When you have a storage unit, you want to make sure your stuff is protected. Sometimes situations occur where your items get ruined. Here are some tips to avoid unfavorable circumstances and keep your storage safe.
Maintain Pest Control In Your Unit
The most important thing you can do to insure that your belongings are safe is to regularly check on your storage unit. Using pest control for your unit will save you lots of worry and heartache. The last thing anyone wants is to look at their storage unit 6 months down the road and find that mice have eaten your belongings.
Keep food out of the unit
Food is just an invitation to invading animals. The last thing you want is to open your storage unit, only to find that you’ve been playing host to some unwanted guests. Mice and rats are the biggest perpetrators when it comes to animal infestation. Do yourself a favor and keep the perishable food away. If you must store some of your pantry, make sure that it is non-perishable foods such as wheat, rice, other grains, dry milk, etc. Even with non-perishables, be sure to store them in metal cans, solid plastic bins/buckets, and thick mylar bags. Cardboard should be avoided. Make sure any container used to store food is sturdy and secure enough to keep pests out. If you are storing for long term, be sure to use a climate controlled unit, as extremes in weather over time can compromise any food.
Corrosive, flammable, or explosive materials need to be kept out
This one may seem obvious but needs to be stated. Storage facility owners do not want any potentially harmful item to cause damage to the units. Storage facilities are especially dangerous in fires as the units are cheaply made and filled with a lot of items that can easily catch fire. Reduce the risk. Don’t store anything with the potential to burst into flames or blow up. These include: hazardous materials, fireworks, Aerosols, motor oil, pesticides, paint thinner, loaded weapons, car batteries, weed killers, ammunition, charcoal, lighter fluid, matches, etc.
Scented or wet items
Scents attract bugs. Wet attracts mold. You’d be surprised how quickly you can get into a situation where your stuff becomes destroyed from mold and mildew, or bugs coming in and infesting everything. It’s not worth it. Make sure that everything is dry before storing and be sure to keep out scented items such as candles, etc.
Don’t store anything valuable
You never know. Even after everything you can do, there are still some situations that no one can predict. Natural disasters can strike such as flood or fire. There may even be the occasional robbery. Make sure not to store anything with high financial or emotional value.
Do not store any living thing in a storage unit
It’s unfortunate that this needs to be said but there have been cases where pets are put into storage. Not only is this illegal, it is also completely cruel. DO NOT store animals or anything living, including plants, in your storage unit. Plants have a tendency to attract bugs and won’t survive anyways in the dark, stale environment of a storage unit.
In the end, the facility manager can only do so much. If you don’t follow the requirements and restrictions of the facility, you send an open invitation for your stored items to get damaged. Do your best to prevent these situations from arising and your storage unit experience should be a pleasant one.