose of the tool properly rather than risk injury.
Old Gasoline and Fuel Containers
Gasoline is one of the most dangerous substances found around the home. It is highly flammable and extremely toxic. Never pour gasoline down the drain, on the ground, or in the trash. Many garage owners don’t realize that gasoline has a relatively short shelf life and becomes increasingly dangerous as it ages. Old gasoline doesn’t just lose effectiveness – it becomes a serious fire hazard.
As gasoline ages, it tends to lose some of its desired ignition properties. Old gasoline used at full strength may account for sluggish behavior or temporary failure of an engine. Gasoline stored for extended periods may become contaminated with dust particles, dirt, or water. It may also undergo a minor chemical change becoming “gummed up” or forming “varnish.” Professional organizers recommend that unusable gasoline should be taken to a household hazardous waste collection program for proper disposal.
Rusty or Damaged Sharp Garden Tools
In addition to ensuring safe, secure storage of your power tools, take the same care to make sure any sharp yard tools or hand tools are stored safely. After a long day of yard work, it’s easy to get a little careless and just lean your tools or a ladder against the garage wall, or just stash them in a corner. But rakes, shovels, pruners, and many other types of yard tools with sharp edges become garage safety hazards when they aren’t safely put away.
Garage safety experts warn that rusty tools pose tetanus risks and tools with damaged handles can break during use, causing serious injuries. Sharp objects such as shovels and other garden tools are precariously stored in the garage and threaten to fall or trip people. When tool handles are cracked, metal parts are severely rusted, or cutting edges are damaged beyond repair, it’s safer to replace them entirely. The cost of a new tool is minimal compared to potential medical expenses from injuries.
Expired or Separated Chemical Products
Home organization specialists frequently find garages stocked with cleaning products, pesticides, and automotive chemicals that have long passed their expiration dates. Pesticides also are used to kill organisms that can cause diseases. Most pesticides contain chemicals that can be harmful to people, animals, or the environment. Use of pesticides should be kept to a minimum. Left over pesticides should be used up or taken to a HHW Program for proper disposal.
Expired chemicals don’t just lose their effectiveness – they can become more dangerous over time. Some chemicals separate, creating concentrated toxic layers, while others can form dangerous compounds through degradation. Old or spoiled hazardous materials pose yet another risk. Professional organizers advise checking all chemical products for expiration dates during annual garage cleanouts and disposing of anything questionable through proper hazardous waste programs.
Broken Sports Equipment with Safety Concerns
If you still have old, damaged, or unused sporting equipment taking up space in your garage, it’s time to let it go. Decluttering experts regularly encounter garages filled with broken bicycles, cracked helmets, and sports equipment with compromised safety features. A bicycle with bent frame components or faulty brakes isn’t just useless – it’s actively dangerous if someone tries to use it.
Home safety consultants point out that damaged sports equipment often gets overlooked because it’s not obviously hazardous like chemicals or power tools. However, a cracked batting helmet, a damaged bicycle helmet, or sports gear with broken straps or buckles can fail when needed most. In the average home, there are thousands of items sitting in kitchen cabinets, stuffed in boxes up in the attic or crawlspace, and sprawled out in the garage. Many of the items in your home do not provide any value and can easily be discarded. Safety equipment that can’t protect should be the first to go.
Old Car Batteries and Electronic Waste
Toxic and electronic waste need special care. Google how to dispose of toxic and electronic waste in your area. Most cities have special departments to help with this important step. Car batteries contain lead and sulfuric acid, making them extremely hazardous when they start leaking or become damaged. Many homeowners keep old batteries “just in case” they might need them later, but corroded or damaged batteries pose serious environmental and health risks.
Improper handling of electronic waste (e-waste) is harmful to the environment and humankind. They are a combination of plastics and toxic chemicals that get released into the environment and have negative effects on everybody. These items are not recyclable, compostable, nor are they allowed in our landfills. Remember, it is illegal to put them in any of your bins. Professional organizers stress that batteries and electronic waste require specialized disposal methods and should never be stored indefinitely in garages where they can leak or deteriorate.
Flammable Materials Near Heat Sources
Gas, oil, lighter fluid, lawn care products, and paints are just a few of the many hazardous solvents typically stored in the garage. Improper storage of these liquids can cause fire risks, either from ignition caused by surface contact with a leaking combustible liquid or with flammable vapours. Store your combustible liquids in containers that are clearly marked or colour coded, tightly closed, and durable.
Garage safety consultants report that one of the most dangerous scenarios they encounter is flammable materials stored near water heaters, electrical panels, or other potential ignition sources. You have equipment in your garage that is flammable or could start a fire. Never store gasoline in the same space with any equipment that has a pilot light – it could spark and cause a fire. Even materials that seem stable can become fire hazards when stored improperly. Items like oily rags, paint-soaked materials, and aerosol cans should be regularly removed from garages, especially those stored near any heat source.
Unstable Storage Systems and Falling Hazards
Garage clutter doesn’t just prevent you from parking in your garage and maximizing the space’s usefulness, it’s also a safety hazard. Stacks of clutter and junk piled high in the garage may not be stable and will also, as mentioned, fuel any fire. Professional organizers consistently find garages where items are precariously balanced or stacked in ways that create falling hazards.
First, there’s the very real danger of clutter that’s stacked too highly falling over and injuring someone. Even brand new cardboard boxes aren’t the most stable storage container to be stacking and they only deteriorate over time. Secondly, too much garage clutter (especially boxes, newspaper and magazine bundles, and flammable materials) also makes your garage more of a fire hazard. Decluttering experts recommend that when you use your garage for storage, it’s important to carefully label every box and place it in a specific location. Use sturdy shelves for storing items instead of stacking boxes on top of each other. Make certain these shelving units are securely attached to the wall, and always store the heaviest items on the bottom.
Taking Action for a Safer Garage
Garages are often the most overlooked and neglected spaces in a home. They tend to become the catch-all for everything that needs a proper place in the house, and over time, this clutter can become overwhelming. The key to decluttering a garage is approaching it with a plan, breaking the process down into manageable tasks, and committing to maintaining the space.
Start with garage organization and throw out anything that you don’t remember using in the past year or so. Once the decluttering has been completed, your stress levels will decrease, and your home and garage will feel so much better. Remember that the garage is also a place where we mix things together that would never be found in the same place anywhere else in our home, potentially making it the most dangerous place in your house. By removing these ten categories of dangerous items, you’re not just creating more space – you’re protecting your family from serious safety hazards that could result in injuries, fires, or worse.