What are the most commonly stored items?

Whether you are in the middle of a move to a new home; cleaning out your business space; or moving to a faraway land-living your dream life, you are likely preparing your moving budget for the relocation and storage services. Here is a list of the most commonly stored items and how to pack them properly so you don’t have to worry about that too!

Top 10 most stored items and how to pack them correctly

Furniture

Whether you are moving homes or expanding an office, storing furniture is a great solution no matter what your living conditions are. Maybe you are moving to a smaller space, selling a house, or just trying to declutter to reduce expenses on your moving costs checklist. Point is, making room for more family or bigger business is a blessing.

How to store furniture in an efficient way?

• Place plastic or wooden pallets on the ground of the storage unit.
• Protect the furniture from underneath by preventing moisture or mold from reaching them.
• Disassemble large furniture.
• Wax any wooden furniture in order to protect its finish.
• Polish metallic furniture to keep oxidation from damaging the finish.
• Apply lacquer to bronze or copper.
• Use professional services to clean and prolong the life of your furniture as often as you can.
• Wrap some sort of cushioning around corners especially, in order to prevent scratching and denting. You can use bubble wrapping, newspaper, but towels or blankets would be best.
• Use end tables and dresser drawers for small most commonly stored items.
• Remove light bulbs and shades from lamps. Wrap each lamp part in packing paper.
• Clean fabric furniture if you want to keep mildew and mold growing on them while in storage.
• Place an “X” on glass and mirrors by using masking or packing tape lest they break.
• Corrugated cardboard is perfect for protecting either side of the glass or mirror.
• Place dismantled tables top-down on mattresses or other cushioning materials that you keep stored.
• Tabletops can be placed against the wall.
• Wrap them to avoid damage. Furniture covers are best for that. Obviously.
• Rent a climate-controlled storage unit to make sure all items are fully dry, especially if you have sensitive belongings like musical instruments or paintings.
• Using rodent repellent is essential for your furniture’s endurance in storage!

Electronics are some of the most commonly stored items

• Put electronics into their original boxes if possible together with all their cables and other accessories.
• Label every part of your electronics so that you don’t mix them up. It’s possible that you’ll have difficulty telling them apart later on!
• You should individually wrap each piece. Make sure you carefully wrap computer monitors, with several layers of cushioning since they are very sensitive. The same goes for all the screens.
• Stuffing empty spaces in your boxes to keep the boxes sturdy is mandatory. Don’t forget this step if you are going to stack boxes one on top of each other.
• DVDs, CDs, and all other types of media are another one of those most commonly stored items. Instead of packing them in boxes, put them in airtight containers to avoid moisture damage.

Appliances

Like electronics, the appliance is one of the most commonly stored items. If you need a safe and secure place to store away appliances you aren’t currently using right now. Microwaves, ovens, fridges, stoves, washers, and dryers can all be perfectly preserved in storage units. They just need good packing solutions.

• Keep appliances upright with doors slightly open. This will allow air to pass freely through the appliance, which helps prevent musty smells.
• Make sure all items are completely dried out before storing them. Drain them completely from the water. Check hoses, tanks, or tubing.
• If you leave any moisture behind, it can lead to freezing or mildew!
  Cover these most commonly stored items some sort of breathable cover.

Most commonly stored items: Files, documents, and archives

Many businesses are legally required to hold on to archival data. But you can use storage if you lack space in your corporate headquarters. You will have security, accessibility, or safekeeping guaranteed for your most commonly stored items.

• Opt for climate-controlled storage. It is effective in managing humidity, and humidity can cause mildew so try to avoid that.
• Also, airtight containers can prevent mildew.
• Keep boxes higher up in the storage unit, for example on top or inside a file cabinet, or document shelving.
• Consider extra security if these are business-sensitive files.

Valuables storage tips:

If you need to store valuable, rare or collectors’ items; antiques and expensive art, storage facilities might present an option of security not currently available in your home or office. If you are moving, you may need somewhere to put your most commonly stored items until you settle down. For collectors, packing for storage might just be a more secure and organized solution than keeping them at home.

• Plastic wrapping will actually trap moisture. Instead, wrap wall art in packing paper to allow ventilation.
• Use wax paper to protect the surface of paintings.
• Put a sheet of cardboard between paintings. Wrap sculptures with blankets or place in boxes but stuff padding around.
• Don’t put artwork in direct contact with the ground.
• If you thought you’d just lean canvases against walls, think again. If you leave them like that for long periods of time, the canvas will get distorted.
• Roll up rugs and wrap them up.
• Use boxes for smaller most commonly stored items such as mirrors or any fragile furniture and label parts that you put in those boxes.

Vehicle or car storage

• Avoid humidity since it can create rust, so consider renting climate-controlled storage.
• If you’ll leave your vehicle in storage for a long time, more than two months for example, make sure there’s gas in your tank to prevent the reservoir from rusting internally.
• Pour in a stabilizer to preserve your vehicle’s gas and fuel system.
• Lift weight off tires to prevent them from flattening.
• Disconnect the car battery so as to avoid acid leakage.

Books top the list of the most commonly stored items!

• Keep books in labeled boxes.
• Cover the boxes with a light material to prevent dust accumulating in the boxes!

There you have it! We hope you liked our list of most commonly stored items and how to pack them. If you still have any doubts about storing your belongings, contact us and we’ll make sure to answer all your questions about particular issues when it comes to packing your special items.