UK households urged to empty garage of 5 items before Wednesday | UK | News
Objects in garages are often forgotten in extreme heat (Image: Getty)
With temperatures rising this summer, there is a potential health risk for both people and pets. But items can also get damaged, and some of what’s in your garage could be a disaster waiting to happen when the heat hits. Ryan Gorenflo, basement expert Bodrum DoctorHe says many people underestimate how hot a garage can actually get in the summer.
Because garages are generally much less ventilated than the rest of the house, heat can build up very quickly and quickly damage items.
Aerosols:
Ryan says perhaps the most important items to remove are aerosols and pressurized sprays. This isn’t just limited to deodorants, but also bug sprays, air fresheners, and spray paints.
“In the worst case, pressurized canisters can leak, rupture, or explode when exposed to extreme heat. Therefore, they should not be left in direct sunlight, near hot walls, or inside overheated enclosed spaces.”
Leftover dye may deteriorate at high temperatures (Image: Getty)
Paint cans:
Residual paint is another important item to pay attention to, mainly because heat can degrade the paint itself.
“Paint is one of the first things I remove from a hot garage. If paint is exposed to high heat or large temperature fluctuations, it can separate, thicken, dry out at the edges, or become difficult to use later.”
Electronic:
Electronic devices should also be checked and removed from the garage, as they are prone to malfunction if stored improperly in the heat.
“High temperatures can shorten battery life, damage electronics, and make old or poorly stored items more vulnerable to failure,” Ryan says.
“If you have power banks, lithium batteries, cordless drill batteries, or old appliances sitting in a hot garage drawer, move them to a cooler, dryer location.”
Candles and wax melts can also deteriorate in the sun (Image: Getty)
Paper items:
Another item that is most damaged by extreme heat is paper-based objects such as documents and family photographs.
Ryan said: “Photos and documents are some of the worst things to keep in the garage during a heatwave. If stored in hot and humid conditions, they can curl, fade, stick together or start to smell musty, especially if stored in cardboard boxes.”
Candles and wax melts:
The last thing Ryan recommends leaving the garage is candles and melting candles; if these are left in a place that is too hot they can leak, deform and be completely ruined.
If you don’t want to risk ruining some potentially important or expensive items, it’s important to follow Ryan’s advice.
