Top Self Storage Tips from Customers

It’s summer here at The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, and the place is bustling with storage customers shuttling in and out from their storage rental spaces, toting lawn chairs, bicycles, surfboards and all sorts of items related to self storage near the beach!

I had an unusual encounter the other day when Mary, one of our storage tenants, walked into the storage rental office carrying an air mattress under one arm, and a box of dryer sheets under the other. “What are you doing with those” I asked? “ I’m going to the beach!” she responded, thinking that I was asking about the raft. “No, I mean the dryer sheets” I said, clarifying my question. “Oh those – I use those to keep my storage unit smelling nice” Mary answered. We agreed, that was a great idea! This encounter prompted me to take a random polling of our storage unit customers, gathering their best storage tips.

Below is a list of my favorite storage tips from our customers…

Mark those boxes! You won’t fully appreciate labeling all your boxes until you’re faced with the task of searching for one particular item in a sea of unmarked boxes and bins. Do yourself a favor and tag your storage boxes. You might find listing the specific items on the side of the box or color coding will further help you in your efficient packing and storage quest.

Dryer Sheets. Not only do they keep your stored items smelling fresh, but a few dryer sheets placed strategically in the corners of your storage unit keep insects at bay too. Replace the sheets about once a month and you’ll have a sweet smelling, bug free storage unit.

Mattress / Furniture Covers. Protect your mattresses, couches, and tables against dust and moisture with a cover. If you don’t have specific covers for certain furniture, a large sheet will do the trick.

Clear plastic storage containers. Clear plastic bins have distinct advantages over cardboard boxes for storing. They are more durable, reusable, stackable and sturdier, and best of all, see-through! When buying bins, get them all in the same size for easy stacking.

 

Pen Knife / Box Cutter. There is nothing worse than having to use your house key, to cut through tape, cardboard or string. You never know when you’re going to need something especially sharp when storing, so you should always keep a pen knife or box cutter inside your unit for those unexpected “I think I may have left my cell phone in one of those boxes” moments.

Vacuum-Sealed Bags. Vacuum-sealed bags can drastically reduce size while protecting your clothes, bedding and other linens, in an airtight seal. They’ll protect your old clothes for whenever the world decides they’ve come back in style.

Wrap it up! Bubble wrap is an important item to have when storing delicate items. If you don’t have bubble wrap, you can protect your breakables by wrapping them in old T-shirts, or by placing them between layers in a box of towels. Avoid leaving gaps when stuffing the box to ensure everything stays secure and in place.

Keep it clean. Keep a spray bottle of household cleaner and some rags or paper towels in your unit to wipe down any appliances or electronics you plan on putting in storage. Storage units get pretty dusty after a while, so keeping some basic cleaning supplies, and a dustpan and broom handy for a quick cleanup when you visit is a great idea.

Inventory App. It’s a smart idea to keep track of all the belongings you store in your unit because, let’s face it, you are bound to forget exactly what you decided to keep there. There are a variety of helpful and easy apps that will do the hard work for you! Instead of racking your brain trying to remember where or if something is tucked away in your storage unit, simply consult your app.

Well, that’s our list of favorite storage space tips! Thank you to our Storage Inn customers for their helpful hints!