As summer approaches and the weather begins to warm, it’s time to start thinking about storing our winter gear until it is needed again. Whether you have winter sports equipment, clothing, or outdoor gear, it all needs to be stored properly if it is to stay in good condition.
Let’s take a look at how to store your winter gear properly and ensure it is ready for use again next winter.
Tips for Storing Your Winter Gear Properly
Winter gear might be designed to withstand the rigours of a harsh winter, but if it isn’t stored properly, the result can be damaged or destroyed belongings. So, it is important to set a little time aside and use it to store your gear properly.
Here are our top tips for storing your winter gear this spring.
1. Make Sure Everything is Clean and Dry
Storing damp or dirty gear will quickly deteriorate the condition of anything that is placed in storage. Mould, mildew, and musty odours can quickly take hold and do a lot of damage in a short period.
Make sure you take a little time to ensure that everything is clean and dry before you place it in storage. Wash any clothing items according to the manufacturer’s instructions and make sure it is completely dry before placing them into storage.
2. Store Your Winter Belongings in a Clean and Dry Environment
For the same reasons, the environment in which you store your winter gear should be secure, clean, and dry. Try to avoid storing your belongings in damp areas such as basements, garden sheds, and unheated attic spaces.
Again, the problem here is that mould and mildew can quickly spread in these conditions and ruin expensive gear. There is also the possibility of rodent or insect infestations that are more likely to happen in such spaces.
One cost-effective solution is to consider a self-storage unit. These offer clean, dry, and secure storage in a range of sizes and on a week-to-week basis. When you consider the cost of the gear you are storing, a self-storage unit can end up saving you money.
3. Stack Your Items Carefully
The temptation is always to try and make the most of your available space by stacking your items. This is something you need to take care of when storing your winter gear. Here are some tips to help you stack your winter belongings safely:
- Use high-quality packing gear: When stacking always use high-quality packing boxes and materials. This will help to make sure that your stack remains a stack!
- Don’t stack heavy items: This can damage the stored gear, but more importantly, it can also be dangerous. Always build a stack with the heaviest at the bottom and the lightest at the top.
- Try to use the same sizes of containers: Stacks are more stable if they aren’t made up of a mish-mash of differing box sizes. Using the same size of containers will help to make stacking easier.
Stacking is a great way of saving space, but take a little care when doing so!
Don’t Forget to Label Your Gear
This is another thing that is often overlooked. However, proper labelling can save you a lot of time hunting about and shuffling stacks of boxes when you need to access a particular item.
This can be a frustrating experience and is easily avoided.
Consider a Self-Storage Unit
A self-storage unit can be perfect for seasonal items. We touched on this already, but there are loads of advantages to using a self-storage unit for storing your winter gear. Here are just a few of them:
- Security: If you have lots of expensive and bulky winter gear like sports equipment, the temptation is to store them in less secure places like sheds and garages. While this does keep your home clear of clutter, it does leave your belongings less secure. Self-storage units have layers of security to keep your valuables safe.
- Cost-effective: Self-storage units can be hired for only as long as you need, and there is a range of sizes, so you only have to pay for the space you need.
- Clean and Dry: Self-storage units are clean and dry, and this ensures that your gear is always stored in optimum conditions.
- Frees up Space in Your Home: The problem with any seasonal items is that they are just taking up valuable space when they are not in use.
A self-storage unit is not expensive and can save you money by prolonging the life of your seasonal items and keeping them secure when they are not in use.
Keeping Your Seasonal Belongings as Safe as Houses
We hope that these hints and tips will help you to store your winter gear safely and keep them in perfect condition until the time comes to retrieve them.
Belfast Self-Storage can help with all your storage needs. Why not call us and find out more about self-storage for your winter belongings? Our friendly team of storage experts can help you choose a storage solution tailored to exactly match your needs.
