Tips for Keeping Your Stored Items Protected During Winter | Countryside Self Storage
Like anyplace else, winter here in Missouri naturally comes with fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Some days are cold and dry, some are wet and snowy, and some are even comparatively warm. These changes can be unpleasant for those of us who have to endure them, and they can also be hard on items in Missouri self storage.
Fluctuations in temperature and humidity can easily damage certain items. These include collectibles, electronics, antiques, photographs, musical instruments, artwork, and wood and leather furniture—to name just a few. When the weather is too dry, items may become brittle. When it’s too damp, they may become warped.
Fortunately, climate-controlled self-storage can help with all of these specialty items and many more. Even if you don’t have access to climate-controlled self-storage, you can still do a few things to help keep your stuff protected during the cold winter months.
Inventory. When it comes to storing just about anything, the top tip you’ll find is to keep an inventory of what you have in storage and where it’s located. This not only makes all your stuff easier to get to, it can also help you remember to make special arrangements for items that may be damaged by fluctuations in temperature or humidity.
Tidy up. It’s always a good idea to make sure that your belongings are nice and clean before putting them into storage. Not only will you be helping to protect them from pests and from the lasting damage that can be done by storing something that’s caked in gunk, but your future self will thank you when you come to take the item out of storage and it’s already nice and clean!
Get it up off the floor. Storing items on pallets, shelves, or anything else that will keep them off the floor is another good idea, but it’s especially important if you’re storing something sensitive such as electronics. Even though the ground in your storage unit is probably clean and dry, it leaches heat quickly. Anything that’s affected by variations in temperature is more likely to be damaged on a cold floor.
Invest in packing material. As with so many jobs, the right tools can really make your self storage a whole lot more effective. In this case, those tools are often packing materials that help to protect whatever you’re storing and keep it organized. The right packing supplies can help protect your items against breakage and against changes in temperature and humidity, too.
Visit from time to time. Your stuff misses you! Okay, maybe not, but it’s still a good idea to make regular check-ins to see how everything in your Missouri self storage unit is holding up. This way, in the unlikely event that something has gone wrong, you’ll be more likely to catch it early on.
Fortunately, the best thing you can do to protect your belongings from extremes of heat, cold, and humidity is to spring for climate-controlled self-storage. With five convenient self-storage facilities in Pittsburg, Joplin, and Frontenac, Countryside Self-Storage has one near you!