[caption id="attachment_2677" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Tucson Self Storage Units[/caption] Many customers who rent our Tucson, Arizona storage units are students at the University of Arizona. We have a mix of students who store year round, those who only store over the summer break, and some who use self storage while they’re away for overseas internships. With the new school year well underway, we thought it would be a good idea to share some of our best storage tips with our scholarly customers. Here are our six top tips: 1. ) Reserve Your Unit in the Spring If you plan on storing your items over the summer, you need to reserve your storage unit by April. We fill up quickly, and when students collect their items in the fall, we always remind them to reserve their summer storage units by spring. 2.) Use Sturdy Plastic Bins and Boxes Inexpensive plastic boxes and storage bins can weaken, crack, collapse or crack when they’re filled with heavy items. This can cause damage if the stack tips over, or it could fall onto the rollup door, making it difficult to access the storage unit. Don’t waste your money on bins or containers with thin, flimsy plastic. You can usually find sturdy bins at your local big-box store—we’ve found that these have worked well in the past. 3.) Use Plastic Sheets to Cover Your Items Tucson is prone to dust storms, so it’s best for tenants to seal their boxes with tape to keep the dust out. We also recommend covering your items, especially beds and couches, with plastic sheets to protect against dust. Tiny particles of dirt accumulate over time and they always find their way into sealed buildings, even those with climate control. This dirty buildup over time can cause a mess. Keeping items sealed and covered will protect you from the dirt and leave you with peace of mind. 4.) Storing Your Car A lot of students rent our 10’ x 15’ and 10’x 20’ storage units for their vehicles. One of our top vehicle storage tips is to disconnect the negative cable on your car battery. This preserves the life of the battery, and then you don’t have to find someone to help jump start your car when you return from summer vacation. Just recently, when school started up, we had some students return, only to find that their car batteries died over the summer. We also recommend covering your vehicle to help keep it clean. When you return for your car, simply remove the cover and you don’t have to spend valuable time cleaning off all the dust that accumulated over time. It’s also a good idea to keep the fuel tank full to prevent the buildup of moisture inside the tank and to prevent the seals from drying out. Also, remember to bring your title or registration when you come in to rent your storage unit because we need a copy for our records. Surprisingly, we come across this issue a lot, so make sure you don’t pack these documents away. 5.) Don’t Store Candles Self storage and candles do not mix. Wax candles will melt in the summer, so do not store those in a unit. Not only will it make a mess, it could also damage your furniture, clothes, and other items. 6.) Store Seasonal Items Cramped dorm rooms and apartments with barely enough room for a bed and desk are all part of the college experience. University of Arizona students use self storage during the summer when they return home, but many of them keep their storage unit because they like to store some of their seasonal items to maximize what little space they have. The city of Tucson has hot summers—temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit are common—and the winters, relatively mild compared to other parts of the country, usually dip below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. It doesn’t make any sense to fill up your valuable space with hoodies and gloves during the spring and summer, and it’s a waste of space to leave your shorts, tank top and outdoor gear laying around during the winter. You already have plenty of things to stress about like finals and group projects, so why stress out over cramped living space? Lots of University of Arizona students enjoy rock climbing, cycling, and hiking along the beautiful desert landscape of Tucson. It’s a crime to stay indoors, but limited space for outdoor gear can be a bit of a problem. So, whatever season it is, using a storage unit will provide you with all the space you need for your outdoor gear, leaving plenty of room for your desk and textbooks. It’s also probably a good idea to tell your roommate to clean up their space and move some of their stuff into storage. After you got organized, why should you have to trip over your roommate’s ukulele and longboard?
