Just let it go, sister. Just let it go! If the basement and garage are HIS areas, you don't need to apologize for the shape they're in. Don't make it your problem, when it's his.
DH has a machine shed (we live on a farm) where he keeps all of his cr@p (and a lot of it IS cr@p.) He has his beloved brush pile and his beloved scrap metal pile behind the shed. I have my own garage where I keep my potting area and all of my tomato cages, gardening tools and everything related to gardening...which can become a lot! That works for us.
Now, as for ME, I'm the guilty one when it comes to clutteirng up the basement; but I've made great strides in that area and I MAKE myself clean it out 2x a year. Besides, our house is old and it's a creepy "Silence of the Lambs" basement, so one wants to be in and out of there quickly, LOL!
But, you can't change other people...especially husbands. You've just got to work around what you're given. :)
Excellent points! I think I could forgive the basement but what's hard about the garage is that I have to enter it daily. My car barely fits in there and it's a three car garage! I know when I look at the big picture, it's a small cross to bear. He's a great husband though he works too many hours. Your hub sounds like mine as far as the cr@p goes. I think what complicates it is I don't even KNOW what half of the stuff is or does.