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For many homeowners, organizing the garage is a challenge. If your garage is like many others – in other words, a smorgasbord of mismatched items – take a look at the following tips for keeping your garage organized and clean.
Keep Hazardous Materials Out of the Reach of Children
Many homeowners keep hazardous materials such as paint, turpentine, rock salt, gasoline, and other harmful chemicals in the garage. The garage is, indeed, a safer place to store such items than within the house. However, with the amount of foot traffic that goes through the garage, it’s important to keep these materials secure. A child could easily knock over a can of chemicals, which a pet could then ingest. It’s sensible to keep hazardous materials high up and locked up.
Do Not Store Propane Indoors
Propane, which is used in gas grills, should never be stored less than ten feet away from a house. Propane is a combustible material that can cause a major explosion. Never store a gas grill with propane in the garage.
Keep Belongings Secured
Holiday decorations, children’s toys, and lawn tools are all common items in a garage. However if they are not stored properly, they can create a hazard to anyone trying to pass through the space. Therefore, it’s important that all loose items in the garage be stored properly. Wall hooks, shelving, and garage cabinetry are all great solutions for storing materials. It’s also a good idea to group like items together so that you can find them easily.
Protect the Garage Floor
Although some think it is a good idea to put a carpet on the garage floor to protect it, it really isn’t. If you are parking a car on the carpet, there is a good chance that flammable materials are spilling onto it, thus creating a fire hazard. However, you should protect your garage floor. Rubber tiles or sealant helps to protect the floor from harmful stains and chemicals.
Install a Smoke Detector
Speaking of fire hazards, the garage is ripe with them. Even if you take all of the necessary precautions to keep your garage safe, it’s still a very good idea to have a smoke detector installed in the garage the same way you do in the home. However, if the smoke detector in the garage goes off, alert the fire department rather than trying to handle the fire yourself. With chemicals and paints stored in the garage, the chances for an explosion or deadly circumstance are increased in the garage.
Secure Windows and Doors
Though we would rarely consider leaving a window inside the home unlocked while were away from the home, windows in the garage don’t always get the same attention. Keep in mind that the garage often has a door that leads right into your home, and usually that door is unlocked. Protect yourself and your belongings by keeping all entrances to the garage locked and secure, including windows.
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