# Keep the water jug out of a hot garage > A garage that bakes in July or freezes in January is a fine place for a shovel and a bad place for drinking water. The lesson is how heat and plastic quietly shorten the life of stored water. Part of the [Water](https://bordernest.com/silo/water.md) guides. Drinking water wants the same kind of spot as cooking oil you still plan to use: cool, dark, and out of the way of a car door. A garage in summer can climb past one hundred degrees, and that kind of heat does two things at once: it nudges the plastic jug to off-gas a faint plastic taste, and it speeds up any microbial growth that slipped in during filling. Winter is the mirror problem, because a jug that freezes and thaws over and over slowly weakens the seams and the cap seal. ## Why the garage is the wrong room Heat is the main culprit, but light is a quiet partner. A clear jug sitting on a garage shelf catches afternoon sun through the window and grows a thin algae film on the inside wall, especially if the seal is not perfect. Cold matters too, because the expansion of freezing water can crack a cap or split a seam you cannot see until the jug is on its side and weeping. None of this is dramatic, which is exactly why people store water in the garage and forget about it for two years. ## Where to put it instead The best spot is a climate-controlled corner of the house, a basement that stays in the fifties, or an interior closet away from exterior walls. Keep the jug off concrete if you can, since concrete floors sweat and that moisture invites mold on the outside of the container. If your only option is a garage, put the jug inside a cardboard box, against an interior wall, and out of direct sun. Do this today: walk to wherever your drinking water lives right now and pick it up. If it is warm to the touch, move it before tonight. **Reliance: Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7 Gallon.** An indoor jug worth checking on Amazon today so you can confirm the size and the current price before you buy. If you do not have a garage, the floor plan question is Where a water jug fits in a small apartment. The next habit that keeps the jug useful is How to date the jug so you actually rotate it. Links here are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy, we may earn a commission. It does not change your price. Check the live listing before you order. ## Related guides - [Start with water, before you buy anything clever](https://bordernest.com/blog/water-hub.md): Your tap can quit without warning. A full jug in the corner beats a filter still in your cart. - [How to treat water you scooped from outside](https://bordernest.com/blog/how-to-treat-water-from-outside.md): A creek, a pond, or a rain barrel can all be made safer with the right order. You will learn settle, filter, then treat, and why the home jug still matters most. - [How many gallons for one person at home](https://bordernest.com/blog/how-many-gallons-for-one-person.md): Ready.gov prints one gallon per person per day, so a single 7 gallon jug covers one person for about a week and is a short start for a family. - [Water for a family of four, counted in days](https://bordernest.com/blog/water-for-a-family-of-four.md): Four people need about four gallons a day, so a single seven gallon jug covers under two days. The lesson is to count days, not bottles, and start with one dated jug on the floor. - [How to store water without giving up the closet](https://bordernest.com/blog/how-to-store-emergency-water.md): One jug on the floor, a date on the side, and a corner that does not bake in July. You learn the minimum that actually counts and the spot in a small apartment that keeps water drinkable. - [Where a water jug fits in a small apartment](https://bordernest.com/blog/where-a-water-jug-fits-in-an-apartment.md): A full jug belongs on the floor, spigot facing out, in a corner that stays cool. - [Grocery store bottles or one jug you refill](https://bordernest.com/blog/grocery-bottles-or-one-refill-jug.md): A case of bottles you already bought counts as stored water. A refill jug is easier to pour from at home, and owning both is a fine plan. - [How to date the jug so you actually rotate it](https://bordernest.com/blog/how-to-date-and-rotate-a-water-jug.md): A marker on the jug outlasts a phone reminder. So you actually rotate the water instead of guessing. - [Containers that should not hold drinking water](https://bordernest.com/blog/containers-that-should-not-hold-water.md): A kitchen counter, a row of empty jugs, and the quiet rule that only drinking-water containers store drinking water. Students learn which plastics to skip and why a clean-looking bottle can still ruin a supply. - [Extra water for a pet, on top of the people](https://bordernest.com/blog/extra-water-for-the-pet.md): Ready.gov lists pet water on its own line, so add what the animal already drinks on top of the people gallon. The trick is to store water you would actually let them drink on a normal Tuesday. - [Water for a baby or an older adult at home](https://bordernest.com/blog/water-for-a-baby-or-older-adult.md): Formula and a person who cannot lift a full jug change the setup. The gallon is still where you start. This is not feeding or medicine advice. - [A weekend of stored water before any filter](https://bordernest.com/blog/a-weekend-of-water-before-any-filter.md): A weekend plan to put real water in the house before chasing a filter. The lesson is simple: stored water beats a clever gadget every time. - [Sawyer MINI or LifeStraw: pick the job, then the filter](https://bordernest.com/blog/sawyer-mini-vs-lifestraw.md): Two small filters, two different jobs. The Sawyer MINI pushes water from a pouch into a bottle; the LifeStraw is the straw you drink through. Pick the one the person using it will actually figure out under stress. - [Tablets for the water you did not store yet](https://bordernest.com/blog/tablets-for-water-you-did-not-store.md): A kitchen counter with an empty jug and a bottle of tablets side by side. Students learn that tablets treat water already in a container, so they only cover the gap when stored water runs out or never got filled. 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