Cleaning items you seldom use out of your home is a great feeling. It can leave you with tremendous amounts of extra space in addition to making your house feel cleaner and less cluttered. Once you have settled on the size of your Phoenix storage unit, the next step is to begin packing. While some people may dread this process or even try to rush through it, taking the extra steps necessary to plan for packing your valuables can help to ensure that they will stay in top condition for years to come. Before You Pack Odds are, before renting your storage unit or deciding on the amount of space you needed, you went through your home and made a list of the particular items you intended to place in storage. If you do not have a list jotted down, it is worth doing so now, as you can use it as a guide while you pack, as well as refer back to it as an inventory of your belongings once they are actually in storage. While your Phoenix storage unit is temperature-controlled and designed to keep your items safe and free from damage, packing in an organized manner makes the most of your space. It also ensures that objects are easy to locate when you need them. It helps to approach your packing in the same manner as you would a move. This requires gathering boxes, using packing materials, and labeling things correctly before you begin. Moving.com recommends using the following types of supplies: Bubble wrap, packing paper, and Styrofoam peanuts for packing breakable items such as china, glass, and pottery; Moving boxes that are strong, yet still easy to handle; Labels or stickers for identifying boxes; Masking or packing tape for sealing; Black felt tip marker, for providing additional instructions on the outside of the box. Packing For Storage Once you have your list handy and have assembled the proper supplies, you are ready to begin packing. If you are storing a fairly large number of items, you should organize your packing according to room. The Container Store recommends the following tips to packing delicate and fragile items, which are likely to be first on your list: Make sure the items you are packing are clean, dry, and free of dust; Start with a layer of packing material at the bottom of the box; Pack the heaviest items first, taking care to wrap each item securely while providing cushioning for any sharp edges; Pack extra small or fragile items in individual boxes to ensure an added level of protection; Be careful not to over pack the box, and label the outside with instructions such as ‘fragile’ and ‘this end up’. Once you have packed your most breakable belongings, you still want to take care with the other items you are storing. Make sure any documents or papers are lying flat and unfolded to avoid permanent creasing, and stand books on end so that their pages fall naturally. Keep small parts and pieces together in smaller containers, such as jewelry boxes and plastic sandwich bags, to keep them from getting lost. Rolling clothing items will allow you to increase the amount of space in each box, while helping to prevent wrinkles. Finally, watch the weight of the boxes you are packing, to make moving and lifting them easier. US Storage Centers 1201 East Cinnabar Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85020 (602) 842-0456
