The changing of seasons is a wonderful thing, unfortunately, there are side effects. Debris blowing and creeping its way into your garage during the changing of seasons can be tough to conquer and frustrating to deal with.

After the 10th sweep of your garage, we don't blame you for feeling exhausted. These four tips can help reduce time and effort spent getting rid of unwanted debris- whether it be leaves blowing into the garage, or pests that won’t stay out.

1. Seal Your Entrances

If you're struggling with water, leaves, dirt, small pests and dust the root of the problem may be your entrances. Start with your garage door, does the weather stripping need to be replaced? Most garages are built with bottom seals, but these will degrade over time. We found great options for weather stripping replacements here. Take another good look at dog doors and backyard entrances to your garage- these are all prime areas for debris to blow in as well as allow spiders, insects, and pests to make your garage their new home. Leaves can easily blow into your garage if your entrances are not sealed properly, even if the gap is small.

To find where exactly debris might be blowing in, try to keep items off the garage floor to pinpoint the troublesome areas.

2. Air Filtration Systems

Dust problems often aren't apparent until the problem is paramount- dust is the ninja of garage debris. According to Hughes Environment, the average American home accumulates 40 pounds of dust every year and your garage may be your biggest dust count contributor. Air filtration systems won't affect the temperature in the garage but will provide added airflow to keep the air clean and dust free. This is especially important if your garage door is kept closed more often than not. Gas, oil, dust and other harmful substances need to be filtered out of your garage air.

If you’re looking for a portable system for your garage, This Old House explains how to choose the right size. “Portable [filtrations systems] powered by fans are rated by “clean-air delivery rate” (CADR), which measures both air movement and gunk-trapping effectiveness. It’s important to buy a filter that’s big enough. Manufacturers recommend that the CADR be at least two-thirds the room’s area in square feet - so a 15-by-20-foot room (300 square feet) would need a filter with a CADR rating of 200.”

3. Garage Screen Doors

Retractable garage door screens aren’t talked about enough in our opinion. These bad boys not only keep out debris but keep out pesky bugs as well. They also give you the option of keeping the garage door open all day without worry- giving some fresh air to your garage.

These can be found online on sites like Amazon that you install yourself or from a professional such as Screen Mobile.

4. Seal The Floor

Having a sealed concrete floor gives your garage an advantage when it comes to keeping debris and unwanted items out for good. Many may not realize the concrete floor is one of the main culprits of dust in the garage. Concrete that isn't sealed will break down after moisture, car oil and other substances touch it. This causes the concrete to wear down and slowly crumble into dust when you drive, walk and move items along the floor. Moisture can also create mold and mildew on concrete that is left wet for extended periods of time. This can cause a green discoloration to appear on your concrete surface. When you seal your concrete, you inhibit mold growth and dust accumulation.

Sealed floors, “In residential cases, some epoxy floor coatings have been known to last for 30 years”, according to this flooring site. With 30 years of protection, you can rest assured your garage debris will decrease.

It’s important to remember that some debris will make it into your garage no matter how many precautions you take. The key is to maintain and prevent additional debris blowing and creeping into your garage. Although frustrating, it’s important to maintain a debris-free garage for your health and time, through routine maintenance, keeping items off the floor and stored in sealed containers.