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!
to be a small bear hanging out of the back window of her SUV. Upon further inspection, I discovered that it was her dog, Luke! He’s a large Newfoundland with thick dark fur. “Isn’t it hot for him to be out?” I asked. “ The AC’s on in my truck, plus we’re headed back home” Mary replied as she closed and locked the door to her storage space. This encounter made me think of all of the reports that we see this time of year about pets and heat, so I stopped at my veterinarian’s office on the way home to see what precautions I could take to keep my dog, Bo, safe during this heat wave. Here are some tips, courtesy of The ASPCA.
A car can get extremely hot on a warm summer’s day. A parked car with the windows cracked can reach 120 degrees in as little as 30 minutes. Never, ever leave your dog, or any pet in a parked car on a hot day.
If you have a pet at home, this could put him in danger.Instead of turning off the air conditioner, try leaving it on a conservative but comfortable setting (perhaps 76°F) while you are out. Make sure your pet has water and, consider closing curtains to reduce the heating effects of sunlight through the windows.
so any pet outside needs to have plenty of water and access to shade.
sunrise to sunset, however, 
Uniformed military members render the military salute. Men not in uniform should remove any headdress and hold it with their right hand at their left shoulder, their hand resting over the heart. Those who are not U.S. citizens should stand at attention. When the flag is worn out or otherwise no longer a fitting emblem for display, it should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.
retrieving not one, but two grills from their storage unit. “You must be really hungry!” I yelled to them. “ Well, it is National BBQ month!” Jim yelled back to me.
71% of grill owners say it’s to improve flavor, 54% for personal enjoyment, and 42% for entertaining family and friends.
Spring has sprung here at 
Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.
While the exact cause is unclear, scientists believe that increased light, more exercise, and more bare skin influence hormone levels.
“Spring Forward” I thought to myself – ugh! – One less hour of sleep on Saturday night. Oh well, at least it means that spring is on the way, and we will have more light during the evening hours. This all made me wonder where Daylight Savings Time came from, and how long we’ve been tinkering with the universe’s internal clock!
William Willett. In 1895, Hudson presented a paper to the Wellington Philosophical Society, proposing a 2-hour shift forward in October and a 2-hour shift back in March. There was interest in the idea, but it was never followed through.
worldwide and affects over 1 billion people every year.
28,000,000 pounds of chips, 1.25 billion chicken wings, and 8,000,000 pounds of guacamole during the Super Bowl.The fans at the game do their fair share of eating too – For example, during 2009’s Super Bowl XLIII at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, 55,200 hot dogs were sold. That’s almost one dog per fan.
Producers later erased the footage to film soap operas. Luckily a fan came forward with a personal recording of the game. Whew!
The award weighs seven pounds and takes nearly 70 hours to forge and assemble. Its estimated value is $50,000.
Here at 
They rely on voluntary blood donors, and although an estimated 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood at any given time, less than 10 percent actually do. The Red Cross, which provides about 40 percent of blood in the U.S., is seeking new donors to help meet the needs of patients battling cancer and other conditions or disorders, individuals undergoing surgery and victims of accidents or violent acts such as shootings.