Whether you love packing and organizing or find it absolutely dreadful, finding ways to easily store your possessions can be a daunting task when you don’t have the right tools. We’ve compiled a list of 10 must-haves that will make your life easier when storing your belongings.
1. Permanent Marker or Label Maker.
You won’t fully appreciate labeling all your boxes until you are faced with the nightmarish task of searching for one particular item in a sea of unmarked boxes and bins. Do yourself a favor and tag your boxes. You might find listing the specific items on the side of the box or color coding will further help you in your future quests.
2. Dryer Sheets.
Not only do they keep your stored items smelling fresh, but a few dryer sheets placed strategically in the corners of your storage unit keep insects at bay too. Replace the sheets about once a month and you’ll have a cruelty-free trick to keep those unwanted visitors from making a home of your storage unit.
3. Furniture Covers.
Protect your mattresses, couches, and tables against dust or damage with a cover. If you don’t have specific covers for certain furniture, a large sheet will do the trick.
4. Clear Plastic Bins.
If you can store your things in clear plastic bins rather than cardboard boxes, do it. They are more durable, reusable, stackable and sturdier, and best of all, see-through! But don’t throw out your marker just yet, it still helps to label. Here’s another pro-tip: When buying bins, get them all in the same size for easy stacking.
5. Box Cutter.
There is nothing worse than having to use dull scissors or—when desperate times call for desperate measures—your house key, to cut through tape, cardboard or string. You never know when you are going to need something especially sharp when storing, so you should always have a box cutter for those unexpected “I think I may have left my cell phone in one of those boxes” moments.
6. Vacuum-Sealed Bags.
If you are worried about storing clothes, bedding and other linens, vacuum-sealed bags can drastically reduce size while protecting your fabrics in an airtight seal. They’ll protect your old clothes for whenever the world decides they’ve come back in style. If you don’t want to spend the money on actual vacuum-sealed bags, you can learn how to D.I.Y. here.
7. Bubble Wrap.
Bubble wrap is an important item to have especially if you are storing delicate valuables. If you don’t have bubble wrap, you can wrap your more easily broken possessions in alternatives such as old T-shirts, newspapers or even paper towels. Avoid leaving gaps when stuffing the box to ensure everything stays secure and in place.
8. Cardboard.
Rather than throwing out old or damaged cardboard packing boxes, repurpose them! Plain ol’ cardboard has multiple nifty uses when it comes to storage. You can stick it in between photos to protect them from curling, on top of glass mirrors, or underneath heavier boxes to slide them short distances.
9. Basic Cleaning Supplies.
You might want to wipe down any dirt or grime on any appliances or electronics you plan on putting in storage. Storage units get pretty dusty after a while, so keeping some basic cleaning supplies like a broom or some paper towels for a quick cleanup when you visit stops the dust from piling up over time.
10. Inventory App.
It’s a smart idea to keep track of all the belongings you store in your unit because, let’s face it, you are bound to forget exactly what you decided to keep there. There are a variety of helpful and easy apps that will do the hard work for you! Instead of racking your brain trying to remember where or if something is tucked away in your storage unit, simply consult your app.
Get yourself these 10 must-haves and you’ll be more than well equipped to begin storing like a pro! Now all you have to do is contact the storage professionals at Secure Self Storage to find the perfect place to store your things and get those must-have supplies like boxes and bubble wrap.