Do you have a ton of miscellaneous items parked up alongside your car? A garage can collect so many hope to do and hope to use items, making it a junkyard before you know it. Give your garage a break and toss out what you don’t need and will never use.
There are probably items in your garage you’ll never use again because they are outdated or broken, but you are holding on to them for some unknown reason. Let’s see what things you should throw out to give your garage some breathing room.
8. Old Spoiled Paint
Yep, old paint can spoil! So, before you go ahead and use the paint, make sure it is still good. If not, it will stink up your home! You will know it’s no longer good when you try stirring it and all you get is lumps and bumps.
You won’t find an expiration date on the can, but just know that latex paints will last for about 10 years, and solvent-based paints will typically last for about 15 years.
Do not just toss out your bad paint in the garbage. You can pollute the waterways by doing that. Instead, contact your local waste management agency–the County Extension Home Economics Agent. They will correctly remove the paint to reduce contamination.
7. All Those Books
Why would your books be in the garage? Are they in an unknown language? Chances are they are no good to you if they are parked with your vehicle.
You could donate these relics to the library–old textbooks to reference manuals. Having a library at home is great, but it is unnecessary to keep old books that are of no use anymore.
6. Unused Sport Equipment
There may have been a time when your hobbies consisted of soccer, tennis or golf. But as you evolve, so do your interests. If you have not used the golf clubs since Tiger Woods fell from the top, your clubs can go. If your kids were big sports players when they were younger, your garage might be filled with bats, balls and other sports equipment. Now that the kids are grown up, that equipment is no use to you.
To clear some space, have a yard sale or sell the equipment to a sporting consignment store. You can also donate to Sports Gift. This organization helps to supply kids around the world with athletic equipment.
5. Old Electronics
The old laptops and that big back TV are nothing but junk now. What could you possibly use those broken cellphones and old game consoles for now?
Before tossing these items, you need to know the right way to get rid of e-waste. Your local technician might also be interested in getting some replaceable parts, so that might be an option for getting rid of some of your e-junk. Studies show that the US produces 48.1 million tons of e-waste each year. Gosh! Only 10 to 40% is disposed of properly.
4. Motor Oil
Motor oil is one of those things that tend to linger on for years in the home. If not in the garage, then in the basement. The occasion never seems to come around to use it. If it has been lying in the garage for more than five years, then that’s it. Its shelf life is over.
One gallon of motor oil can contaminate millions of gallons of groundwater. So, be sure to get rid of it the right way. Your best option is to take it to an auto shop that needs it for recycling activities or a gas station.
3. Catalogs, Magazines and Newspaper
You probably will never look at these items again, and you know it. They are bulky and are a fire hazard. They will spread the fire from the smallest of sparks and be a great danger to your family and property.
The U.S. Fire Administration said that garage fires cause more damage and injuries more than other fires. There are about 6,600 garage fires in the U.S. every year, causing an average of 30 deaths, 400 injuries and $457 million in property loss.
2. Unfinished Projects
Everybody grows and moves on to bigger and better things. Interests change over time. So, you may have some unfinished projects in your garage that you will never get to. It is time to throw out the go-cart with some parts still waiting to attach, the birdbath under construction for the past three years, and the dresser dad attempted to build.
Of course, you can still decide to get these projects done, but if your heart is not in it, let it go. See if anyone in your neighborhood is interested in picking up where you left off!
1. Items You Don’t Even Remember Buying
Many things pile up in the garage over time, especially if you have lived in a house for a while. There are bound to be items found that you don’t recall ever owning. If you don’t even have a distant memory of owning something, it is time for it to go. You probably didn’t have a use for it in the past few years, so clear it out.
Host a big garage sale to remove junk and fire hazards from your garage. You’ll feel so much better with all that clutter gone. Once your garage is clear, you can make that empty space useful to you and your family. Set up a cozy reading nook, meditation spot or home gym. Who knew cleaning out your garage could improve your life so much!
