How to Use Self Storage for Spring Cleaning

As winter finally releases us from its cold grip and the days begin to get warm and bright, the first thing you may notice around your house is all the clutter you accumulated from November to March. And that’s when the itch to start spring cleaning begins.

But how do you spring clean? It’s more than just tossing out garbage, many of these items you’ve allowed to clutter your house or apartment are still necessary items, just maybe not necessary during the warmer, non-holiday months. Oftentimes these items take up too much room in your home, however—that’s why self storage is here to help!

Using a storage unit during your spring cleaning is a great way to allow you to clear out some space at home while keeping those belongings you just can’t be away from. And by using the right steps, you can make self storage a part of your spring cleaning regimen.

How to prepare your home for spring cleaning

The first step in the majority of self storage situations is preparing your belongings for the storage unit. In this instance, that includes organizing all of your belongings. We recommend doing this into four categories: keep, store, donate, and discard.

As you go through the clutter in your home, analyze each item. To determine if it’s necessary, ask yourself such questions as how often will you use this, does it fulfill an immediate purpose, or even if it makes you happy (though use this qualification sparingly.) If the object meets this criteria, then set it in the keep pile.

When asking these questions, if the item does make you happy but may not have an immediate purpose or perhaps only meets a seasonal need, then place it in the store pile.

If the belonging does not make you happy and meets no needs at home, then it may be time to discard or donated depending on the items condition.

This is also an ideal time to clean the belongings. Launder any clothing, wipe down any and all surfaces to remove dust or other contaminants, and otherwise ensure your items are in good condition.

The last important step of this phase is to take inventory of what is going into the store pile. This will be beneficial later on when placing these items into self storage.

Storage features are key when organizing your home

The main reason you should always take inventory of what you place into storage is to know which storage features will best preserve and protect your belongings.

For instance, if you’re storing a costly collection of Christmas decorations that would make the Griswold’s jealous, then you’re going to want to protect that investment with the right security features such as electronic gate access, which requires a keycode to enter the facility, as well as video surveillance and even onsite management.

Weather sensitive items such as fabrics, electronics, and even wooden furniture can be susceptible to summertime heat and humidity. Protect such vulnerable items with climate control, which maintains a constant temperature and humidity level within your unit to preserve your items.

Lastly, take into consideration the amount of stuff your storing. If it’s just a few boxes, a small 5×10 unit will help you reclaim your apartment closet. Meanwhile, a larger 10×20 unit may be best for clearing out your garage—you may also want to consider a unit with drive up access for quick drop off and delivery.

Tips for placing items into a storage unit

Once you’ve prepared your items for storage, carefully cleaning them and taking inventory, now’s the time to place our spring cleaning into a storage unit. And while this seems simple, there are still some helpful tips for placing items into self storage.

For instance, clearly label all boxes so you can easily find anything you may need during the summer or fall, as well as easily reclaim next winter. Also, if possible, avoid stacking everything into one large pile. Instead line the walls of your unit to give yourself quick and easy access to all that’s placed into storage.

Springtime is a great time to clean out the dust of winter and look forward to the fun of summer, and with the right preparations and a storage unit, you can make your spring start right!