Usually when we are packing up our homes to move or just packing extra things around the house for storage, there is a right way and a wrong way to pack things. Just like everyone else I have used newspapers to wrap glassware and not thought about the ink rubbing off or packed something delicate with heavy objects (the time I packed a piece of handmade pottery with my blender comes to mind).  Below I have put together a list of the most common things needing packing with suggestions on packing for moving and storage.

Glass: as I mentioned before, we all have used newspapers to wrap our glass, it is better to use unprinted newsprint. This will ensure that you are not rubbing ink onto your belongings. Another option is to use bubble wrap, which will also help with crystal, china, mirrors. When using bubble wrap always make sure that you wrap your items with the bubbles facing out, away from the object. This helps to keep the bubbles from leaving marks on the glass. When packing your mirrors or artwork make sure the boxes you use are slightly bigger than the object, this will help to keep things from shifting or getting banged around in the box.

Metal: Metal is susceptible to rust and tarnish. Industrial storage of machinery and tools typically packs in oil or grease, not all of us want to do that for our brass items or the family silver set. For things such as silver, the best way to store long terms is to clean your pieces thoroughly, polish them and then store them in a specially made flannel bag which is infused with silver particles. Generally these are sold under the name “Pacific Silvercloth”.

Electronics: I have only stored electronics wrong once, that is all it should take! Electronics are easily the most susceptible to moisture and corrosion. Unlike silverware and such, there is no cleaning corrosion from electronics. As you are packing your electronics in bubble wrap make sure to include a couple of desiccant packets. If you have ever bought office supplies or a laptop bag you generally find a small packet, those are desiccant packets and they draw moisture out of the area. These combined with good packing practices will help to protect your investment.

Appliances: every once in a while we need to store appliances. When storing large items you want to make sure they are prepped correctly. When storing refrigerators make sure you have cleaned them out, drained the pan, cleaned off the coils on the back, and then make sure to leave the doors cracked open for air circulation. Leaving the doors cracked will keep moisture, mildew, and mold from ruining the interior of your refrigerator. Stoves/ovens are the same for prep, thoroughly cleaning the appliance and leaving the door cracked for air circulation.

With proper prepping and then packing of your Sandy storage unit you will be able to protect your investments from damage. When talking with different storage companies make sure you let them know what you need to store, if you are storing artwork, antiques, and musical instruments you may want to consider using climate controlled storage to help protect them from wide changes in temperatures.