Fall Garage Cleaning Tips

The leaves on the trees are starting to turn from green to yellow, and there’s a coolness to the air; Daylis stadium is again a murmur of high school football fans on Friday nights, and the tractors are already out cutting cornfield mazes to the west of town: It must be fall. You’re not the only one feeling the oncoming cold weather, however, and mice and other critters are preparing for the cold weather, possibly even taking refuge to the warm confines of your garage. Mice can find a way into most spaces, so let’s not give them a reason to try. Here’s a few tips to keep them out.

What’s stored in the garage?

Mice can build little nests in the most cramped of spaces. Going into your garage you should look at what’s being store there.  Are there old pieces of furniture? Do you store boxes or other loose trash there? Is there a woodpile stocked in the garage? All of these places make for excellent mouse habitat. First, clean out the garage, specifically what’s on the floor. While mice can take up residence about anywhere, place like a cardboard box stuffed with tissue or even the pile of dead grass and leaves beneath the lawnmower are nothing more than future rodent residencies. Also, wood stacked in the garage is convenient for those cold days, but it’s also providing a comfortable nook for mice to sleep.

Clean the Garage

Mice are drawn to the smells of most things, especially food, trash, or dog food. Keep the garage clean of bags of trash. Also, if you store food in the garage, make sure everything is well-sealed. Loose food should be stored in cans or containers with a tight fitting lid. Dog foods should be also kept in a sealed container. Remember, Mice really, really love dog food—don’t give them a reason to come in for a meal.

If your garage is a mess and you’ve decided to clean it up, take precautions. You may already have mice, and mice can carry certain diseases like hantavirus, which can be transmitted to humans by breathing in the dust exposed to it.  It’s nothing to overly worry about, because diseases like these are very rare. However, when you’re cleaning, take simple precautions such as a breathing mask and keep the garage well-ventilated.

Contact Bailey Doors for all of your garage door needs.