By Nancy Mattia, CTW Features
Having an attic with loads of storage means you don’t have to clutter your living space with items you don’t use that often—if at all—but still want to keep. Like basements and garages, attics have limitations on what you can safely store in them. The main problem: high fluctuations in room temperature. In the summer attics can get oppressively hot and, in the winter, bitterly cold. Both conditions can cause serious damage to what’s being stored there. While you don’t have to worry about flooding, attics are still vulnerable to water damage when the air is full of humidity. Take a look below at the best and worst household items to store, then check out your own attic to see if some things need to be relocated.
BEST
Anything made of ceramic, metal, or plastic
There aren’t many things that make the safe list but basically, you can keep most items that withstand extreme heat and cold, including furniture, tables, and other objects made of ceramic, metal or plastic.
Cookware
You know that big roasting pan you use only when you’re hosting Thanksgiving? Send it to the attic until next November. Or any duplicates in your kitchen cabinets: Do you need two stockpots ready? Send one to the attic!
Holiday décor
Artificial Christmas trees and garlands made of plastic can be put in an attic since they’re made of a material that isn’t affected by big variations of temperature or humidity.
WORST
Anything made of wood
Furniture, musical instruments like cellos and violins, and cardboard boxes are all made of wood and should never be stored in an attic. Wood is susceptible to how hot or cold the storage space is, and high humidity does it no good either. Eventually, the wood will warp, making your possessions unusable.
Luggage
Storing luggage in the attic is a no-brainer. But as hardy as a suitcase or duffel bag may be, extreme temperatures and humidity may age them prematurely. To prolong their life, take the luggage into another room and open it up to let it air out, which will help prevent mildew.
Photos and important documents
Don’t let treasured photos get destroyed by too-hot temperatures, moisture or blazing sunlight streaming into the attic. Valuable items like passports and birth certificates face damage in the attic as well as anything else made of paper. Find a dry place in your home to store them that’s not subject to these severe conditions.
Rugs
When you buy a new rug, you will likely roll up the old rug and stash it away in the attic. But that’s like an invitation to dinner for rodents, bugs, and moisture, which will find their way inside and cause damage. Rugs do much better when they’re in a cool, dry environment that doesn’t have wild temperature variations.