17 things you should never store in your basement
You may want to rethink this "out of sight, out of your storage problems.
Keep your home without clutter Perhaps an interesting effort, but store your items less frequently used wherever you can find space is not always an intelligent movement. In fact, if you store all these items in your basement, you could make an expensive mistake. From moisture to mice, there are countless ways that these things stored under your home could hurt. If you want to make sure you do not accidentally ruin your assets, read to find out what things you should never store in your basement. And if you are ready to hit the clutter for good, check these33 triggering tips supported by the expert to keep you organized for life.
1 Firewood
This expensive cord of firewood will not make much pleasure to keep you warm if it is kept in your basement. The moisture of your basement can make this wood wet-and less than ideal to create a fire. Even worse, this could lead to a bug or mouse problem in the future.
"Firewood should always be stored outdoors," saysMike Charles, Owner ofUnified control of pests Grand Rapids, MI. "If you transmit firewood in the basement, it gives the parasites the opportunity to hang a ride and spread later in your house."
2 Snacks
It may be convenient to use your basement as a de facto pantry, but if you keep food especially in plastic bags or easy chewing paper, it may not be not Long before your home is at home of unwanted visitors.
"Canned items are generally safe, but all that has been opened before or is not properly sealed is an open invitation for harmful problems," says Charles.
3 Animal food
The same goes for your pet's food: if you store Fido Kibble in your basement, you're asking parasites to do their home.
If you feed your pets in the basement, make sure you take their dishes upstairs with you when you turn on. Do not leave pet food or water bowls during the night, "saysScot Hodges, VP of professional development and technical services forExterminators arrow, which recommends storing food remnants in sealed plastic or metal containers and keep these containers on shelves instead of the soil.
4 Cardboard boxes
Although plastic storage boxes can keep things safe in your basement, cardboard boxes could actually attract parasites.
"Cardboard boxes ... can provide an ideal flag for a multitude of parasites, including rodents, insects and spiders," says the Certified Entomologist of the CouncilNancy Troyano, Director of Education and Training for Operations forEhrlich pest control. And for greater content delivered directly into your inbox,Sign up for our daily newsletter.
5 Humidifiers
A surprising article that you should not keep in your basement? "All that creates moisture, such as humidifiers," says Troyano. Instead, it recommends adding a dehumidifier to your basement to keep parasites at the bay.
6 Magazines
Do you think you can safely store this stack of old magazines that you save an inspiration in your basement? Still think. "These are a source of food for insects such as Silverfish and Stacks / Batteries offer a safe place for spiders and insects to go out," says Troyano. And if you are ready to clean the house, start with these17 super intelligent ways to get rid of junk food.
7 Instruments
While you may want your children's instruments stop cluttering the living room, the basement is not the right place to store them.
"The basement is the worst place to store an instrument," saysLucas Workman, a brass repair technician atSiegfried call, a horn outfitter based in New York. "Moisture ... can affect the finish of the instrument. The residual water of them can grow in mold, [and] buffers and fabric in wood woods can start cracking." And to avoid future storage SNAFUS, check these33 articles that you all store badly.
8 Pictures
Your beloved family photo albums will not be long for this world if you keep them in the basement. "Your photos will not survive to survive wet environments and over time, even drought will make them fragile," saysKarin soccia Certified Konmar Certified Certified Certified Consultant and owner ofThe serene house. "It is far better to transfer the media to cloud formats so that you have easy to share images."
9 Heirloom of the family
If you have family legacies, you hope to pass, it's never a sure bet to store them in the basement. "A pipe could burst or unusual meteorological activity could cause unexpected floods," Socci said. "If you have already witnessed the consequences of a flooded basement, you know that water and mold are not submitted."
10 Paperwork
The act of your home, your car title and your tax return must be stored somewhere safely, but your basement is not this place. "The documents should not be kept in the attic or the basement," says professional organizerSusan Santoro, founder of the organization websiteOrganized31. Instead, it recommends keeping them in a climate controlled home office, or elsewhere with fewer temperature fluctuations.
11 Bedding
Wet environments, such as basements, are preferred real estate for mold and mold, which means you will not want to store the bedding out there unless it is well sealed. Even if they do not get moldy, you probably do not want to press your face and body against something that feels like a basement, anyway.
12 Toys
The beloved toys of your children have no business in your basement. First, there is the always present risk of mold and mold. Secondly, the subsoil storage means that you risk risking water damage with the courtesy of the burst pipes. Third, cold and intense brutal heat that you can find in a basement without a CVC system can also cause batteries inside electronic toys. And finally, two words:harmful damage.
13 bicycles
Putting your bike in the basement can keep it out of the road, but it can also make it unusable when you need it. The temperature fluctuations in your basement can lose pressure on your tires, so it is better to store it in a more climate controlled space when possible.
14 Wine
If you want to keep your wine delicious and oral, your basement - with its fluctuating temperatures - is not where to do it. According to the viewer of wine, theIdeal conditions for storing wine Are between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit and between 50 and 80% moisture parameters, your basement is likely to exceed, especially if you also use it as a laundry room.
15 Gasoline
If your basement is home to your furnace, it's probably a good idea to keep spare gas cans elsewhere. As a general rule, all that is combustible, such as essence, should have a large potential layerfire hazards like furnaces.
16 Litter for cats
Surprisingly, cat litter is another product you'd better keep out of the basement. In addition to switching potentially when exposed to moisture as the moisture of your basement, if you actually leave your pet to use your basement as a bathroom, the dust of the litter could Actuallycorrode your ovenAccording to standard heating experts and air conditioning.
17 Propane tanks
The temperature fluctuations in your basement make it a bad choice for storing propane. The propane tanks can explode if left in extreme heat, so if your basement becomes unusually hot, it could spell a danger. In A notable incident of 1983 In Buffalo, New York, six-five-five firefighters - were killed and 70 were injured from a fire and an explosion caused by an illegally stored propane. And for more storage errors to avoid, see these 17 things you should never store in your attic .