3 Things You Should Do Before Putting Your Belongings In Long-Term Storage

If you are putting things in mini storage buildings you might be worried that your expensive things may not be protected. This is a very real concern and should not be taken lightly. Many pieces of furniture, musical instruments and belongings have been ruined because they have not been properly cared for in a storage unit. Luckily, the proper care of your belongings is mainly up to you. Here are a couple things you should to ensure that your belongings are safe and well kept.

1. Opt For A Climate-Controlled Unit

One of the most important things you can do is get a climate controlled unit when you rent the storage unit. Things like leather, musical instruments and even many fabrics will be incredibly sensitive to the changes in temperature and humidity. If the items will be stored there between seasons you should be sure that the unit can maintain a constant temperature only varying a couple degrees and that there is a way to control for the humidity. This will prevent your pianos from going out of tune, strings breaking on instruments, wood expanding and leather cracking.

2. Loosely Cover All Your Belongings

Another important thing is to cover your belongings loosely with a sheet before you store them. Of course there are some things that should be put in a box, but your large items such as furniture need to be covered with a piece of fabric. Some people make be tempted to wrap the items in plastic. If you get it professionally done, this may be a good option, but you should never do it yourself. You need to use a certain type of wrap that still allows oxygen through so that the furniture can breathe. If the furniture is wrapped too tightly it will ruin it. This is why most people choose to cover it with a sheet.

3. Polish All Wood and Leather Before Storing

Before you store you leather and wood you should make sure that there is a fresh coat of polish. This is very important seeing that it will act a barrier between the air and the wood or leather. Since wood is incredibly porous, it can absorb the moisture in the area and expand. Even in a climate-controlled unit, you may have some sort of moisture in the air, which is why it is so important that there is a coat of polish. The same goes for the leather. It will protect it from cracking and make it more durable.

By doing these simple things you can protect your belongings while in long-term storage.