How to Maximize Your Storage Space
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November 15th, 2021
Renting storage space at a convenient storage facility is a great solution for storing business product inventory, various holiday decorations, family heirlooms you just can’t part with, and keeping belongings safe while you renovate or move.
Last month, we shared several organization tips for your storage unit. And while organizing and maximizing do go hand-in-hand, there are some ways to maximize space that aren’t necessarily “organized.” Let’s break it down.
Consolidate Items in Your Storage Space
If you’re moving, we advise that when storing chests of drawers, the drawers should be filled. You can fill the drawers with clothing, kitchen tools, or whatever else. But to stay organized, make a note of what’s in each chest of drawers.
You can also fill any unused suitcases with seasonal clothing and place the suitcases near the entrance for easy access.
Wrap Fragile Items with clothing
Many everyday fragile items can be wrapped with clothing like scarves, socks, or T-shirts. Keep in mind that some fragile items also may be vintage, or have a finish that could be affected by the fabric of your clothing. For vintage items, use acid-free tissue paper to keep them safe. You can also use socks to stuff inside glasses, vases, or any fragile container.
Disassemble Furniture in Your Storage Space
You won’t always be able to disassemble furniture, but if you can, do so. Make sure to tie or wrap legs of tables to the tabletops, and to tape a plastic bag of the furniture’s hardware to the item for easy location and assembly. If you have a table that can’t be disassembled, be sure to store boxes underneath, on top, and between its legs.
Use the Same Size Boxes
Using the same size boxes will help you keep stacks uniform and sturdy. You don’t want boxes to cave and lean when stacked. And you’ll need to fill boxes to the brim so they aren’t crushed under the weight of the boxes stacked above them.
When filling boxes, fill the bottom with heavy items, adding lighter items from the middle to the top. All heavy items in a box make for . . . a very heavy box!
Use Small Boxes for Books
Because books are heavy and range in size, we stray from the “use the same size box” method. For ease of transportation, use small square boxes for your books, and store your books flat in the box so as not to damage the spine.
Appliances are Storage Boxes in Your Storage Space
Before storing washing machines, refrigerators or freezers, you want to make sure that they are free of any remaining water, and that they are dry. Once dry, use your appliances to store various items. To avoid mildew or weird smells, keep the doors to the appliances slightly cracked.
Nest things together
Do you know about Russian nesting dolls? How they fit inside of each other? Think about this method of maximizing space as you load your belongings into your storage unit. Are there items that can go inside of each other? Bowls, artwork, cups, lampshades, and other items of similar function but various sizes can next inside of each other to save space and get the most out of your rental unit.
Alamo Mini-Storage Helps You Maximize Your Storage Space!
Stop by one of our seven, convenient locations in south Texas. We’ll share our best tips for picking a storage unit, and maximizing its space so that you get the best bang for your buck.