How To Protect Stored Items From Damage

Stored items can often be of incredible value. Whether they have seasonal use, such as heavy winter clothes, or sentimental value like childhood keepsakes, items you don’t use every single day are still worthy of being protected. Damage to these kinds of items can render them ruined, and even create mold or attract pests. When you’re storing items, it’s important to store them properly to prevent this damage. Additionally, proper storage can help prolong the lifespan of the item and decrease age-related wear, such as yellowing.

Whether you’re storing your items in your home, or an exterior storage facility such as a garage or storage unit, there are several easy ways to keep them protected for the next time you need them.

Wrapping items in weatherproof materials, such as tarps or plastic, can help prevent water damage. Even if the item is waterproof itself — like winter boots — you may still want to take this step to ensure that the item is only getting worn when you’re using it. Any exposure to water, including ice, snow, and condensation, can cause wear and mold.

You can find waterproofing material at your local hardware store. If you have a specialty item, such as a motorcycle, that needs to be covered, check with a retailer or online.

When packing away items in boxes or containers, padding them is essential. Especially if items are fragile, padding is a must for absorbing shock from any movements. Items with paint or prints on them can also be better maintained by padding, as the padding will protect them from sun exposure.

You can pad boxes with a variety of household items, including:

• Newspaper;
• Plastic bags;
• Towels or rags;
• Blankets.

You can also purchase things like bubble wrap or styrofoam from your local hardware store for items that need extra care.

Hanging items can be a space-savvy way to keep them stored. You could hang items like fishing poles, skis, or even seasonal decorations in a storage unit or garage to keep them up out of the way. This can also help keep them protected from pests, leaks, and dirt, as they are above the spaces where these things can get them.

You can use Command strips to hang several types of items, just be sure to check the weight limit on the package and install them according to instructions. If you want something sturdier, it’s fairly easy to install hooks yourself. All you need is the right hardware, screws, and a screwdriver. You can find all of these items at a hardware store.

If you have a storage space that isn’t a high-traffic area of your home, you may consider covering the floor. This will make clean-up so much easier in the case of any spills, broken objects, and even pests. You can easily get a tarp or drop cloth at your local hardware store. You could even use household items like newspapers to cover the floor to keep mess and dust manageable.

Covering the floor in this area can also be dual-purpose — if you want to refurbish any stored items, you already have an easy-to-clean-up, protected place to use stains and paints.

Filling in any cracks or breaches in your storage space serves several purposes when it comes to protecting your items. Firstly, filling in breaches will help keep out pests, such as groundhogs, raccoons, and spiders who are often looking for dark, low-traffic places to create nests. These pests, if left unchecked, can create huge problems for your entire neighborhood.

Additionally, filling in holes will help you prevent both weather and sun exposure. This helps deter things like mold, bleaching, and mildew from ever occurring. Depending on the size of the crack and the material, you may need simple caulking, or even drywall.

Disassembling your large items, such as bed frames, is both space-saving and helps protect the item. Items may be more fragile when they are fully assembled, and break more easily if they fall or are jostled. While disassembled, this isn’t as big a problem because they are acting as individual pieces, rather than one unit.

Additionally, it will be easier to see any damage to items as you reassemble them, which is very important for things like furniture that need to be structurally sound.

Cleaning your items before storage helps you ensure that any dust, bacteria, or debris won’t degrade them further over time. This is especially important for clothes and antiques, which can be permanently altered by prolonged dust or stains. It’s also very important to remove any food debris or odors that could attract pests.

In most cases, you’ll only need to run a dry cloth over items to clean them before storage. Other items may require more extensive cleaning. For example, you may want to dry clean a wedding dress before putting it in storage. This will help ensure that any wrinkles won’t be permanently set, and can help prevent the yellowing of the fabric. Fine china may also need to be cleaned with gentle soap before storage.

Proper labeling can make it easier to find your stored items, as well as help prevent them from being damaged when someone is handling them. Whether you’re handling them, or a moving or cleaning service is handling them, labeling fragile items and storing them together is the best way to ensure that the container they’re in is treated delicately.

Even if you don’t think you’ll forget, it can be a hassle to have to open up each box or container to check what’s inside before moving it. Fragile items that may need to be labeled include:

• Fine china;
• Christmas ornaments;
• Pictures;
• Important documents such as wills.

Something should be considered fragile when it is likely to be damaged by excessive force, weather exposure, or poses a fire hazard if stored too close to a heat source.

If you’re going to store something long-term — for longer than three months at a time — then you’ll want to forgo cardboard and invest in some more resilient storage containers. Whether they’re plastic, wood, or even metal, these containers hold up much better over time, help keep your items safe from weather and prevent pests, such as termites and ants, from getting to your items.

You could use resilient storage containers for years to come, and they can be much easier to move around because they have more structural integrity than cardboard.

Spraying the entryway, or even the containers if you’re using a more resilient material, with pest control solution is another great way to prevent pests from getting at your items. Moths, termites, ants, and spiders can all ruin specific items by eating through them or laying eggs in them. There are many DIY ways to create a pest solution that’s non-toxic and effective. These include:

• White vinegar;
• Rubbing alcohol;
• Liquid soap;
• Borax.

You’ll want to make sure that anything you mix won’t have a negative reaction and create a toxic gas — you can find out what these reactions are through online research. Additionally, if you’re storing long-term, you may simply want to get your storage unit inspected or fumigated periodically by pest control specialists. This way, you can have complete peace of mind that your items are safe from pests.

Nothing lasts forever. But, with the proper care, you can make your cherished or well-utilized items last a lot longer. This can save you money, time, and even fond memories in the long run.