Storing kitchen appliances isn't a complicated job, but affordable storage units in Chicago, IL, make it easier. Most stoves, refrigerators, and dishwashers just need a little pre-move prep. Use our handy kitchen storage guide to make sure your appliances are ready for long- or short-term storage.

Clean the Stove

Don't give bugs a reason to set up house in the stove. Clean it inside and out with a mild detergent before moving it to self storage. Be sure to scrub burner liners, oven racks, and broiler pans. Secure knobs with painter's tape so that they make the move without getting lost.

Drain the Refrigerator

Kitchen storage and wet refrigerator components don't mix. Defrost the freezer, drain the ice maker, and clear the water supply lines. Clean trays, drawers, and the drip pan. Let everything dry for several days. Use a hand vac to clear dust from the motor and compressor on the refrigerator's backside.

Disconnect the Dishwasher

Run the empty dishwasher one last time using white vinegar or bleach. Clean the door gasket with baking soda and water. Leave the door open for at least 24 hours. Disconnect hoses, let them completely dry and then wrap in towels and store inside the dishwasher.

Pack Up the Microwave

Remove and clean the microwave turntable. Clean inside and outside the oven housing. Tape the door shut, put the oven in a sturdy cardboard box, and fill with packing material.

Make a Safe Move

Large kitchen appliances travel best with their doors securely shut and their cords taped to the outside. Protect glass panels with cardboard inserts. Keep appliances scratch-free by covering them with large blankets. Always move them in an upright position. Otherwise, you risk damaging motors and components.

Follow Kitchen Storage Basics

Self storage options in Chicago keep appliances in good shape indefinitely, but even the best storage units need a little help. Follow these appliance storage basics to make sure your kitchen essentials stay in top condition:

• Lease a climate-controlled unit to protect appliances from humidity.
• Maximize air circulation by leaving appliance doors open.
• Keep everything off the floor on wood or plastic pallets.

We're Here to Help

You don't have to store appliances every day, but we're here to help. From multiple move-in specials to choose from to on-site carts and dollies, you can count on Safeguard to have the storage space you need conveniently located in your neighborhood. Safeguard offers the following 16 Chicagoland locations:

• Chicago – Hermosa                        
• Chicago – Uptown            
• Chicago – Edison Park
• Chicago – Beverly
• Chicago – West Rogers Park
• Chicago – Lake View            
• Chicago – South Loop
• Des Plaines
• Palatine
• Lombard
• Darien
• Lyons
• McCook
• Bridgeview
• Arlington Heights
• Addison

You might be inspired by the wonderful ethnic food markets on Argyle Street. Maybe you want to prep for a Lincoln Park picnic. If messy kitchen drawers cramp your home cooking style in Uptown and Lake View, it's time to get organized with drawer-expanding ideas and convenient storage units here in Chicago, IL.

How to Organize Your Kitchen Drawers

1. Clear the Counters: Give yourself plenty of room to purge kitchen drawers. Turn countertops into clearing houses, and set aside labeled boxes for things you'll want to move to self storage. 

2. Start by Sorting: Sort things by use. If you only pull it out of the drawer once or twice a year, move it to a designated box. Climate-controlled storage units hold seasonal kitchen items year-round. 

3. Clean and Line: Pull drawers out, and clean with a good shake and wipe over the trash can. Line them with colored or patterned washable contact paper. 

4. Turn the Silverware: Make room in the silverware drawer by turning its tray horizontally. This frees up extra storage space at the back of the drawer. 

5. Think Clearly with Acrylic: Clear acrylic trays keep full drawer interiors from looking cluttered. They let you enjoy your attractive drawer linings too. 

6. Divide Drawers Diagonally: This trick works well for storing long utensils in kitchen drawers. A diagonal layout makes it easier to organize and access extra-long spoons, spatulas, and tongs. 

7. Layer Tiered Storage: Make the most of deep drawers with several tiers of sliding storage trays. Use the layered layout for utensils that you don't need often. 

8. Store for Convenience: Keep kitchen utensils conveniently close. Store knives in drawers next to prep areas, spatulas by the stove, and silverware within quick reach of serving areas. 

9. Mark Things to Move: As you finish up, clearly label boxes of drawer extras headed for self storage. When you're ready to retrieve seldom-used items like holiday cookware, just follow the labels in your storage unit. 

10. Junk Is Okay: Allow yourself the luxury of one junk drawer. Let it be the place to toss things you don't want in your newly organized kitchen drawers. 

Keeping You Inspired 

Once you organize those messy kitchen drawers, you can set your culinary talents free. Keep on conquering pantry problems with any of our six Safeguard Self Storage locations in Chicago, IL, including ones in Uptown and Lake View. It's our pleasure to keep you inspired in the kitchen and all around the house.

Wonderful meals and great company make every kitchen the heart of a home. Whether you're building a new house or planning a remodel, think about this special room's function, design, and space. Make the project deliciously easy by including Baton Rouge, LA self storage in your recipe for the perfect home kitchen.

Build with Universal Design

When you're going over new home floor plans, talk with your builder about universal design in the kitchen. This approach helps make a room both functional and comfortable for everyone in the house. Use the principle to customize things like free floor space, door widths, and counter heights.

As you work out details for the new kitchen, pay close attention to the locations of the sink, stove, and refrigerator. Picture each of these busy spots as a point on a triangle. Ideally, you want a clear path that lets you move easily from one station to the other.

Remodel Looks and Function

With a kitchen remodel, focus on upgrading both the room's looks and its function. New backsplashes add colorful accents while protecting walls over sinks and stoves. Pendant lights are another easy way to freshen up decor and brighten up prep and cooking areas.

Marry form and function by turning wasted kitchen space into handy storage units. Open up areas under corners where countertops meet with lazy Susan shelving and folding doors. Install drawers in the kitchen island, and make it a decorative center of attention with pot racks hanging overhead. Free up extra remodeling room by moving old kitchen furniture to a nearby storage facility. 

Say No to Kitchen Mistakes

It's easy to get caught up in the fun of kitchen design. It's also easy to overlook common mistakes that can spoil the best building and remodeling plans.

• Open shelves are pretty, but they're dust magnets too.
• Garbage and recycling bins need their own hiding spaces.
• Kitchen islands breathe easier with three feet of free space on all sides.
• Refrigerator doors need four feet of clearance to open properly.
• Too much trendy decor wears out its welcome in just a few years.

Save Space with Us

Once you set up your perfect kitchen, keep it organized while you expand your culinary horizons with room to spare. Just shelve deep fryers, boiling pots, and cast iron skillets at one of our convenient Baton Rouge, LA storage units. Here at Safeguard Self Storage, we're always cooking up great ways to help you save space.

Everybody appreciates the roses here in Crescent City, but most of us would just as soon stop and smell the gumbo. If you know the difference between a roux and a tomato base, you own one of the keys to Cajun cooking in New Orleans, LA, where storage units and busy kitchens keep the good times rolling. 

It's All in the Trinity

Louisiana natives have always been fired up over rustic Cajun cooking, but Chef Paul Prudhomme put it on the culinary map back in the 1980s. Today, blackened, smoked, stewed, and smothered flavors whet appetites in home kitchens and five-star restaurants across the country. The entree star in a Cajun kitchen might be shrimp, alligator, turtle, or a whole hog, but the trinity never changes. Celery, onion and bell pepper form a base that brings out the best in rice, boudin and ham hocks with a little garlic, paprika and ground file.

It's Simply Delicious 

How many ways can Cajun food make your mouth water? It's hard to say. By the time you start counting appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts, you're too hungry to do the math. Just savor this short list:

• Marinated shrimp salad
• Fried crab cakes
• Red beans and rice
• Cajun meatloaf
• Blackened redfish
• Pork jambalaya
• Bread pudding
• Strawberry beignets

One of the tastiest things about these dishes simmers down to their simplicity. If you can manage extra room in the kitchen, you can fire up all kinds of Cajun crowd-pleasers.

It's Really Inspiring Too

Cajun cooking needs a little more space than other culinary styles, so move old pots and pans to a shelf in your self storage unit. Set your inner chef free with some of these Cajun kitchen must-haves:

• Sausage grinders
• Stock pots
• Dutch ovens
• Cast iron skillets
• Turkey fryers

Once you have the keys to Cajun cuisine, it's hard to resist the aroma of inspiration, so hang onto that storage unit. You may need it soon for parking extra chairs and tables from your very own hot new NOLA eatery. 

We Have Plenty of Room

Whether you're cooking up plans for a backyard bash or planning the Quarter's newest Cajun restaurant, our doors are open. Just stop by one of our six Safeguard Self Storage locations, or make arrangements online for the very best storage units in New Orleans, LA. We're always here, and we always have plenty of room for your extra stuff.

Does a freezing December picnic over at Smokey Oval Park sound better than trying to cook in your small kitchen? Are you tired of putting together great meals in a tight space? Conquer culinary confines, get organized with convenient Richmond Hill mini storage, and unleash the power of hidden kitchen space.

Set Existing Space Free

Your kitchen plays host to an assortment of space-stealing culprits. Countertop appliances, over-sized pans and big serving bowls are the worst offenders. Round them up, and pack them off to nearby Richmond Hill self storage. Kicking out clutter frees up space and reveals existing possibilities. Are you stuck with a skinny cabinet that doesn't hold much? Take off the door, and turn it into a vertical wine rack. Would the convenience of a built-in cutting board make life easier? Insert framing in the knife drawer, and turn it into a retractable base for your trusty prep piece.

Clear the Counters and Decorate

Once you've discovered concealed possibilities, investigate the kitchen again. Old cookbooks, canister sets and knickknacks make great candidates for a yard sale. Stash them in your Safeguard Self Storage unit, and cash in when you're ready. Decorate blank walls with small racks for hanging utensils or slender shelves for favorite spices. Get potted plants off the counter by suspending them in front of sunny windows. Brighten up tight spaces with under-cabinet lighting, and fill empty corners with pretty stacking baskets that double as decorative storage. 

Put Your DIY Warrior to Work

If you're handy with a hammer, stretch kitchen space by focusing on small projects with big payoffs. Why waste the wall behind an open door? Install shallow cabinets for storing things you don't use very often. Is there a dead area lurking beneath the corner where countertops meet? Open it up with a folding door, and install lazy Susan shelving inside. Keep DIY projects on track by keeping things out of the way at nearby Richmond Hill mini storage, and treat yourself to built-in luxuries like vertical sliding cabinets and gliding drawer systems.

Every tight space has delicious potential. Mix affordable Richmond Hill self storage into your space-saving recipes, and you have big solutions for small kitchens. When you need to open things up, depend on Safeguard Self Storage. We're always here for you with locations throughout Queens and the surrounding boroughs.