You trust your common sense. Even if you needed to store explosives, you wouldn't stash them in your Arlington Heights, IL storage unit. Self storage can handle just about anything, but safety and liability issues establish clear guidelines. It's good to know the limits before filling up that extra space.

10 Things You Don't Want in Your Storage Unit

Any Type of Hazardous Material

This category covers the obvious. You can't store chemicals, gasoline, fireworks or propane tanks. If it can explode, corrode or catch fire, keep it out of the unit.

Firearms and Munitions

Most facilities prohibit storing guns and ammunition. In many cases, it violates local and state regulations. Gun shops and shooting ranges are better storage choices.

Too Many Tires

Self storage sites often set a limit of four spares per unit. The reasoning is simple. If they're abandoned, management has to pay for tire disposal.

Undrained Yard Equipment

When it's time to park your lawn mower in the unit, don't let it turn into a storage hazard. Drain gasoline before putting away seasonal yard equipment.

Packaged and Perishable Food

Even boxed cereal eventually goes bad. Canned goods hold up to long-term storage, but everything else invites spoilage problems including rotten smells, bugs and rodents.

Plugged-In Appliances

It's OK to store refrigerators, freezers, and space heaters in your unit. It's not OK to plug them into outlets or run a generator in the unit.

Anything Smelly or Wet

If it smells bad, it's an invitation for a pest invasion. If it's wet, it's a breeding ground for mold and mildew. Keep stored belongings clean and dry.

Your Hard-Earned Cash

A storage unit might seem like the perfect vault for stashing extra bills. However, insurance won't cover your cash loss in case of a fire, break-in, or natural disaster.

Pets of Any Species

They need your love and attention. Don't keep any type of pet in a storage unit. Even an overnight stay can be disastrous for your animal buddies.

You as a Tenant

Yes, leasing storage costs less than renting an apartment or making a mortgage payment. Yes, there are laws against living in a unit even for a few days.

Everything You Want in Storage Solutions

We have faith in your common sense. Our Arlington Heights, IL teams are happy to help with smart storage solutions. You're always welcome here at Safeguard Self Storage.

There are so many smart reasons to move fragile treasures to secure storage units. Collectibles outgrow display space at home. Family heirlooms deserve better than closet shelves. You might be adding to your own vintage resale inventory. Northwest of downtown Chicago, self storage units in Arlington Heights, IL and Palatine, IL offer safe havens for your breakable things, but how do you get them there safely?

Start with Good Boxes

Round up cardboard boxes from grocery stores, retail shops, or recycling centers. If you can't find clean, sturdy boxes, you can buy new ones at any Safeguard Self Storage facility. Purchase ten items or more and receive a 10% discount on your order.

Use Quality Packing Supplies

Crumpled newspapers make great box padding, but the print can stain fragile items. Stock up on quality newsprint paper, bubble wrap, and packing peanuts. Wrap valuable antiques, photos, and printed materials in acid-free paper.

Stand Up Plates

Use Dish Boxes and Dish Cell Kits to protect your plates from chips or cracking. Individually wrap plates with bubble warp. Cushion the bottoms of moving boxes with crumpled newspaper or bubbles. Stack wrapped plates standing up in boxes with room between each plate for additional padding.

Protect Glass Stems

Wind bubble wrap around glassware stems, and finish up with packing paper around the entire glass. Fold it over and into the glass, and secure with crumpled paper. Keep packed boxes light in weight for safe stacking in your storage unit.

Disassemble Lamps

Remove shades and harps from lamps, and wrap parts separately. Secure cords coiled around lamp bodies by wrapping with layers of packing paper. Box all pieces together, cushioned with bubble wrap.

Move with Care

Top off boxes with a final layer of packing materials. Tape lids shut, and tape box corners for additional protection. Use old towels bunched between boxes to stabilize the load as you drive packed breakables to your storage facility.

Store Confidently

Eliminate worries about extreme temperatures and humidity by storing fragile things in a climate-controlled storage unit. Keep boxes off the floor on shelving or wood pallets, leave room to walk between stored items, and avoid building stacks that can turn into box-crunching avalanches.

Keep Your Delicate Items with Us

With 15 locations across Chicagoland, Safeguard Self Storage gives you many good reasons to store fragile things with us. Our Palatine, IL and Arlington Heights, IL self storage facilities offer a full line of packing and storage supplies, climate-controlled units, drive-in loading areas, and more. When your most delicate treasures need a safe home away from home, we're just around the corner.

If you're looking for a way to honor Read Across America Day that happened in the beginning of March, you should consider hosting a book drive. Whether you'd like to collect books for a specific organization or plan to donate them to a variety as needed, it's a great deal of fun and much easier than you probably think. That's especially true if you use Arlington Heights self storage as a staging ground. After all, there's only so much room in your home, and you will probably need to store the books before you can disburse them. With this in mind, the first step to hosting a book drive should be investigating Palatine storage facilities and renting a unit that suits your needs.

Start Publicizing Your Book Drive Now

The more people who participate in your book drive, the more books you will collect. It pays to start publicizing your event as early as possible. Thanks to the Internet, this is easier to do than ever. Social media in particular is a big help. You will need to find a place to hold your book drive, and it should be relatively close to the Arlington Heights, IL storage lockers you've rented for convenience. In fact, by renting a unit with plenty of space, you can even accept donations well after the event is over.

Keep Your Books Safe

After running a successful book drive, you'll need to bring the books to the Arlington Heights self storage unit you have selected. Pack them into fairly small cardboard boxes so they are easier to manage, but sort them into categories first so they will be easier to disperse later. Climate controlled Palatine storage facilities are ideal because books are susceptible to moisture, heat, humidity and other elements. While arranging boxes in Arlington Heights, IL storage lockers, make a path for easy access later, and avoid stacking boxes too high – shoulder height is best.

By following these steps, the books you collect during your drive will stay in tip-top shape, and you will be able to donate the fruits of your labor from when the time is right. Safeguard Self Storage has locations throughout Illinois, which feature climate control storage units, drive-in loading areas and top notch security devices such as computer controlled access, unit door alarms and digital video recording. Contact Safeguard Self Storage to find a neighborhood storage unit to make your book drive base.