Everyone has had that experience of cleaning their garage and ending up with piles and piles of clutter. The problem always becomes, now what?
Usually, this clutter involves a lot of clothing you plan on wearing at some point, but not throughout the year. You could just shove it all into some boxes and stack them in the attic or throw them back into the garage. Unfortunately, the next time they’re in season, you’ll find out this was a mistake.
Instead, be sure to take the following steps to keep them nice and safe.
1. Washing Everything
Even if some of the articles of clothing look like they don’t need it, you definitely want to clean them all. Use detergent, but check first to confirm there are appropriate enzymes for the soils you know you’ll be up against. Typically, this includes sweat, but some blood might be in there too. Various insects love these types of stains and will search them out no matter where they are.
Also, any natural soils you leave on your clothes will bring about bacteria and mold, to say nothing of the awful smell you’ll have to deal with.
2. Leave Nothing on the Floor
You don’t want to keep these storage boxes on the floor. A lot can happen between now and the next time you go through them. Water damage and leaks from your water heater could occur. Rain could definitely get in. Things could simply fall on them too.
If you have shelves, those will work to eliminate this risk or you could even build your own storage cabinet with doors that can keep everything inside. A big enough cabinet could also hang onto things like helmets and other sporting equipment you may own. Just make sure you use dust-free containers for this.
3. Ditch the Mothballs
As we mentioned, you don’t want to give insects any reason to destroy your clothes. While many of you may have reached for the mothballs, they’re not a very good choice if you have children or pets. Moth balls, it turns out, release pesticides.
Instead, use something “green.” Cedar chips are actually an excellent choice or you use a cedar-lined box. You’ll get the same results as mothballs without the toxicity. Lavender chips are also a promising choice. Either way, you will safely keep insects at bay and get a very pleasant smell for your clothes.
4. Rid Your Garage of Insects
Another step you want to take to fight against insects is to use an insecticide in your garage before storing any clothes there. A general purpose version should do the trick, but if you know there’s an infestation somewhere, then invest in the specific chemicals you need. When you’re done, store them in a climate-controlled area, like your home.
5. Don’t Keep Delicate Cloths in Your Garage
Delicate clothes are far more receptive to moisture that can really damage garments. This is why you should continue storing them in your home where they belong.
Bonus Tip: Upgrade Your Garage Door
For those who want to go the extra mile, now might be a good time for a new garage door. It will help with the climate in your garage and keep burglars from stealing your items.
At Atlas Overhead Doors Sales, we love helping people find a new garage door based on their unique needs. You can browse our selection of residential garage doors or even design your own.
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