7 Common Items You Should Never Store in a Garden Shed Don't let your shed become a catchall for these items. Close Credit: John Keeble / Getty Images 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. Darla DeMorrow, CPO®, owner of HeartWork Organizing, and author of Organizing Your Home with SORT and Succeed Adrienne Roethling, head gardener for a private estate and former curator of Juniper Level Botanic Gardens at Plant Delights Nursery 11 Things You Should Never Store in the Garage—But Probably Do 01 of 07 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." 02 of 07 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." 03 of 07 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." 04 of 07 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." Don't Miss Do Seeds Expire? How to Know If Yours Are Still Good, According to Gardening Experts—and Martha The Right Way to Store Garden Pots Over Winter, According to Experts 05 of 07 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. 06 of 07 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." Follow us to see more of our stories on Google. Follow Us On Google 07 of 07 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. Explore more: Cleaning & Organizing Storage & Organization