Storage doesn’t stop for the cold and often dreary months of winter. However, you should treat your storage in the winter a little differently than you do the rest of the year. After all, you don’t want to leave out your furniture during a snowstorm.
In a place like Utah especially, where the temperature drops as low as 0°F, you need to prepare your stored items to keep them safe from the chilly temperatures and higher humidity of winter. Here are six essential tips to keeping your winter storage safe all season long.
Some items don’t withstand cold temperatures or fluctuations in humidity very well. You’ll need to be extra cautious with these pieces to prevent damage. If you’re storing any of these pieces, you’ll want to check in on them regularly or even keep them in temperature-controlled storage:
When you picture putting a cover on your stored belongings, you probably imagine a tarp. These plastic or vinyl tarps are actually a bad choice—they can lock in moisture that will damage your items. Instead of using plastic tarps, cover up your stored goods with cotton or wool covers like moving blankets. These materials will block moisture, so your things stay in the best condition while in storage.
Moisture can wreak havoc on most materials, especially if it sits for a while. Keep everything in your storage unit as dry as possible to avoid damage. To help keep moisture low in your unit, avoid accessing your storage while it’s raining or snowing. Additionally, it might be wise to wait to get into your unit if the forecast calls for higher humidity than normal. To take your storage to the next level of dryness, consider investing in desiccants (those silica gel packets you sometimes find in packaging).
Before you put your items in storage for the winter, give them a good once-over to ensure none of them are harboring mold or mildew. One single item with mold can lead to catastrophic damage to all your belongings in storage. If any of your things do have mold, remove the mold to keep it from spreading.
If you’re storing equipment like lawnmowers, grills, or sporting equipment, you’ll need to prep your items for the winter. Drain any fluids, keep valves closed, and clean everything thoroughly. Any equipment builds up residue over time, and without proper cleaning, that residue will go unchecked until you pull the equipment out again. Wipe down all your equipment, paying close attention to grease and other corrosive fluids, before storing it for the winter.
You’ll also want to winterize any vehicles you’re planning to store away for the season. Take a look at some of our tips about how to store a motorcycle, a boat, or an RV during the wintertime.
Plastic storage bins not only help you keep your belongings organized, but they help keep them dry too. Group similar items together in a plastic container to protect them from getting lost in your storage container and getting damaged.
When you’re looking for a way to protect your items throughout winter, any old storage unit or facility won’t do. Look for a self-storage facility that offers climate-controlled storage with waterproofing. If you’re searching for such a facility in Enoch or Cedar City, give Airtight Storage a call! We’ll keep your stored items safe, dry, and out of the elements until you need them again. Contact us today for more information.
