Moving away to a new place was never an easy task. Especially when you are going to use a storage unit to keep your items for a time. The process of packing and preserving them is not the same as for a moving truck. They will stay in a certain place in a certain condition for a time being. That is why we will show you through this article a proper way of packing your items for storage unit.
Preparing items before storing them
It is very important to properly pack and store your items. That way they won’t be damaged during transport and storing. Also, depending on how long you will keep them in a storage unit, there are different ways of packing them. When preparing items for storing make sure you:
- Prepare, organize, and pack in a practical and systematical way. Later on, it can be very hard to find whatever you would be looking for.
- Packing your items for storage unit requires a good protection against moisture, dust and other factors that can possibly harm your items.
All this wouldn’t be possible without proper preparations are made. Before you do anything you should always check if your items are packed clean and dry. When it comes to larger items, like furniture, try to disassemble it all, and pack it separately. Always use quality materials for packing! Don’t think that few saved bucks mean something if your items get damaged in a storage unit. Also, prepare to pack every item according to its characteristics. Every item requires special attention and care. That is why sometimes moving companies in Kuwait can help you with packing your items for storage unit.
Proper materials used for packing your items for a storage unit
Be sure your items won’t be damaged in the storage unit. That should be your top priority. That is why we will now discuss proper materials you will have to get. Using the right packaging materials means more stable items and less fractured ones. The most important ones are:
- A cart or a trolley to move heavy objects
- Paper, preferably for packing. The best material when you want to pack fragile items.
- Boxes you will use. Have in mind that there are various sizes, depending on what you are packing.
- Use ziplock bags for screws, electronics and other small items you will need.
- Proper tools for disassembling the furniture.
- Lots, and lots of bubble wrap
- Old blankets used for wrapping items and moving them.
Sometimes, companies already provide proper materials. Such is the case with storage units in Kuwait. So, be sure to check them out before going into shopping for material.
How to prepare furniture
This little step by step guide will show you how to properly prepare your furniture for a storage unit. First things first.
- Make sure you emptied all the drawers to prevent damages that can happen during transport. Use vacuum to get rid of the dirt and dust, and a soft fabric cloth to polish and clean your wooden furniture. Your furniture will be better preserved if pack it clean and dry.
- Always use some sort of furniture protection spray or some wood protecting oil. Wax is a good solution as well. That way you are preventing any possible mold collecting. Polish metal parts with appropriate oil to protect them from rusting.
- Big furniture needs disassembling. When this is finished, pack every part accordingly. It is the easiest way to fully protect your furniture from any kind of damage.
- In the end, use old fabrics, such as towels and blankets. And secure them with rubber, duct tapes, rope. It is just another layer of protection and care.
Avoid materials that can trap moisture inside your furniture, such as plastics, nylons etc. Mold and rust can further make your furniture useless and damage it.
Packing electronics and kitchen appliances for a storage unit
As with big furniture, electronics need special kind of wrapping and packing. Now, you need to make perfectly clear that there is no dust in your electronics. Possibly the best solution on how to pack them is to either use their original boxes or smaller ones. If there is any excess space in packing boxes, fill them up with old newspapers, old clothes or bubble wrap. If your appliances run on batteries put them out of the items. This is the only way of avoiding battery leaking in your electronics. We don’t have to mention the importance of them being dry. Be absolutely sure all your electronics are dry and wet free. In the end, take all the hoses and cables and secure them down. Use plastic zip locks to tie them in one place. For bigger appliances like washing machine, dryers or any that has doors, we recommend you to leave them slightly opened. It is a perfect way to ensure there is a bit of ventilation there.
Packing clothes for a storage unit
When it comes to storing and packing clothes there are 2 ways you can do this. Both ways recommend you to first wash, dry and iron your clothes. The first way is to use clothes rail, or boxes specially made for clothes. You can hang them and leave like that. So they can stay wrinkle free. Although this way is very good, it has its flaws. There is no way you can keep out the moths and other small bugs that would probably eat out your clothes. The second way of preparing your clothes for a storage unit is to fold them and pack them in vacuum bags. After you finished sucking all the air from the bags, you can easily store them however you want. They are compact and they do save enough room. But, in time, the air will get into bags, so don’t think of letting them stay in the vacuum bags for too long. Also, this is a perfect task your family can do together when packing your items for storage unit.
How to prepare your storage unit for your items
After this is done, the last thing you will have to do is properly prepare your storage unit for your stuff. Firstly clean it and leave it dust free. Always put something in between the items and the floor. Old cardboard, blankets etc. The preferable thing to put on the floor is pallets. They are stable and sturdy enough to hold on to the weight of the items. Also, they are high enough from the ground so in some case of flooding, you wouldn’t have to worry about your items. The important thing to remember is to leave small empty space between items. That way you will let fresh air to flow everywhere.
It doesn’t have to be hard to properly prepare your storage unit and your items for packing. We hope this little guide gave you an idea on how and what to do when it comes to packing your items for a storage unit. If you have any other tips and tricks from your personal experience, please share them with us. We can’t wait to hear from you!