Owning a storage unit to enjoy additional space for individuals, families and the business can be an incredible option. Sometimes, you might just want to downsize your home or office, or perhaps you’re moving to another location and need a place to store your belongings during the transition.
Regardless of the reasons, owning a self-storage unit at any storage facility is meant to make your life easier. However, if your storage unit becomes messy, dirty and unorganised, you might end up more stressed.
To keep your storage space clean and tidy, here are some tips on what you may want to consider working on.
Label your belongings
It can never be said enough: always label your belongings. When you first move into your storage unit, it’s easy to remember what is in every box. However, as time passes, remembering the location of each item will start to become more and more challenging.
To make it easier for your future self, always label the boxes and belongings you are storing. This way, you can easier retrieve any items you need when you visit the storage facility in the future.
Clean your belongings before storing them
It is important to clean and dry your belongings before you store them in your storage unit. Do not put dirty, smelly, or damp items into your storage unit.
Storing dirty, smelly or damp belongings into your storage unit makes your storage space a hotbed for pests, mould, and mildew. What is worse than this is the unpleasant and stale smell that might build up over time!
Use boxes or containers
When placing small or medium-sized items into your storage unit, make sure they are in sturdy boxes or containers. Simply putting them into plastic bags is not enough as the place will get disorganised over time.
Boxes or containers help with your organisation and allow you to stack, maximising the space you can use. They will also assist in keeping moisture, dust and pest away from your belongings.
If you are looking to purchase boxes for your items, you can always consider getting them from us! Our Box Shop offers a variety of storage boxes size to suit your every need. Alternatively, if you are already planning a trip to Ikea, why not look at some storage box options in-store.
Do not store perishables
Be careful of what you store! Some items are not allowed to be stored for a reason. Things like food or perishable product tend to go bad and turn mouldy. On top of that, they can even attract unwanted pests into your storage unit and damage all your belongings.
Cover your furniture
Dust is inevitable everywhere, especially in places that have been untouched for a long time. To protect your furniture against dust, make sure that they are covered with tarpaulins made of cloth. These cloth tarpaulins help to prevent dust from scattering everywhere.
While you may consider using plastic tarpaulins, they tend to wear down over time and are not advisable as a cover for wooden furniture. If you don’t have tarpaulins, you can also consider using old blankets.
If possible, it’ll be even better if you can wrap your furniture with a plastic wrapper before covering them with tarpaulins.
Visit your storage unit at least once a year
While we tend to just store and forget, it’s good to visit our storage unit at least once a year to allow some air in.
During your visit, it is a good idea to bring along some wipes, sprays and cloths to clean and wipe down all surfaces to ensure that they are dust-free.
Re-evaluate all stored contents
Your storage unit may seem spacious when you first walk in. However, over time, items can pile up quickly, requiring you to move to an even larger unit. While this can be an option, it should not always be the case. You should not be accumulating items without periodically going through them. It’ll only make sense to get rid of things as time passes.
Sort your items out into three different piles; Keep, Discard, and Donate. For those who find it hard to part with any items, you can create another pile: a Wait-and-See.
By donating and discarding any unneeded possessions, we can free up more space in the storage space.
