Written by Brittney Lee of Razorback Britt

If your family is like mine, you have stuff stored all over the place. We are just a family of 2 plus a dog, but our closets are overflowing! We have stuff stashed in the attic, garage, and barn. We haven’t needed to expand to a storage unit (yet!) but I know when kids come along, we will need to.

Well, I don’t put much thought to just throwing stuff into storage. However, I work as a moving specialist for U-Pack, and I’ve learned as our customers store their items, that storing stuff during summer is tricky. If you have stuff in storage, I want to help you keep your stuff safe during this hot Arkansas summer quickly approaching. Summer brings heat and humidity which can wreak havoc on your stuff, so before the heat wave hits, take some time to fool-proof your storage areas.

For starters, humidity can really damage papers. So if you want to store important documents, just don’t. I have heard horror stories of people who stored passports only for the pages to somehow fuse together from the heat and humidity. You don’t want that to happen, so keep that stuff in the house. If you need to store paperwork (maybe old taxes or something), get an airtight box which will help prevent mildew. Then cover the box with a cloth to help keep moisture and dust at bay.

If you have clothing items or quilts, make sure they are clean and extremely dry before storing them. The best way to store fabric is with cotton or muslin in between items. You can buy cheap cotton sheets, spread them out, and lay items all over. Then roll it all up, which will put cotton in-between the clothing. If it is an heirloom quilt or fabric you don’t want to fade, put acid-free tissue between each layer as you fold. Plastic bags are not ideal for storing cloth, as they prevent air movement and lead to mildew. Instead, put clothes in a cardboard box and poke some holes for air flow. Put the boxes on rust-free metal shelves. If you put them on wood, place acid-free tissue between the wood and the box so chemicals don’t transfer.

If you are storing any books or CDs/DVDs, be sure you pack them into boxes with the labels facing up so you can find what you want later. If you are storing books, place a piece of cardboard between the books to keep the fronts from sticking to each other (which can happen when the covers get hot in summertime). Don’t wrap books in newspaper, as the ink can transfer. For CDs/DVDs and other forms of media, airtight containers are best, but honestly, if your storage area gets super hot (like in the sunshine during 115 degree summer), it may not be the ideal place for these things. The heat can warp and damage these delicate items. If you have to store them, keep them away from windows where the sunshine can heat them up even more.

Photographs should be separated with acid-free paper and placed into airtight containers. If you have photo albums, I would also place paper in between the pages. A few weeks back, my dad went to get a photo album from years ago and the pages were stuck together. A little prep work placing some paper in between the pages would keep these albums in prime shape!
Make sure any items with liquid (gas cans, sprayers, vehicles) are not leaking. If you are not using them, you could easily drain all the fluids to be safe. Nothing is worse than having a leak in your storage area. Nothing ruins stuff faster than unwanted liquid.

If bugs are a problem in your storage area, place sticky traps along the doorway or along walls where they are coming in. Cedar balls can also help keep critters at bay.
I know this all seems like a lot of work, and who has time to do all this prep work? Well, if it’s important enough to keep, it’s important enough to store properly! So take a couple hours this weekend and prep all your stored items so that when the temps rise, your stuff stays safe in storage. You’ll thank me later!

Brittney is a moving specialist by day and Zumba instructor by night. As a salsa connoisseur you will often find her trying new Mexican joints. She loves the Razorbacks, her doggy-son, and meeting new people. Stop by and say hi over at Razorback Britt or on Twitter.