Learn How To Properly Store Your Belongings

Moving & Packing Tips

Know How To Properly Protect Your Items

Storage Renting and Moving Overview

Did you know that if you lay a mattress on its side, overtime it can sag and become damaged? Knowing how to store your things the right way is pretty important to ensure they stay in the best shape possible. Sure, you could just toss the mattress and forget about it but we can assure it will take a lot more money to fix or replace ruined stuff than the time it takes to prep it and organize it right.

If you’ve just started the process of moving, check out our Moving and Packing Guide, head over for information on our truck rentals and tips on packing the truck, then learn how to store a ton of different items and organize your storage unit.

How to Store Your Stuff the Right Way

Items You May Need:

Markers
Labels
Blankets
Plastic wrap
Sandwich/zip lock bags
Bubble or foam wrap
Wood pallets
Duct tape
Hangers
Plastic totes
Cardboard boxes
Cedar chips or silicone packets

12 Quick Tips for Prepping

Disassemble furniture as much as possible and wrap the legs of tables and beds in a blanket or foam wrap.
Place screws, bolts or any hardware into a plastic bag and label the bag.
Wrap mattresses in a plastic mattress bag that you can purchase at many of our stores.
Wrap blankets or sheets around couches and wrap foam around any wood legs.
Condition any leather items, like furniture or clothing, with a leather conditioner.
Pack books on their back, not on their spine, in small boxes.
Wash your dishes and wrap them in bubble or foam wrap. Pack them in boxes designed for dishware (dishpacks).
Scrub the inside and outside of appliances and let them dry.
Place duct tape in an ‘X’ on your mirror, wrap the corners in foam or bubble wrap, and place them inside a flat cardboard box.
Disassemble your TV from the stand. Wrap a thick blanket around your television, or use foam cutouts that it came with.
Wash all linens and place them inside totes with cedar chips or silicone packets.
For clothing that needs to remain hung, wash them, cover them in plastic wrap, and hang them on wardrobe hangers.

11 Quick Tips for Storing

Purchase a high-quality disc lock for your storage unit.
Place furniture and mattresses on wooden pallets to protect from flooding. Put plastic wrap on top of fabric-covered furniture, and blankets on top of wood furniture.
Don’t put the mattress on top of anything that can make it bend, or place heavy items on top of the mattress.
Place book boxes on the bottom of stacks, as they are the heaviest items.
Don’t stack heavy items on top of dishware.
When storing appliances, leave the doors open to prevent moisture build-up.
Store mirrors on their side.
Place your TV on top of heavier items in the back of the unit.
Items that are used less should go in the back of the unit.
Items that are more expensive should go in the back of the unit.
Leave a few aisles so you can easily access everything, and also leave a little bit of space between the wall and your things to allow for air to prevent moisture build-up.

Use our handy Storage Guide to help you choose what size unit you need. It will help you avoid paying for more space than you need, while still getting a unit that’s big enough. If you’re still having trouble, no worries! There are a lot of options and features to choose from. Our helpful staff will guide in choosing the right unit for you.

Now that you know how to prep, pack, and organize your storage unit, it’s time to find one in your are.

Moving, Packing, & Storage Tips

Books:

Pack books flat on their back and avoid standing them upright when possible. This will protect the spine that may bend and warp if left upright long enough.
Books can be deceiving – one or two seem so light, but the weight adds up quickly. For this reason, pack books in small boxes and avoid placing the in boxes with fragile items. You’ll thank us later.

Mattresses:

It’s worth the extra few bucks to buy a plastic mattress cover, especially if your mattress is new or expensive. Covers protect their absorbent top material from dust and moisture.
Try not to place mattresses on top of other items. Not only will you risk crushing what’s underneath, you may warp the mattress itself, causing the center to dip.

Leather Items:

Leather can be vulnerable to fluctuating temperatures. Treating leather couches, clothes, and other items with a leather conditioner could significantly prolong the lifespan of your belongings.
Keep leather furniture items off the floor by placing them on pallets.

Blankets, Draperies and Clothing:

We strongly recommend washing your blankets, draperies, clothing, and other cloth items and packing them in wardrobe boxes or an enclosed plastic cover.
Cedar chips and silicone packets absorb moisture and help keep items fresh and dry.

Mirrors and Pictures:

Store mirrors and pictures inside broken down boxes that are roughly the same size. This will protect them from dist and scratches.
Do not store these items flat. Keep them upright and mark them as fragile.
Do not stack items on top of mirrors and frames.

Furniture and Tables:

When storing mattresses, sofas, chairs, or any other type of furniture, we strongly recommend wrapping them with blankets or plastic covers. This will protect them from scratches, dust, and moisture.
We highly advise placing furniture on wooden pallets or boards; check to be sure no fabric or furniture draping is touching the floor. This will help protect items from flooding.
Disassemble beds and tables, and wrap table legs in moving blankets or bubble wrap. Protect corners and edges using bubble wrap or cardboard.
When storing mirrors and framed artwork, use cardboard corner protectors.

Photos:

Photographs tend to curl over time. Keep them flat and invest in a sealed, airtight container.
All of us have irreplaceable photos. Because they tend to take up little space, it might not be a bad idea to try and keep these items on you when possible.

Dishes & Glassware:

It’s worth taking the extra time to wrap dishes and glassware in bubble wrap or paper, and then placing them in small or medium boxes (avoid large boxes).
Do not place any boxes on top of boxes containing dishes. Mark these boxes as “fragile” to avoid mixing anything up.
When possible, use special dish packing boxes called dish-packs.

Appliances:

Clean and dry all appliances before placing them in your unit.
Do not store anything inside your appliances to try and save space.
We highly recommend storing all appliances upright with their doors ajar. This will allow items to ventilate

Lawn Mowers:

Drain gasoline and oil from all engines. This will protect both your stored property and the property of others from the dangers of fire and explosion.

DO NOT STORE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS

Any living thing, used tires, firearms, explosives, flammables of any kind (gas, diesel, oil, paint, etc.), drugs or drug paraphernalia, stolen items, any type of hazardous items, furs, jewelry and other expensive items, perishable items of any kind, hazardous waste materials of any kind, items that produce odors or any item that will in any way impose upon other tenants.

Self Storage Organization Tips

We strongly recommend labeling your boxed items – this will save you considerable when searching for specific items. Try to at least label boxes with the room it belongs in, so you and your movers will know where to set them down in your new home!
Place items you’ll need sooner than later towards the front of your unit and items that you will not immediately need towards the back.
Leave a small airspace between the wall of your unit and your stored items, allowing for ventilation.
To help prevent condensation from damaging your items, use wood pallets or boards underneath furniture and boxes.
Always store heave items on the bottom and lightweight items on top.
We strongly advise to cover everything you can with plastic sheeting. Wooden furniture should have a base-wrap of blankets to avoid abrasion and moisture damage. Plastic sheeting will protect your items from both dust and water damage!
Pack your storage unit as tight as possible. Tighter packing helps protect your items from moisture and dust.
Use a high quality, bras disc-round padlock to lock your storage unit. This type of lock is difficult to cut or break and offers great protection for its relatively low cost.

RV Storage Tips

There are plenty of precautions you can take to be sure your RV leaves in the same condition it came in. We recommend the following tips to keep your RV running – and looking – smooth:

Before doing anything, check your owner’s manual for any storage advice, especially regarding the engine, LP gas, generator, water heater and sanitation system.
Remove all perishable food from cabinets.
Turn off your refrigerator and verify all power sources are off by checking 12 volt, 110 volt and LP gas.
Clean rooftop air conditioner filers and cover the outside unit.
Clean the interior of the RV, pull shades and close blinds.
Turn off the propane cylinders and cover the regulator.
Cover or tape vents to the furnace and range hood for long-term storage.
Ensure all roof vents and windows are closed.

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Moving & Packing Tips

How to Store Your Stuff the Right Way

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Self Storage Organization Tips

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