Out of sight, out of mind isn’t always a good thing when it comes to home organizing. While it’s tempting to toss off-season items, cleaning supplies, and landscaping essentials in your garden shed so they don’t clutter your home, doing so may cause more harm than good. From curious critters to temperature fluctuations, the conditions in a garden shed aren’t always hospitable for your back-stock items. To keep this space organized and your things protected, we spoke to experts who shared which items you should never store in a garden shed—and why.
Paint
If you’re storing paint for an upcoming project or future patchwork jobs, keep it out of your garden shed. Household latex paint will dry out when it’s kept outside, says Darla DeMorrow, CPO, owner of HeartWork Organizing. “That lid isn’t as airtight as you think it is once opened,” she notes. “Keep it inside for future use or donate nearly full cans to a household thrift center in your community.”
Food
Whether it’s for you or your pets, never store food of any kind in a garden shed or garage, especially if it’s packaged in cardboard boxes or plastic bags. “You just don’t know what’s crawling on your cans when you aren’t there,” says DeMorrow. “The exception might be if you have a working freezer or fridge. Since these are completely sealed, the chance of a rodent breach is lower.”
Bulbs
It happens—you purchase fall bulbs and never get around to planting them in your garden. While it may seem obvious to store them in a garden shed, that is actually the last place you want to keep bulbs. “Plant roots such as bulbs, corms, or tubers will attract mice and other critters looking for food,” says horticulturist Adrienne Roethling. “Bulbs also have the tendency to rot or develop mold. In other cases, bulbs could dry and shrivel up.”
Seeds
Many gardeners love to collect seeds from their own gardens for future use, or order seeds in bulk for future planting. When these seeds are stored in the garden shed, you are leaving them vulnerable to hungry critters, like mice and rats. “Seeds that are ready to be stored should be done in a sealed container and remain in a controlled or steady temperature,” says Roethling. “The temperature in a shed fluctuates, builds up humidity, or freezes. Drastic changes in the environment will lead to rotten seeds.”
Fertilizers and Pesticides
Garden essentials with synthetic chemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides, have a shelf life and can lose their efficacy when kept in a garden shed. “Nothing spoils chemicals faster than fluctuations in temperature and humidity,” says Roethling, adding that leakage could pose fire hazard risks. She recommends storing these products in a fireproof container in a controlled environment.
Ice Melt
Ice melt contains salt pellets that help melt ice on driveways and sidewalks. When winter is over, you may be tempted to store excess ice melt in your garden shed, but Roethling recommends against this. “Ice melt sweats during the summer months and will ooze into a liquid and mess up the floors,” she says. “It is best to store it in a sealed container in a dark, cool place.”
Sunscreen and Mosquito Repellent
Summer essentials like sunscreen and mosquito repellent are commonly stored where it’s most convenient, such as in a garden shed. But Roethling says these products can spoil quickly and lose their efficacy when kept in an area with temperature and humidity fluctuations.
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