All across the Bayou, from Harvey to Marrero to Metairie and beyond, spring has sprung – and that means one thing for many folks around here: It’s time to bust out the mops, brooms, dusters and rags and get to scrubbing every surface in our home neglected over the cooler months. As you spend days going from room to room, cleaning out the closets, emptying drawers, going through those old boxes in the attic, you realize pretty quickly that you need to do something about all of the extra stuff lying around.
Some of it can be discarded, but what about the things that are too important to get rid of? You could dust off your book of spells and craft an enchantment that creates extra space in your home from thin air. Or you could forget the magic for now and settle your space issues with convenient nearby self storage.
A storage unit, it is. Let’s get started on finding a unit and prepping your things for storage.
How to Spring Clean Your Items for Storage
The first step to getting your things prepped for storage is to figure out how much storage space you really need. Our handy Space Estimator works with our Unit Size Guide to help you figure that out. And of course, our friendly staff is more than happy to lend a hand, too.
Once you’ve reserved your unit, turn your attention towards your items. Since you are using climate-controlled storage, you won’t have to clean you things after you put them in. But giving them a good scrub now will ensure they come out of self storage looking just as good as they went in. Use this checklist to help you clean and prep the most commonly stored items.
1. Start with Dusting: Wood, metal, plastic, paper – you have it, it needs to be dusted. Use a quality duster instead of a rag. Not only will this help keep all the dust in place, but dusters are soft enough that you can use it on just about any surface without harm.
2. Clean and Polish: Climate-controlled units will prevent damage to your sensitive belongings, but it’s still a good idea to give them a little polish before you store. Wood polish is perfect for your furniture and wood decorations. Saddle soap will clean and protect all of your leather pieces like belts, shoes, furniture and gloves. Warm water and dish soap works well for metal objects like wall décor.
3. Protect Everything: Moving items, no matter how carefully, can result in damage. Prevent this by wrapping your furniture in moving blankets, using plenty of bubble wrap on your breakables, and sticking support tape in the shape of an ‘X’ on your glass mirrors.
4. For the Fabrics: Keep your fabric-based items fresh by following a few guidelines. Don’t hang heavy clothes, as hangers can imprint them after time. Wash all of your clothes and treat for stains prior to storing. Place tissue paper in between your stacked clothing to keep it wrinkle-free.
Since you’re using climate controlled storage, you won’t need to take extra steps such as placing cedar chips throughout. But you can add dryer sheets or other scented items throughout your unit to keep it fresh no matter how long you store.
Now that you know what to do to prep your items for storage, it’s time to get started! Before you move it all in, check out our other space-saving and packing tips to get you here with ease. We look forward to serving you and your storage needs!