Spring Cleaning your Self Storage Unit
Spring cleaning your self storage unit may not have ever crossed your mind, so allow us to show you why it’s important! If you’re storing items that you don’t use on a regular basis, it’s easy to forget about them for months (or even years) at a time.
Most of us are so busy that we don’t remember what we had for lunch yesterday, let alone what we put in our storage unit two years ago. As a result, you may be purchasing things that you already own because you’ve forgotten about some of your treasures and duplicates.
For example, the brand new crockpot that you were planning to use in the event that the old one stopped working may have slipped your mind. Perhaps you’ve decided to refinish a piece of furniture and purchased a new hand sander, not recalling that you already own one.
What about the time you’ve wasted searching for the perfect object to place on your new bookshelves, completely forgetting that beautiful sculpture that you carefully packed up and protectively placed on a back shelf of your self storage unit?
If you haven’t visited your storage unit for a lengthy period of time, you may be surprised to realize that your home is not the only place that needs a good spring cleaning and decluttering.
You don’t have to go full Marie Kondo on your space, but a refresh and reorganization will maximize your space and keep your belongings in the best possible condition. Handy Storage is easily accessible 365 days a year, 7 days a week, enabling you to plan your spring cleaning at a time that suits your schedule.
A Plan to Get Started on Spring Cleaning Your Self Storage Unit
Pick a Date
Set a deadline and stick to it. Think of it as making an appointment with yourself that you must keep. This will help motivate you to get started.
Find Some Helpers
Ask a few close family members and friends to help. When others have committed to working with you, you’ll be extra motivated. Think of the friends you’ll lose if you don’t show up to your own cleaning event.
Empty Your Unit
Take everything out of your self storage unit so that you can sweep and clean before re-organizing your space. Chances are that all of your boxes, bags, and containers will be dusty and may need repositioning.
Open Up Those Boxes!
You typically lose track of items once they’ve been stored and may be pleasantly surprised to find some family heirlooms or possessions that you thought were lost. If you’ve stored linens and clothing, they tend to lose their shape if they’re in the same position for too long. Rotate or shift them to restore their original shape. It’s a good idea to refold stored textiles and linens to prevent creasing.
Keep, Discard, Donate
When you were originally storing your belongings, you may have used the “keep, discard, and donate” piles to sort these items. Repeat the process, especially if you haven’t retrieved an item in over a year. Chances are that you won’t need or use it in the future.
Consolidate
Free up storage space by consolidating. There will be items that you never use but just can’t part with. If you have a medium size box with nothing in it but Great Grandma’s antique tea service, try adding it to a container with other dishes or flatware that you aren’t ready to discard. Linens, kitchen items, and tools are good items to pack together.
The “Wait and See” Box
There will always be a few of those rarely used items that you’re not quite ready to trash. This is where a “wait and see” box comes in handy. You can review this box during your next spring cleaning; and, if you haven’t used these things, discard or donate them.
Label, Redistribute Weight and Reorganize
When you’ve finished cleaning and repacking, it’s time to place your items back into the unit. Distribute weight evenly, with heavier items on the bottom. Clearly label your boxes and containers. It’s ideal to group items in a manner that works for you. Your belongings can be organized by person, room, or season. Store infrequently used items in the back of the unit. Save the front space for things that you may use more often. This will help you to more easily locate those forgotten pieces when you need them.
Create a Map
Sketch a map of your unit to indicate where items are located. Leave it on a clipboard that conveniently hangs on the wall of your storage space. This will be an easy reference when you’re searching for one of those overlooked duplicate items.
Conclusion
Taking the time to spring clean your self storage unit will motivate you to actually look inside the boxes and containers. As a result, you may find some pleasant surprises along with a few items to donate to organizations that can pass them on to those in need. At the same time, you might enjoy some savings by downsizing your unit space. A smaller space will mean less work the next time you spring clean your unit.
