Storing Vacation Souvenirs

If you have to move a variety of your personal belongings into a storage unit for a period of time, here are four action steps that you can take that will help protect your belongings and ensure that your goods are not damaged while they are in storage.

Bubble Wrap

Anything that is breakable such as kitchenware, decorations, or electronic screens needs an extra layer of protection. For items that are breakable, the first thing you should do is wrap them up entirely with bubble wrap. The bubble wrap will protect your fragile items from impact with other items while inside storage.

For example, take your plates and warp bubble wrap around them. Then, place them horizontally inside of a box with cardboard dividers for each plate. Then, fill in any extra space around the plates with additional bubble wrap or crumpled up newspaper. Remember, bubble wrapping fragile items is just the first line of defense. You need to also make sure that all fragile items are properly packed and that additional cushioning is used around them.

Label Fragile Items

In addition to properly wrapping up items that are fragile, you need to make sure that you label them as well. Use a particular color of duct tape to label all of your fragile boxes. Using the same color on all the boxes, such as neon green duct tape, will make it easier for everyone involved in the moving process to identify boxes that contain fragile items and take extra precautions.

Fill Up Each Box

Next, when you pack a box, be sure to fill it up. That doesn't mean you need to fill a large box up with heavy items. Instead, make sure that you put plenty of padding around all the items inside of each box. You can use traditional padding; such as bubble wrap or crumpled up newspapers. However, you can also use items in your home for padding, such as clothing, blankets, and towels, to keep other items snug. You don't want lots of empty space inside of your boxes because it will allow items to shift around and potentially break. It is better to pack smaller boxes and fill them up than to use a few large boxes with unsecure items floating around.

Stack Items Strategically

When it comes to stacking up the items inside of your storage, make sure that you do so in a strategic manner. Boxes that contain heavy items should be placed on the bottom of your storage unit, and boxes that are lighter should be placed on top. Ideally, try to install shelving in your storage unit so you have a safe and secure place to store all boxes with fragile items.

Use these four tips to help you pack and store your belongings in such a manner that they will not get damaged while they are in storage.