Desert Harbor Storage: Storage Tipsx

Desert Harbor Storage wants to help you have the best possible self-storage experience. Here are tips that may help!

Storage Tips

Plan ahead.Load frequently used items last so they will be at the front of your unit where you can get at them easily.
Create a map of your storage items in the space. This is just a simple drawing that shows where items are placed.
Protect your furniture, including mattresses and box springs, with covers designed for the item.
Make best use of your storage area by stacking to the ceiling, working from heaviest items on the bottom to lightest items on top.
Break down any furniture that has removable legs, leaves or other parts. Stack chairs seat-to-seat with towels or blankets between them.
Use items with interior space, such as refrigerators, dressers, or appliances to store smaller items, such as linens – even books or CDs. Remember to wedge the door of all appliances open so air can circulate inside them to prevent mildew.
Leave a little space between the walls of your unit and your stored items to allow for ventilation.
If you’re storing a gas-powered lawnmower or leaf blower, prevent unpleasant odors by draining the tank before you put it in your unit. When stored in a small space, these odors will permeate all items in the unit, if not drained.
Keep an extra emergency preparedness kit in your storage unit. If your home is inaccessible, you’ll have a second supply resource.

Labeling is crucial. Mark every box with its contents, and keep a written inventory as you pack. Boxes all look the same later.
Use large boxes for light items (linens, pillows, lamps) and smaller boxes for heavier items (books, CDs).
Pack small things carefully into boxes with appropriate packing materials. Garbage bags are not good packing materials. They are easily damaged by knocks or bumps, and items in them can mildew from lack of ventilation.
Pack boxes only with as much weight as you can lift without straining – for most people, less than 40 pounds.
Make sure all your packed boxes are securely sealed with packing tape, with the tops flat (to make it easier to stack them). That means packing the box all the way to the top, or they will crush down and become uneven when heavier items are stacked on top. Items like blankets, drapes, bedding, etc. can be placed atop other items to fill out the box to keep it from collapsing.
Use a wardrobe boxes to hang clothing, draperies and other fabrics that need to breathe and be kept crease-free.
Disassemble bed frames and lash them together with tape or twine. Use small plastic bags to store screws and bolts and tape them to the frame that they belong to, or you may not remember which bolts belong to which item later.
Wrap dishes and glassware individually, and pad the box with packing paper or bubble wrap.

Try to use boxes that are a uniform size, they’re easier to stack.
Treat metal objects with rust protector before storage.
Pack your storage unit so that your most valuable items are at the back, and purchase a high quality padlock to put on the door.
It is a good idea to lay plastic sheeting on the floor and stacking boxes on top of wooden pallets to prevent condensation damage. Use old linens or other fabrics, instead of plastic, to protect your belongings from dust.
Never store anything flammable or combustible in your storage building. This means no gasoline, oil, cleaning fluids or paint thinner. If you’re storing any machinery that runs on gas, drain the tank before you store it.
Empty all dressers of clothing, and pack into appropriate wardrobe boxes. Use mothballs or other similar products to protect your clothing from insects and other pests. Make sure that doors and drawers of your furniture are securely shut (use tape or rope or strong ribbon). When possible, remove the legs from items of furniture to avoid damage and save space.