Bikes are a great way to not only get more exercise but also explore the world around you through recreation and travel. However, when the offseason rears its head, you’ll need to prepare your bike to be placed in storage. After all, you shouldn't have to leave your bike vulnerable either outside or in your garage. 

There are simple ways you can protect your bike all by implementing some simple storage tips and tricks. In this blog, our team at Safeguard will lead you through ways you can take care of your bike in preparation for storage.

Tips on Bike Maintenance for Storage

Proper bike maintenance is a critical part of taking care of your bicycle. If a bike goes into storage without the proper preparation, the odds of it wearing out over time dramatically increase. For adequate bike maintenance, go through specific procedures to check the condition of your bicycle. These steps include checking the bike’s tire air, inspecting chains and brakes, and securing all bolts.

Bike Cleaning

One of the best ways you can keep your bike in tip-top shape is by cleaning it before storage. Use a brush to remove any mud or grime from your bike’s gears, brakes, joints, and so on. Additionally, remove any damaged or deflated tires and get them replaced as soon as you can.

Bike Lubrication

A critical part of cleaning your bike is lubrication. To lubricate your bike, you’ll need bicycle-specific oil and a cleaning rag. Dampen your rag with your oil and proceed to lubricate your bike. Make a note to focus on chains and don’t over-lubricate any part of your bike. 

Tips for Bike Storage

Once your bike is cleaned and maintained it’s time for the easy part: dropping it off at your storage unit. Here are a few storage tips on how to properly store your bike for this offseason to make your storage experience even more smooth: 

• Use bicycle hooks
• Utilize waterproof cover
• Keep bikes away from the elements
• Remove batteries (if needed)

Bike Winterization

In preparation for the winter, bike winterization for storage is a wise idea to take advantage of. In addition, make sure all cleaning, maintenance, and lubrication are done before the winter begins.

Rent the Best Bike Storage at Safeguard Today!

When the time comes to put your bike away from the elements, come to Safeguard for the best bike storage near you! Whether you need a climate-controlled storage unit for further bike protection or a household storage solution for more space at home, we’ve got you covered! 

More information about our self storage is available on our FAQ page. For those ready to get started, give us a call or contact us online to rent or reserve your bike storage unit today!

When it comes to your storage shed or tool shed, the last thing you want to deal with is an unorganized space. From accessing your lawn care tools to storing seasonal belongings, you need a place that’s organized and streamlined to ensure lawn care, gardening, and home improvement projects are a breeze. Fortunately, with these 26 storage shed organization ideas, you can tackle your tasks without clutter getting in the way.

How to Organize a Storage Shed: 26 Tips That Really Work

1. Round-Up Hoses

Wrap extra or unused garden hoses around the outer edges of galvanized buckets mounted to your shed’s walls. This will keep your hoses contained and prevent any tripping hazards.

2. Utilize Wheeled Storage Carts

Metal storage carts with caster wheels become portable storage wherever you need it. These are perfect for items in your shed that you need to access often. Plus, if you need multiple items from your storage cart at once, you can wheel the entire storage system anywhere.

3. Install Corner Shelves

Turn wasted space into smart shed storage with floor-to-ceiling corner shelves. These shelves can help you save precious space while staying out of your way. 

4. Go Over Doors

Stash seldom-used items on shallow floating shelves installed over shed door frames. Not only should the door frame provide extra support for heavier items, but it also gets your small, unused belongings out of the way for good.

5. Keep Shelves Flexible

Adjustable shelving lets you rearrange storage options with just a few quick moves. Consider installing a shelving unit that allows you to change the distance between each individual shelf for the ultimate convenience.

6. Repurpose Bookshelves

Give old bookshelves new life as repurposed shed organizers. These shelves could be used to store smaller lawn care items, pool accessories, or paint cans.

7. Hang Things Overhead

Explore how to organize a storage shed ceiling with overhead shelves suspended on pulley systems. This allows you to keep items like luggage, bicycles, kayaks, and more out of the way when you don’t need them.

8. Reassign Tackle Boxes

Fishing tackle boxes are perfect for sorting and organizing shed clutter. From nails and screws to washers and other hardware, tackle boxes help you keep small items or knick-knacks organized and easy to find.

9. Reclaim Mason Jars

Large mason jars can hold just about everything, from small hand tools to paintbrushes. Consider adding rows of mason jars to shed shelves for see-through storage convenience.

10. Keep Drawers Rolling

Keep shed tools portable inside multi-tiered, rolling tool chests or boxes. These sturdy storage units can also double as shelf space if you get one with a solid top.

11. Tote Small Stuff

Garden totes come in handy for holding tools close while you work or while they sit in your storage shed. Just make sure you get totes that are study enough to store gardening tools and other outdoor accessories.

12. Label and Stack

Stash bulky items in lidded bins stacked under shelving. Make sure to label each one clearly for quick and easy access to the belongings you need. 

13. Sort With Plastic Pails

Lightweight plastic pails make it easy to store and retrieve small tools. These pails typically come with moveable metal handles, which makes them easy to hang from industrial hooks, too. 

14. Park Tools With PVC

Park long-handled tools—such as rakes, shovels, and more—in wall-mounted, angle-sliced sections of PVC pipe. This makes it easy to grab the tools you need and go while preventing them from falling over or getting in the way constantly.

15. Get Wheelbarrows Up

A heavy-duty rail and hook system frees floor space by keeping wheelbarrows out of the way. This system could also hold bicycles and other large recreational belongings.

16. Hook Up Camping Equipment

Dedicate one shed wall to heavy utility hooks for camping tents, chairs, fishing poles, canopies, and more. With all your core camping equipment in one place, you won’t have to scramble to find things you need before your next adventure.

17. Hook onto a Pegboard

Versatile pegboards organize a shed wall with custom hook and shelf combinations. These pegboards give you the freedom to shift your shelves to your liking while accommodating different-sized items.

18. Store and Decorate with a Slat Wall

Like pegboards, slat walls upgrade shed interiors with horizontal storage slots that are practical and provide good looks.

19. Stick With Magnetic Strips

Use wall-mounted magnetic strips to hold things like pliers, trowels, screwdrivers, and more. Simply grab your tools right off the wall when you need them and hang them back up with ease. 

20. Store on Shed Doors

Hanging cubbies or shoe caddies make the most of your shed door's interior surface.

21. Divide With Muffin Tins

These inexpensive kitchen essentials double-down as shed organizers for small stuff. You can easily slip these tins into a drawer or on a floating shelf in your shed.

22. Conquer With Drawer Dividers

Like muffin tins, you can easily conquer cluttered drawers with dividers. These dividers help you optimize space so you can find things fast.

23. Round-Up With Spice Racks

Upgrade your glass jar storage with large spice racks that keep it all within easy reach.

24. Slip Things Into Photo Albums

Slip seed packets, gardening notes, and equipment documentation inside photo album sleeves or pockets. Then, you can organize your albums along shelves or tuck them away in storage cabinet drawers, bins, or cubbies.

25. Section by Season

Say goodbye to digging around in the shed by designating different sections to seasonal storage. Keep your most-used seasonal belongings readily available and in plain sight while storing lesser-used items in harder-to-reach places.

26. Stay Organized Year-Round with Self Storage

No matter how disorganized your storage shed is, Safeguard Self Storage is here to help. With a wide selection of storage unit sizes and types, as well as air-conditioned, humidity-controlled, and heated units, you can store your unused seasonal belongings with confidence. Plus, with great rates, month-to-month leasing options, and industry-leading discounts, you can get extra storage space without breaking the bank.

Swing by your local Safeguard facility in Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, or Pennsylvania to meet with our friendly staff or take a tour of our property. Additionally, you can reserve your unit online at any time for ultimate convenience. 

Don’t go at self-storage alone!  Contact Safeguard Self Storage

No two lawns are the same. Depending on where you land in the latitudes, that’s especially true. The further you live north or south, the more your lawn’s personality will change—and different methods will be needed to maintain it, provide it with essential nutrients, and prepare it for a healthy manicure.

For all the aspiring owners of beautiful yards asking, “When should I seed my lawn in the spring?” and other overwhelming questions, here are some key takeaways to know as you start tending to your lawn this year.

When to Plant Grass Seed

If you call the North home, it’s recommended you seed your lawn in autumn. At this time, the soil is still warm from summer, the air is cooler, and because most trees will start losing their leaves, your lawn will receive ample sunlight.

If you forget to seed in autumn, don’t hesitate to seed in the early spring. This is still a viable option if you don’t wait until temperatures really start heating up. However, if you’ve forgotten to seed in autumn before, you may want to set a reminder in your calendar for next year, designating a specific day for seeding.

Because grass needs warm soil to flourish, everyone who lives in the South would be better seeding in late spring and into the summer. This gives your lawn the chance to thrive under the ideal germinating circumstances provided by warmer temperatures.

Types of Seeds and Grasses

The type of seed you select for your lawn and climate is important. The wrong seed type could lead to a dead lawn or bare spots if you aren’t careful, whereas the right seed type could lead to a beautiful lawn if handled properly.

In general, there are two main types of grasses, including cool-season grasses (perfect for the extreme temperature fluctuations found in the north) and warm-season grasses (perfect for warmer climates in the south).

Cool-Season Grasses

Northern lawns tend to be thin, so to accommodate cool-season grass types, you’ll want a seed that specifically thickens your lawn and keeps it hearty through the changing seasons. Cool-season grass types include:

• Bentgrass
• Fine Fescue
• Kentucky Bluegrass
• Ryegrass
• Tall Fescue

Warm-Season Grasses

Southern-lawns tend to be dense, so to accommodate warm-season grass types, you’ll need a seed that will maintain its thick, carpet-like feel and thrive in warmer climates all year long. Warm-season grass types include:

• Bermuda Grass
• Centipede Grass
• Dichondra
• Augustine Grass/Floratam
• Zoysia Grass

Scotts has a variety of grass seed mixes to choose from, as well as support for figuring out which type of grass you have if you aren’t sure yourself.

What to Do with Your Seasonal Tools

Not all lawn maintenance tools are used year-round, and sometimes it can be a hassle to store them at home. Fortunately, Safeguard Self Storage has been helping people protect their seasonal tools for over 30 years. If you have shovels, a snowblower, or any other winter tools that would best be out of the way until next year, our wide variety of storage units can accommodate your belongings and seasonal storage timeline with ease. 

If you live in Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, or Pennsylvania, find your local Safeguard facility today to start making room for spring!

Moving across the country is one of the most exciting things you’ll do, but it can also be stressful, too. Organizing a cross-country move involves so many details, especially when it comes to keeping costs under control. 

Should you hire a moving company, or should you handle the move all on your own? When is the most affordable time of the year to move? Where should I buy affordable packing and moving supplies?

Fortunately, figuring out the cheapest way to move across the country starts with a solid pre-game plan, which includes:

• Selling any of your unused items or clutter before the big day
• Getting all the moving and packing supplies you need early on
• Selecting the most wallet-friendly moving option
• Avoiding peak moving season

How to Save Money While Moving Across the Country

1. Cash in on clutter.

Hold down moving costs by reducing your load. Make a list of things you don't need or want anymore and get ready to cash in! Sell all your unused belongings through online platforms, mobile apps, or even a yard sale. If you need some extra selling motivation, think about how much extra money you could make to cover moving costs.

2. Get your moving supplies in advance.

Reduce the possibility of damaging your items during the move by investing in quality moving and packing supplies. At Safeguard Self Storage, our facilities sell cross-country packing necessities like:

• Small to extra-large cardboard boxes
• Specialty boxes for mirrors, wardrobes, files, and more
• Bubble pack rolls and packing peanuts
• Packing tape rolls
• Mattress covers, dish barrels, and glass inserts
• And more

3. Choose an affordable moving option.

While full-service, long-distance moving companies do all the work for you, that convenience can really break the bank. Although it takes more labor on your part, handling the work yourself is the cheapest way to move across the country. Fortunately, there are many affordable moving options you can choose from, including:

• Portable Storage Containers – These large, steel-framed boxes are delivered to your home a few days before the move. You load the containers with your belongings, the container company moves them to your new location, and you take care of unpacking on your own.
• Freight Trailers – This alternative gives you even more room for moving a large household. The process is like moving with portable storage containers, but freight trailers cost more and might not offer the same scheduling flexibility.
• Rental Trucks – The cheapest, DIY cross-country move starts with renting a truck. Different sizes are available, but they all cost less than professional movers and container companies. Even when you factor in gas or lodging, this is still the cheapest way to move across the country.

Selecting a Moving Service with Top Reviews

Also, it’s important to look for truck and container companies with top reviews. Narrow down the field by comparing costs and pricing details. A little online research can net big savings on your cross-country move.

4. Avoid peak moving season. 

Most people relocate or move coast to coast during the summer, especially over weekends. This demand drives up the price of moving, so try to schedule around peak moving season if possible. Also, gas prices tend to go up during the spring and summer months. This means that moving during the fall or winter will save you even more money. 

Start Your New Life On the Right Foot with Safeguard 

At Safeguard Self Storage, our convenient storage solutions can help ease your transition as you arrive at your new destination. With flexible month-to-month leasing options, you can drop off your non-essentials while you finish moving in with ease. Also, our facilities are located in convenient areas around town. This means our easily accessible units can easily become an extension of your life!

If you're headed for New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida, or Louisiana, just look for your local Safeguard Self Storage facility. From our team to yours, welcome home!

No one enjoys washing clothes. But getting it done in a cramped, cluttered laundry area doesn't make it any easier. Is it possible for laundry day to be a little less dreary? With these 10 small laundry room organization ideas handy, the answer is yes.

How to Organize a Small Laundry Room: 10 Different Ways

1. Clever Corner Shelves

Corner shelf units aren't just for books and knick-knacks—they are also great for taking advantage of unused laundry room space, and they never get in the way. If you have an open corner in your small laundry room, consider installing a sturdy, standing corner shelf or multiple floating corner shelves for convenient organization within arm’s reach.

2. Shelves Behind the Door

You can store a lot of supplies (such as laundry detergents and stain removers) on a shelf that is only 4 inches wide! Consider installing a stack of shallow shelves on the wall space behind your laundry room door and frame the edges with rubber bumpers. 

Additionally, there are many options out there for shelving units or baskets that simply hang from the top of your laundry room door. No difficult installation required!

3. Countertop Shelf

With this storage shelf idea, you can create a countertop-like platform that spans the width of your front-loading washing machine and dryer. To begin, measure the combined width of your washer and dryer. Then, you can select your shelf material from your favorite home improvement store, paint it to match the space, and then wall-mount it above your appliances with heavy-duty shelf brackets.

4. Shelf and Hanger Combos

If you’re ready to hang up your clothes straight out of the dryer while saying goodbye to clutter, this shelf and hanger storage idea is here to save the day. If you have a free wall in your laundry room, you can install a 12-inch-deep wall shelf complete with a closet rod near the top. That means you can place items on top of the shelf while hanging your wrinkle-free clothes below.

5. Hanger and Drying Rack Combos

This wall-mounted smart rack folds to 45 degrees for air-drying small garments. Additionally, you can pull it down 90 degrees for extra hanging space, and keep it folded flat against the wall when not in use.

6. Super Simple Hanging Rods

All small laundry room organization ideas should be this simple. Just like shower curtain rods, you can position tension rods between walls and accessible cabinetry for easy clothes hanging. Designate one of these rods for wooden hangers that keep your best delicate garments in perfect shape.

7. Wall-Mounted Cubbies

Wall-mounted cubbies are a great way to save space in your small laundry room, especially if you can upcycle unused plastic crates or wooden crates. (If you don’t have any wooden crates, you can typically find them at your local home improvement store or crafts store.) Once you have the right-sized crates, mount them on the wall like oversized picture frames. It's that easy to create a cubby laundry organization system.

8. Skinny Carts on Casters

With this small laundry room organization idea, it’s best to think thin. Put together a shelved laundry supply cart that is 5 to 10 inches wide. Then, you can add casters (swiveling wheels) to the base of your cart and slide your new skinny storage cart into the smallest of spaces.

9. Collapsible Laundry Baskets and Pop-Up Hampers

Knowing how to organize a small laundry room doesn't have to require screws, power tools, or DIY talent. With collapsible laundry baskets and mesh pop-up hampers, you can save space by folding them up and stowing them away when they are not in use. Both slim solutions are easy to use and affordable.

10. Laundry Room Decor

Once you get your small laundry room organized, adding personalized decor can brighten an otherwise ordinary chore. Put your personal touch on your new shelves with framed photos, small succulents, books, and more. You can also paint your laundry room walls your favorite color, store supplies in stylish wicker baskets, and keep your feet warm while doing laundry with a complimentary area rug. 

Safeguard Makes Small Laundry Room Organization a Breeze

At Safeguard Self Storage, we can't take the work out of laundry day. But we do make it easy to find the best home storage solutions near you. With a wide range of unit sizes and types to choose from—as well as industry-leading features like contactless unit rentals, climate-controlled units, computer-controlled facility access, and more—we can help you get your small laundry room organized for good. Find your local safeguard facility to start saving space today!

When every room in the house seems cluttered, storage units in Lansdowne, PA, come to the rescue. When your gadgets run out of storage space, though, you need quick tricks that bring things back up to speed. These tips can help restore the performance you expect from your favorite smart devices.

How to Free Up Space on My Phone

We all take it for granted, but storage space on a smartphone really does have limits. Stay on top of it by managing smartphone storage with these smart fixes:

• Routinely clear cache. Imagine bragging to friends, "I know how to free up space on my phone with just a few clicks."
• Be picky about what you keep. You don't need multiple shots or videos of the latest funny moment.
• Optimize pictures you can't toss. This reduces file sizes to manageable resolutions that still look great.
• Relocate your favorite files. Upload pictures and videos to the cloud or move them to your computer or external hard drive.
• Delete old data now instead of later. Dump dated podcasts, clean out music libraries, and cull saved messages.

How to Free Up Space on My Computer

Your computer works as hard as you do. Give that essential device the digital muscle it needs by freeing up storage space. Whether it's a laptop or desktop, these ideas help expand disk space:

• If you have Windows, turn on Storage Sense. The way this automated program manages temporary files is almost as easy as decluttering with self storage in Lansdowne, PA. For Mac users, check out your Storage Management window for recommendations on optimizing storage space.
• Empty the recycle bin. Permanently delete files by right-clicking the bin and confirming permanent removal.
• Synchronize with cloud storage. Knowing how to free up space on a computer can be as simple as working with files directly stored on the cloud.
• Run your computer's disk cleanup utility. This handy operating system app removes all kinds of digital clutter.

How to Free Up Space on My Game Console

Whether you're grinding through a new game or farming in a favorite, you don't need glitches. Save space for downloads and updates with these console strategies:

• Set up external storage. Conquer space-hungry games and apps that eat console space by transferring them to an external drive or synching them to cloud storage.
• Automate cloud storage for saved games. It's a smart way to manage personal game and app data.
• Don't let add-ons pile up. After uninstalling a game, eliminate digital remnants that waste game console space.

Free Up Your Physical Space With Storage Units in Lansdowne, PA

The rooms in your home are like apps on your devices. Maximize their performance by freeing up valuable personal space around the house. Let Safeguard Self Storage in Lansdowne, PA, give you the extra room you need to work and play without the clutter that slows you down.

As a millennial, you face unique challenges. Whether you rent or own, there never seems to be enough room. If you're transitioning between major life changes, you need a base you can count on that lets you stay mobile.

Regardless of your situation, flexibility is attainable, affordable, and always nearby. Safeguard Self Storage in Nanuet, NY, is a perfect extension of the space you need. Let's look at the ways self storage can simplify your life.

Save for the Future

You could rent a larger apartment but crunch the numbers. Figure out how much you're paying per square foot. Compare that to storage units in Nanuet. Expand your options and save for the future with budget-friendly self storage.

Invest some of that spare cash in smart furniture buys. Jump on a sale, pick up quality pieces, and keep everything safe in your storage unit. Enjoy money-saving deals now that make buying a new house easier in the future.

Stay in Control

When you're ready for a change, self storage in Nanuet helps streamline real estate staging or home remodeling projects. Shift furniture in and out of your unit at your convenience while upgrading the space according to your timetable. You can do whatever you like. That's one of the best things about owning or selling an apartment or home.

A storage unit lets you control seasonal changes, too. When warm weather moves in, move heavy bedding and winter clothes into storage. When New York winters blow through, your climate-controlled unit protects lawn equipment, outdoor furniture, and sporting gear.

Maintain Your Mobility

Settling down isn't happening right now. You might be in college changing addresses with each semester. If you're a member of the military, deployment is always around the corner. Perhaps you're between renting apartments. You need flexibility, but you want a solid base, too.

Self storage options give you both. A variety of unit sizes fit the tightest student budget. Online account management gives you better control over sudden moves. If you're relocating from an apartment to your forever home, a storage facility serves as a transition base.

Keep Things Simple

You don't have time for complicated solutions to storage problems. Keep things simple with space you can depend on. Make life a little easier with these Nanuet self storage advantages:

• Convenient self storage location
• Monthly move-in specials and discounts
• Heated and air-conditioned units
• Covered loading area
• On-site dollies and carts
• Computer access to secure facilities
• Contactless rental and payment options
• And more

Expand Your Possibilities with Safeguard Self Storage in Nanuet

You want modern storage solutions that work with your lifestyle. We offer options that expand possibilities now and serve as a solid base for your future plans. Affordable Safeguard storage units in Nanuet make all it happen.

You're doing all you can to stay safe these days. Between COVID-19 lockdowns and winter weather, you're spending more time than ever indoors. Take advantage of the situation with some inexpensive room redesign ideas. With affordable self storage units at Safeguard Self Storage in Larchmont, NY, and these six tips, you can learn how to redesign your home or apartment and give your personal space a much-needed refresh.

How to Redesign Your Rooms: 6 Simple Ways

1. Clear Out Clutter

Before you decide on how to redesign your rooms, set the stage by clearing out clutter. This first step opens possibilities that you might otherwise miss. Transfer unused belongings or seasonal items like décor, sports equipment, and clothes to a nearby storage unit. Now, take a fresh look around your living space.

2. Paint and Paper Your Walls

Make your rooms feel new again by renewing the walls. Transform interiors with a coat of paint. Try contrasting shades on opposite sides of the room. Add accents by staining doors and trim. Set the mood with decorative wallpaper. Surround yourself with colors and patterns that spark joy in your life.

3. Create New Spaces

Move things around. Rearranging the furniture lets you repurpose old spaces. Shifting some antique hand-me-downs or unused pieces to a self storage unit in Larchmont lets you expand your creativity and renovation plans. Designate newly organized areas for working at home, playing with the family, and just snuggling in for well-earned downtime.

4. Nurture Natural Beauty

Go green indoors with soothing, easy-care houseplants. Hanging baskets thrive in warm kitchens and bathrooms. Multicolored pots brimming with plants look great on bookshelves. Indoor gardens give every room a tranquil feeling. Nurturing plants gives you a much-needed sense of serenity and help to clean the air in your living space.

5. Throw Around Fresh Colors

Drape a bright, new throw blanket across your favorite lounging chair. Get comfortable with designer cushions tossed on the sofa. Updating your decor doesn't have to bust the budget when you shop local markets online. Trading things with family and friends is another inexpensive way to upgrade your home redesign.

6. Swap Stuff In and Out

As you think about how to redesign your rooms, consider rotating non-essentials. Move several boxes of decorative items to a self storage unit near your place in Larchmont. Wait a few months, and then gather up another batch. Switch it out with the items you stored earlier. Suddenly, old stuff seems new again, and it doesn't cost a thing.

Redesign Your Rooms for a Fresh Perspective

We enjoy sharing inexpensive redecorating tips that fire up your creativity. During these uncertain times, it's important that we all do as much as we can to take care of each other.

At Safeguard, you have our commitment to your well-being with contactless storage unit rentals in Larchmont, NY, as well as at our other facilities across the country. Our friendly staff, along with our convenient self storage solutions, are always here for you.

Rent or reserve your unit online today!

When it comes time to take down your holiday decorations this year, why not get your whole house organized at the same time? Imagine turning the page on your refrigerator calendar and knowing you have every room under control as the new year begins. Thankfully, with a little determination, a few decluttering ideas, and extra space from Safeguard Self Storage in Tamarac, FL, you can get a jump-start on home organization before the ball drops on the last day of December.

7 Tips on How to Declutter Your Home for the New Year

1. Get Creative in the Bedroom

Organize things in the bedroom with hidden storage solutions. Roll-out storage containers under the bed ensure things like sheets and pillowcases are handy. Stash everyday things in small shelving units under bedside tables. Turn an empty corner into a convenient laundry hamper with a large wicker basket.

2. Optimize Closet Space

If you haven't worn a piece of clothing in a year, consider donating it to a local charity. If it's seasonal clothing, it might be better suited for a self storage unit. For the extra clothes, shoes, or hats you decide to keep at home, try to arrange lidded stacking bins against closet walls for easily accessible and organized closet storage solutions.

3. Make the Living Room “Livable”

Bring down living room clutter levels by clearing off coffee and end tables. Take advantage of unused space with corner bookcases that can hold pictures and favorite knickknacks. Adding a storage ottoman to the room ramps up comfort and expands hidden space for stashing things.

4. Reorganize Your Home Office

Don't let paper clutter rule your home office. Make scanning a part of weekly home office cleanup. Keep important documents and records handy and protected in nearby climate-controlled storage units. Online bill paying and opting out of paper bills is another way to reduce stacks of paper in the office.

5. Put an End to Cluttered Kitchen Cabinets

Inspire culinary creativity by decluttering kitchen cabinets. Get rarely used pots and pans out of the way by moving them to a self storage unit in Tamarac or by donating them. Additionally, try installing hanging racks on the inside of cabinet doors and pull-out shelves in lower cabinets for optimal organization.

6. Expand Your Bathroom Space

Check bathroom cabinets and drawers for duplicates and discard extra combs, brushes, and clips. Throw away everything with expired use-by dates. If you're not sure about an item, stay safe. Toss it. Don't waste space under sinks. Install smaller versions of the pull-out racks you used in the kitchen for a streamlined bathroom experience.

7. Reclaim Your Garage

Most great ideas for how to declutter your home also work in the garage. Give yourself moveable storage space with lidded bins on wheeled shelving units. Mount pegboards on garage walls so that tools are always within easy reach. Keep things off the floor with storage racks suspended from the ceiling and try hanging bicycles or other sports-related equipment from hooks on an empty wall.

Declutter Your Home in the New Year With Help From Safeguard

It feels good to ring in the New Year with a beautifully organized home. It's even better when you know you can keep it that way with nearby climate-controlled storage units in Tamarac. Fortunately, you can count on Safeguard Self Storage for the extra space you need year-round. Swing by our contactless facility in Tamarac today, or feel free to reserve your unit online at any time!

For some, working from home during the pandemic has been a blessing in disguise. From eliminating long commute times and increasing productivity levels to taking control of more aspects of daily life, remote work has proven to be a positive experience for quite a few employees during this unusual year.

Unfortunately for many others, the long-term departure from the office (on top of the anxiety-inducing effects of the pandemic) has left them feeling isolated, unmotivated, and mentally cluttered.

Much like junk drawers, kitchen cabinets, and storage closets, our minds can easily become a cluttered mess—which means they need a bit of tidying from time to time to maintain a balanced headspace.

Fortunately, if your thoughts are in a chaotic jumble due to COVID-19 and your new remote work environment, Safeguard Self Storage is here to help. With this guide, we will teach you how to declutter your mind while navigating your work-from-home experience. By doing so, you can stay mentally and emotionally sharp as we wait for society to return to normal.

1. Start a Journal

One of the easiest ways you can start decluttering your mind is to keep a journal. Whether you reach for a pocket-sized notebook or a few sheets of ruled paper, hand-writing your negative thoughts—including jotting down quick notes or creating a bulleted list—will help you get rid of mental baggage and clear your mind for daily work-related tasks.

According to the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, journaling reduces intrusive thoughts about negative events while improving your working memory. In fact, researchers believe these improvements free up cognitive resources for other mental activities, including our ability to effectively cope with stress.

Other benefits of journaling include:

• Prioritizing problems, fears, and concerns in a clear manner.
• Tracking and recognizing triggers while learning better ways to control them.
• Identifying negative thoughts and behaviors, as well as opportunities for positive self-talk.

You don’t have to be an expert writer to get the mental health benefits of journaling, either—so don’t hesitate to write whatever you feel without worrying about proper sentence structure or grammar. 

2. Reduce News and Social Media Consumption

While staying informed about the pandemic is a good thing, too much news and social media consumption can leave your mind in a cluttered tailspin. Between spending multiple hours online each day for work and a constant flow of content from every angle, it’s easy for negative news cycles and social media posts to clutter your thoughts and even trigger depression.

Thankfully, many smartphones offer features that allow you to limit social media app use daily. For example, on iOS devices, you can use the “Screen Time” feature to set app time limits—making it easy to track how much you are interacting with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or any news application every day.  

In addition to spending less time with social media platforms, it’s important to make the right decisions when it comes to media consumption. Only follow reliable news sources for important updates and avoid click-bait articles with catchy headlines that are from unknown sources. Also, unsubscribe from unnecessary news subscriptions in your email, and do your best to organize your inbox.

3. Take On One Task at a Time

While working from home, you likely have a lot on your mind. With work-related tasks on top of looming household chores or personal errands, it can be easy to get lost in multitasking projects that do more harm than good.

If you are constantly bouncing back and forth between different tasks in an effort to complete them faster, you could be adding additional clutter into your mind—meaning your limited attention span will make it difficult to focus and absorb information. In fact, according to research conducted by the Stanford Memory Lab, heavy multitaskers actually have a reduced capacity for memory. 

Rather than allowing unnecessary multitasking to cause you to stress or impair your cognitive control, try to focus on a single task at a time. To help get you started, make daily checklists that begin with your most important task and end with your simplest task. This will allow you to devote all your mental brainpower to each item on your to-do list while avoiding debilitating mental clutter.

4. Streamline Your At-Home Workspace

When it comes to mental clutter, your physical workspace plays an integral role in your ability to maintain a well-balanced headspace. If your at-home office or workstation is filled with excessive stimuli, unorganized clutter, or physical distractions, your mind could be working overtime—even when you’re trying to complete simple tasks.

No matter if you are working from a kitchen table, desk, or breakfast bar, you should declutter your main workspace as soon as possible. Begin by getting rid of all unnecessary or non-essential items from your work area, as well as giving your essential items a proper place.

Clear up unruly piles of paper, take old coffee cups to your kitchen sink or dishwasher, and make sure you have plenty of space for your computer and other essential work materials. As you continue to work from home, make it a point to organize and clear your workspace every day prior to tackling your assignments.

Let Safeguard Help You Declutter Your Mind

At Safeguard Self Storage, we know the importance of having a clutter-free mind—and oftentimes that starts with having a clutter-free workspace. If you are new to working from home and you don’t have a designated, organized office area, our selection of contact-free self storage units can help you clear out space for one today.

Find your local Safeguard facility today and start taking control of your remote work environment during the pandemic.