Avoid Storing These 15 Things in Your Basement at All Costs

When you think of a place to store things you may not need all the time, the basement easily comes to mind. However, not everything belongs there. Dampness and fluctuating temperatures, among other things, can spoil the delicate things you store there. Even though there are many things you shouldn’t keep there, here are the top 15.

Electronics

Your televisions, laptops, game consoles, and music players do not do well stored in your basement because of the moisture buildup. This moisture may cause rusting or short circuiting in these devices. Electronics are better off in climate-controlled, well-ventilated spaces where humidity and moisture won’t be an issue.

Artwork

Among the things that don’t respond well to unfavorable environmental conditions are paintings and works of art made from wood. In moist basements, humidity is a huge problem, and the humid air can damage them irreparably. If the artwork is expensive, that’s a huge financial loss on your part. Drier places will favor canvases and wood.

Photographs

Printed photographs can be so sensitive to moisture that we should take special care of them. Preferably, always keep a digital copy. But if you must keep physical copies, keeping them away from the basement and other moist places is key to saving them from sticking with each other or developing molds.

Important Documents

When water or humidity meets paper, it doesn’t always end well for the paper. That is why important documents, which are often made of paper, shouldn’t be kept in the basement. If they’re kept there long enough, they’ll begin to have wet patches or molds and become unpresentable or unreadable.

Food

As for food, you should be scared of not only moisture but also temperature changes. While the moisture will encourage bacteria growth and spoil grains, the temperature fluctuation can also reduce the quality of canned foods. Another reason to keep food out of the basement is that pests may easily access it there

Mattresses

The dampness of a basement can cause a mattress to develop mold. This growth not only makes the mattress look unpleasant but also negatively impacts the health of anyone who uses it. It may also have a lingering bad smell. A mattress that has been affected by moisture may never be in its best condition again.

Upholstered Furniture

Just like mattresses, furniture pieces made of fabrics and foam or other similar filling don’t fare well in basements. Some of the damages that wetness can do to the fabric will require you to change the whole fabric or even the wooden parts due to rotting. This can be costly.

Seasonal Clothing

When winter ends, all the jackets need a place to stay. That place shouldn’t be the basement. Why? Fabric can get mold from a moist environment, and this might invite moths and other moisture-loving creatures to take refuge. Unfortunately, the additional damage these creatures bring is holes and an infestation. Don’t do it. 

Musical Instruments

Never ever place your piano, guitar, violin, or cello in the basement, never! Moisture can be brutal on wood causing rotting and all the unpleasant things, ruining these very expensive devices. Their wooden parts might also wrap or cup, and the strings and metal parts may start to rust. All these reduce the lifespan of the musical instrument.

Bicycles and Sporting Equipment

Bicycles and any sporting equipment that has iron components are at risk of rust when faced with a moisture buildup problem. Storing them in the basement, where humidity can be a challenge, is like speeding up their destruction. These things are safer when kept in a well-ventilated spot in your home.

Lawn and Garden Equipment

The thing about these tools and equipment is that they are made of wood and metals, which both don’t do well with moisture in the picture. While the wood may warp or decay, the metal will rust. With these two problems, the equipment becomes weaker and can break more easily.

Children’s Toys

Some children’s toys are made out of materials that can’t stand moisture, like fabric and wood. When mold grows on fabric, or moths eat into them, they become unhealthy for children to play with. As the wood quality deteriorates, it becomes more of a health hazard than a toy.

Pharmaceuticals

The general rule for medicine is to “store in a cool, dry place.” If you disobey this instruction, the tablet body may be altered, or the medication may not work as well as intended. A basement may have its cool moments, but the moisture present there does not make it a dry place to store medications.

Antiques

Many of us keep antiques in the hope of selling them for a good amount of money later. This dream may not become a reality if you store these items in the basement. Rust for the metals, warping for the wood, and other forms of degradation can make these items lose value.

Firewood

Keeping firewood out of the basement is less about what will happen to the firewood than about what will happen to other things there. Firewood can attract pests and insects and create a hiding place for these things, which can be harmful to other things that are kept there. Keep firewood outdoors.