What would Pepé Le Pew’s Valentine say about the smell of your garage?

Poor Pepé Le Pew the lovestruck skunk. All the ladies of the forest adore him until they get close enough for a good whiff. His distinctive odor is not conducive to reeling in his special Valentine. But Pepé is not the only one with odiferous difficulties. Your Valentine my turn up his or her nose when stepping into your garage.

WHAT IS THAT SMELL?!!!

There are a number of offenders who may bring less-than-pleasant odors to your garage. And different offenders bring different odors. To track down the culprit when your garage is presenting a hint of something unpleasant, cautiously give your nostrils a try (cautiously on the chance that the odor is from something unsafe).

What are some of the common odors found in garages? The smell of …

• Gasoline
• Mold & Mildew
• Oil-Based Paints
• Household cleaners
• Other chemicals
• Natural Gas
• Pests
• Etc.

If you smell gasoline, the first thing to consider is that, if that the smell of gasoline, if in a confined area can make you ill or worse. The first thing you want to do is open the door and/or a window. DON’T light a match until you’ve done something about the origin of the smell of gasoline. 

The smell of gasoline comes, logically, from gasoline. What do you have in your garage that contains gasoline? This can include your car, gas cans, garden and snow removal equipment, such as lawnmowers and snow blowers; motorcycles, snowmobiles, boats with engines and other vehicles. Rags soaked with gasoline will also emit the odor of gasoline but would dry up after a while.

Look signs of gasoline leaking from any of these items. Check that their caps are secure and not allowing gasoline vapors to escape. Once you find the culprit, you need to fix it.

The source of odors from household cleaners, oil-based paints and other chemicals are also found by tracking down the source. Many of these are toxic in a confined area and very often flammable. They can even prove explosive given the right conditions. Along with tracking down the source, you want to be very careful about what you store in your home and garage.

Natural gas will generally come from a furnace or hot water heater in your garage. If you smell natural gas, it’s probably best to call the gas company to come out, locate the leak and fix it.

Pests can build nests, bring edible items in that might decay, and use your garage as a bathroom. All of these activities can cause odors. Beyond orders, nesting pests can also cause damage to the structure of your garage.

Fortunately, it’s not likely that an odiferous garage will chase your Valentine away. Of course, if one of Pepé Le Pew’s cousins takes up residence in your garage, your Valentine may run anyhow.