The garage (affiliate link) is a tricky place to organize. Some people become overwhelmed by the numerous items that need to be included and the placement required to keep young children and pets safe (affiliate link) from hazardous materials. This week's challenge involves the garage (affiliate link). If you wish to go further and clear out the garage (affiliate link), these tips will help you keep your garage (affiliate link) safe (affiliate link) from wandering hands and curious pets.
4 Garage Areas to Organize to Keep Kids and Pets Safe
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A garage is a place for various things - car supplies, tools (affiliate link), yard work supplies, spare keys, bikes, beverages, outside toys, and, yes, of course, a car. It's a place that everyone uses and should be protected from the hands of your little children and pets. Here are four areas of your garage (affiliate link) to keep safe (affiliate link) from your kids.
Yard chemicals and treatment bags.
Even seeds and other garden tools (affiliate link) should be safe (affiliate link) - behind locked doors. When I would work with clients, I found that these items were always out. It is a dangerous thing to leave out when anyone in the family can enter the room for their toys and other belongings.
Car supplies.
Soaps, oils, antifreeze, and other car supplies. You may think your kids know not to go near these items, but they may not realize that they can cause skin damage. So, keeping these items out of sight is best.
Power tools and blades.
Any tool that is sharp or has pointy edges should be placed high or behind closed doors. I like placing these items on a back wall over a workbench so the children can't reach them, especially the little ones.
Refrigerators.
If you use your fridge for various adult beverages in the garage, it's best to get a lock for it as well. If you don't visit it often, it may be a place where kids visit without you knowing.
I bet you didn't think there were that many dangerous items in your garage, did you? There are probably more, but I just wanted to share the most common things. Now that you know what to look for? Below are examples of products you can use to hide these items.
What items do you need to protect your children from?
First, find a cabinet or two that have a lock feature. They can hang it on the wall or place it on the floor. It can even have wheels to help you move it around quickly. Here are some I found on Amazon (affiliate link).
A cabinet that mounts on the wall works great if you have a smaller garage. It provides additional storage space underneath for parking the car.
Visit our recent post and see how we organized our garage: DIY Small Garage Organization Project
Tall cabinets with casters (Amazon (affiliate link) Affiliate) will help you move items around easily, especially when you need to clean.
Various locks can be added to cabinets. Here are some I found on Amazon (affiliate link) that will lock up your refrigerator and your dangerous tools (affiliate link) and supplies.
Garage Storage Cabinet with 2 Doors
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Cabinet, Metal with Lock - 72" Garage Storage Cabinet
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Secondly, group the items, place them inside the cabinet, and label (affiliate link) each shelf. Marking the outside of the cabinet, if you need a reminder, is also effective.
Tip: Using earthquake straps also helps keep the cabinet in place, just in case anyone wants to climb the cabinets.
Keeping this room organized is crucial, and it is essential to protect your family. Peace of mind is important in your home - why not take the time to prevent unfortunate events? Do you have any tips for protecting your loved ones in your garage? Please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.
Please note that these are affiliate links through Amazon (affiliate link), and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
Feel free to visit our garage, attic, and basement posts for more ideas.
Linda Samuels says
What a comprehensive list of lurking garage dangers! You've given great food for thought along with excellent suggestions for ways to make this space safer. Another common item found in garages that can be dangerous is paint solvent. Keeping it on an out of reach shelf or locked away would be a smart thing to consider.
Seana Turner says
A post like this reminds me of how much parents need to think about in keeping kids safe. Even the garage needs some focused attention! I know antifreeze can be fatal for pets, so that is another thing to consider. When we moved into our house we found many abandoned beer bottles in a "loft" above the garage. Clearly the teens who had lived there before had figured something out...