Nothing is worse than unpacking your storage unit and finding many of your things crushed, disorganized, or picked through by pests. Although you might be tempted to blame the moving company who packed your unit or the storage facility for not providing pest control, the fact of the matter is that you might be at fault for your own storage problems. Here are three ways that you might be unintentionally damaging your stored goods, and what could have done to avoid problems in the first place.
1: Using the Wrong Boxes
To make the best use of the vertical space in your storage unit, you might decide to stack cardboard boxes clear to the ceiling. Although stacking is a great way to consolidate your space, the fact of the matter is that not every box is made to endure the rigors of extra weight. If you don't take the time to find the right boxes for the job, you might find crushed lower-level items when you unpack your unit someday.
Fortunately, you might be able to keep your things in pristine condition by using boxes that have an adequate ECT rating. ECT stands for Edge Crush Test, and it is a measure of how many pounds per square inch the sides of the box can withstand before the area is damaged.
If you want to keep your stored items safe, try to place heavier, difficult-to-damage items on the bottom level, and always use boxes with a higher ECT rating. Reserve lightweight boxes for the upper level of your storage unit, where they won't need to endure as much weight. As you load your storage unit, keep the ECT ratings of lower boxes in mind, so that you don't end up with surprise damage later.
2: Ignoring Organization
As your movers pack up your moving truck, you probably have a pretty good idea of which types of items are inside of each box. When you move those boxes into your storage unit, you might decide to skip out on the monotonous labeling and figure that you can do a little peeking later. What most people don't realize, however, is that it can be a challenge to remember box contents and frustrating to have to inspect each package; especially if those items are in storage.
If you find that you accidentally packed away a few of your kid's favorite stuffed animals or that outfit that you need for an upcoming meeting, you might find yourself inside of your unorganized storage unit rifling through boxes. As you hurry to locate the missing items, you might cause collateral damage along the way. Boxes containing fragile items might be unintentionally dropped, or you might accidentally stack heavier containers on top of lightweight varieties.
To avoid emergency item-finding marathons and to keep your stored goods in tip-top shape, take the time to properly label and organize your storage unit. If you want to make labeling easier, consider printing out large sticky address labels complete with package information. For example, you could make an entire label sheet for your kitchen, so that you can quickly slap sticky labels on boxes as you pack your sheet pans and gadgets.
3: Not Listening to Instructions About Food Storage
Because storage unit facilities like Island Movers tend to be neatly paved and tidy, you might be surprised when you unload your storage unit and find that mice or other vermin have ravaged your belongings. Unfortunately, even the most diligent storage managers and best-kept facilities might not be able to keep your things safe if you are the one that attracts pests to your unit.
Unfortunately, although storage facilities regularly warn patrons about storing things like food storage inside of their units, many people decide to disregard this advice, which can lead to problems. If you want to protect your unit from bugs and rodents, listen carefully to the advice that storage unit managers give you when you complete your move-in paperwork. If you are allowed to keep food storage inside of your unit, keep everything inside of impenetrable rodent-proof containers, and check it regularly for signs of damage.
Knowing how to keep your stored goods safe might help you to avoid frustrating discoveries and unplanned expenses.
