Whether you're
storing clothing, furniture, baby items, holiday decor, or other
belongings, you'll want to make sure they stay in great condition
during their sojourn in the storage unit.
One of the biggest
enemies of stored items is moisture. In damp or humid areas of the
country, mold can be extremely common and can damage items beyond
repair. To avoid this, you may need to take a multipronged approach
to fight moisture damage. Here's how you can protect your cherished
items from moisture damage in the storage unit.
Make Sure
Everything Is Dry Before Packing
This may sound like
a no-brainer, but you could still have trouble with this if your
house has a high humidity level or if your belongings get rained on
en route to the storage building, adding moisture to the boxes.
A high humidity
level in your house can indicate that you have a moisture problem
there. But whether that's why you're looking for offsite storage or
not, you need to account for it to make sure your belongings don't
carry excess moisture to the storage unit. Pack clothes directly
after a tumble in the dryer, and consider leaving other items outside
on a dry day before packing.
Choose a
Climate-Controlled Storage Unit
Climate-controlled
units have well-regulated humidity levels in addition to
well-regulated temperatures. This aspect is critical for moisture-
and temperature-sensitive belongings such as wooden musical
instruments.
Climate control is
also important in high-humidity areas of the country. This is because
these areas hold enough moisture in the air to be suboptimal even for
moderately humidity-sensitive items such as clothing, which can grow
mold if they're stored in a damp situation.
Consider Using
Plastic Containers
Plastic bins or
sturdy plastic storage bags can have pros and cons for long-term
storage. For example, if you're storing antique clothing, plastic may
not be the best because over the long term it can cause
discoloration. But for most clothing and for seasonal storage,
plastic can make sure extra moisture can't access your belongings.
One other
consideration when using plastic is that it doesn't allow air
circulation and can collect condensation if there's moisture nearby.
Excessive condensation can encourage mold over time. So if you are
using plastic containers, make sure the items are dry, any air in the
container is dry, and the unit is climate-controlled.
Use Humidity
Monitors and Absorbers
Even if your storage
unit is climate controlled, you may still need to use
moisture-absorbing products in areas that don't get much air
circulation. For example, if you're storing a piece of furniture that
has drawers or cabinets, the interior of the furniture may collect
moisture because of the low air circulation.
You can reuse silica
packets as moisture absorbers in small spaces. For larger spaces such
as a large cabinet or a large plastic bin, you'll want to buy a
commercial moisture absorber, which may be refillable so you can use
them over and over again. Or if you'd like a DIY option, you can make
sachets with charcoal — just be careful, as charcoal can stain.
You can also find a
very affordable hygrometer (humidity monitor) to help you keep an eye
on moisture levels, which should stay below 50 percent. You can place
a hygrometer in a spot you're concerned about to check whether the
humidity levels are rising. This can help you determine where you
need to add moisture absorbing products.
These steps can help
you stay on top of the humidity levels in your storage unit. Be sure
to start by choosing a climate-controlled unit because without that
initial step, you may not be able to keep the unit reliably dry
enough for very sensitive items such as antiques. Get in touch
with Tysons
Self Storage
today if you'd like to discuss the units we have available for rent.
