Think about it. Is it really worth renting a storage unit to store your keepsakes if they get ruined from dust, water or bugs anyway? No matter how fancy of a facility you rent from, it’s still important to keep things clean to avoid any unwanted damage.
First of all, PURGE. Keep, Discard and Donate. If you’re going to clean, it only makes sense to get rid of things that you no longer need as you go. Donating items is a great way to help other people instead of just taking it to the local solid waste.
Keep cleaning supplies in your unit. Bring some type of cleaning spray, a rag and maybe a broom! Make it a habit, that everytime you access your unit you do a quick wipe down to make sure things are remaining in good shape and you’re not allowing them to build up over time.
Wrap! Get industrial plastic wrap and wrap whatever you can. This way, you know things are sealed up tight and won’t collect dust or creepy crawlies.
Pallets. Honestly, this was one of the greatest ideas I read long ago and used it when I rented a standard unit. Keeping your items off the floor is almost essential. This keeps melting snow or spills from an adjacent unit from soaking in and ruining your heirloom sofa.
Label. If you’re ever in a hurry to find something, chances are you pull boxes apart until you eventually find your item. Then you have to run and you don’t have the time to pack everything back up, so you know you’re going to come back to a mess. It’s smart to label everything. Label the hidden and the obvious. It saves time and prevents making too much of a mess.
Use Plastic over cardboard. Three words. Soggy Cardboard boxes. Rain, moisture and even humidity can cause your boxes to sog and bottoms to rip out. Clothes and items inside of cardboard boxes have a greater chance of getting ruined, sour and even growing mold than those items would in a plastic box.
NO FOOD. Bringing food into your storage unit is just asking for ants, rats and all kinds of creepy pests. It also can cause things to stink. So just don’t do it.
Stay on top of pests. You can buy a 1.5 gallon container of bug spray for $12 at Lowes. It would be smart to keep this in your unit and so each time you visit you can just spray the perimeter to create that barrier so bugs will stay out of your unit.
You rented a unit to keep your valuables safe and in good shape. I hope these storage tips help you in cleaning and (re)organizing your storage unit today!