You’ve Got Storage – Now What

Storing BoxesYou finally realized you need a storage unit.  Your house is cluttered, your garage has more boxes than it can handle and you aren’t ready to part with a large majority of these items, so you finally rented a unit. Now what?

In today’s post, we have some tips on how to store boxes and furniture to make sure that your items remain undamaged. We hope you find this information useful, but as always, please use your best judgment and follow any manufacture instructions regarding long term storage.

When preparing items for storage, you want to organize and pack them in a systematic and practical manner, so that you can easily find and access whatever you might need and any time. You also want to ensure the best possible protection against dust, dirt, moisture and possible damage.

In order to do this you should follow some simple yet highly effective storage packing tips:

  • make sure the items you pack for storage are clean and dry;
  • disassemble large items to better protect each individual part;
  • use quality packing materials, provide sufficient padding, and
  • pack the boxes full (so as you stack boxes the boxes underneath don’t collapse or bend) and seal them tightly.

Each individual item may also have other things you need to keep in mind to protect it, in addition to the above-mentioned tips.

Preparing furniture for storage is one of the items that will require some additional steps.  Below are some steps to consider as you get ready to store your furniture.

Step 1. Empty your furniture (if applicable), vacuum with a brush to remove any excess dirt, and clean all the surfaces with a gentle solution of soap and water (if appropriate). Let the furniture air dry fully.

Step 2. Apply furniture protection spray, as well as leather conditioner, when applicable. Protect any wood finishes with a coat of wax to seal the wood and reduce the risk of mold development. Wipe down metal elements with oil to prevent tarnishing and rusting.

Step 3. Disassemble large furniture pieces as much as possible. Protect small protruding elements with bubble wrap or rags. Pack all the detached pieces from one furniture item together and put small hardware parts (bolts, hinges, etc.) in sealable plastic bags (tape the bags to the corresponding furniture to prevent losing or mixing the small parts).

Step 4. Cover the furniture with sheets and blankets or specialized fabric furniture covers (especially if your items will be stored long-term). Secure the blankets in place with rubber bands, cinch straps, or plastic wrap.

A couple key things to remember when preparing your furniture for storage are:

  • Using plastic wrap directly on wooden or leather furniture can be harmful, as the plastic covers can trap moisture and heat and cause the wood or leather to warp or mold. Besides, prolonged contact with plastic may ruin paint jobs and result in stains;
  • Cover upholstered furniture with white cotton sheets, as dark colored fabrics can bleed color onto the stored items if the humidity level in the storage unit is too high.

Visit our website for more tips on storing items.

Here at Dollar Self Storage, your items are just as important to us as they are to you!

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