A 2015 survey from Gladiator® GarageWorks found that a significant number of Americans were using their garages for things other than storing their cars.
A press release announcing their results states:
“For approximately one out of four Americans, the garage is so unorganized it can’t even fit one car, according to an April 2015 homeowner survey from Gladiator® GarageWorks…And with an average cost of a new car just above $30,000, the inability to house and protect this investment in your own garage can be an issue.”
Even those of us with tidy homes are likely to have at least a mildly embarrassing situation going on in the garage. Gladiator® goes on to state that “While 92 percent of homeowners surveyed described their home as somewhat or very organized, one-fourth of them admitted embarrassment with the garage and nearly one third said they keep their garage door shut so others won’t see the mess.”
The survey also found that 1 in 5 homeowners have argued with their spouse over the state of their garage. That’s not surprising, especially if you live in an area where there’s snow, and you have to clean your car off each morning due to clutter in the garage.
Here are some other “fun facts” the survey revealed:
– 27% of people use the garage for hobbies
– 23% use it to work on cars
– 19% of Americans use their garage to do projects such as woodworking or carpentry
– 13% use it as an area for exercise or sports
If you do work up the motivation to clean out your garage, keep in mind that it’s crucial to dispose of items properly – especially things like old paint and household chemicals. Check with your county about ways to dispose of these items. And if you don’t think you need to worry about that, consider that that survey also found that one-third of homeowners don’t even know what’s stored in their garage at the moment! – WTF fun facts
Source: “Almost 1 in 4 Americans Say Their Garage is Too Cluttered to Fit Their Car” — PR Newswire