How to Pack Your Belongings for Long-Term Storage in Boise
While you are tucking them away for the long haul, proper packing becomes a requisite step toward preserving their survival. Boise's climate, with sweltering summers and freezing winters on occasion, has specific risks for items in storage. Strategic packing can help protect your possessions against these extremes. This blog contains practical ideas to ensure that your belongings stand up against the elements in Boise and come out of storage in pristine condition.
Preparing for Packing
Inventory Your Items
Make a complete inventory list detailing all that will be shipped. Organize it by type and size to help you pack your stuff. This inventory will pay off when trying to locate specific items within storage.
Gather Packing Supplies
Ensure you have the necessary packing supplies, including:
- Sturdy boxes
- Packing tape
- Bubble wrap
- Packing paper
- Markers
- Furniture covers: Using high-quality materials will help protect your items during storage.
Clean and Dry Everything
Clean and dry everything before you pack. This is very important, especially with furniture, clothes, and electrical appliances. Clean any furniture with appropriate cleaners, wash and dry your clothes, and dust off all your electronics.
Packing Different Types of Items
Furniture
Break down large furniture to save space, then cover it with furniture covers or padding to prevent scratching and damage. Wrap with bubble wrap or moving blankets for thin legs and arms.
Electronics
If possible, pack any electronics in their original packaging. Otherwise, use sturdy boxes with ample padding. Mark electronics to prevent mishandling and store them in a climate-controlled environment if they are susceptible to temperature and humidity changes.
Clothing and Textiles
Keep them away from moisture and insects in wardrobe boxes to help save some space. Other apparel can be placed in vacuum bags. All clothing must be cleaned and dry before packing.
Fragile Items
Wrap each breakable glassware item, dishes, and art individually in bubble wrap or packing paper. Place the items in heavy-duty boxes and label them as "Fragile." Never place heavier items at the top; always position them at the bottom to avoid crushing lighter items.
Appliances
Clean all appliances very well and run a dehydration cycle before packing them. The doors on the appliances should be left a little ajar to ensure air circulation and prevent the development of mold and mildew. Secure any loose parts and have appliance cords smartly attached behind the machine.
Labeling and Organizing
Box Labeling
Every box must be well-labeled with its contents and other handling and care instructions; use color-coding labels to distinguish the different categories for easier identification.
Creating an Inventory Map
Create a map of your inventory so that you will know where the items are in storage. Take a digital copy for easy reference and update it whenever you add to or remove items from storage.
Maximizing Space in Your Storage Unit
Strategic Box Placement
To avoid crushing, put heavier boxes below and lighter boxes on top. Leave space for aisles between box stacks to make every item easily accessible.
Vertical Space
Make as much use of the available vertical space as possible by stacking boxes safely and using units with shelves. Store items in a manner that will allow you to fit the most items in your unit while still maintaining the neatness and simplicity of your storage unit.
Keep Often Used Items Accessible
Store items that are frequently needed in the front area. It saves time searching for such items whenever they are needed.
Climate Considerations in Boise
Boise experiences seasonal temperature and humidity fluctuations that could impact items stored in a facility. As such, it is very important to choose the appropriate type of storage unit for such climatic conditions to adequately safeguard your items.
Climate-controlled storage with a self-storage unit in Boise can be attained through the maintenance of constant temperatures and humidity, which helps preserve sensitive items from extreme conditions in the climate. Items that would greatly benefit from climate-controlled storage are electronics, antiques, documents, etc.
Final Tips to Consider for Long-Term Storage
Check on your unit regularly
Check your storage items periodically for condition. Be alert to pests, dampness, or other damage. This regular checking enables you to address any problem before it becomes a significant issue.
Insuring
Make sure you have some form of insurance coverage on your stored goods. Check your existing policy for cover or enquire about purchasing additional cover which will protect the goods while in storage
Make a Copy of your valued documents
Please keep copies of important documents apart and back them up digitally, too. This way, you'll be able to retrieve very important information in case it gets lost or damaged.
Conclusion
Proper packing and preparation make all the difference in keeping your goods safe while being stored for long periods in Boise. Follow these simple tips to help protect your goods from damage and achieve full storage potential. First, determine your storage needs and choose an appropriate packing method to keep your items in great condition.
