As the weather cools down, it’s time to give some thought to what you’re going to do with all of your summer items, from patio furniture and sports equipment to pool toys and clothes. Self-storage is an affordable and effective way to clear up space in your home and keep seasonal items out of the way. Here’s 7 tips for making the best use of a self-storage unit in the fall.
#1. Store Outdoor Furniture Properly
There’s nothing quite as nice as enjoying outdoor living space when the weather is nice. As fall rolls around, however, it’s a good idea to carefully pack up and store your patio furniture and other outdoor furniture to prevent it from degrading during the harsh winter. Some types of outdoor furniture can be safely left out if you want, including composite furniture, aluminum furniture, and wood furniture, although wood will still degrade more quickly if left in the elements. Outdoor furniture that absolutely should be brought in for the winter includes:
- Stone tabletops
- Wicker and rattan furniture
- Wrought-iron and steel furniture
- Plastic furniture
- Umbrellas, outdoor rugs, and upholstered items
To prep these items for storage over the winter, thoroughly clean the furniture to remove any dirt and debris. Rust on wrought-iron should be removed with a steel wool pad or a dry wire brush. After using a rust remover, apply a rust-resistant primer and paint.
#2. Use Care When Storing Clothing
Want to clear up space in your closet? Storing seasonal clothing is a great way to go. Before storing clothing, make sure it’s all washed, dried, and ironed, if necessary, with any spots removed. Use cedar balls in the clothing boxes to protect your clothes from mildew and moths. If you will be storing wool, leather, or fur, make sure you choose climate-controlled storage. Wardrobe boxes are the best way to store clothes as they have built-in hanging rods and give your clothes enough room for air circulation. Use plastic or felt hangers, not metal, to avoid permanent creases in your clothing.
#3. Know How to Safely Store Tires
Winters in Saskatchewan can be unpredictable and long. All season tires will begin to lose grip at just 7 degrees C which is why winter tires are always recommended when the weather starts to turn chilly. When it’s time to remove your all season tires in favour of winter tires in the late fall, make sure you know how to store your tires during the winter so they’ll still be safe to use when spring finally rolls around again. Before storing your tires, make sure you clean them as road grime and brake dust can damage the tires during storage. When the tires are clean, seal them in dark, airtight bags, removing as much air as you can. Ideally, the tires should be stored upright unless they’re mounted to rims, in which case stacked is better. Choose climate-controlled self storage as hot or humid conditions can accelerate damage.
#4. Store Sports Equipment Efficiently
As the weather gets chilly, it’s time to pack up sports and outdoor equipment for another season. Baseball gloves, basketballs, soccer balls, tennis rackets, softball bats, and pool gear… They all take up a lot of space. Don’t let these items clutter up your home; they’re easy to store safely and efficiently in a storage unit. Make sure items are carefully laundered and dried before storage. Each type of equipment or gear will likely have its own care instructions that you should follow to avoid damage. Baseball gloves, for example, should be cleaned with a leather safe cleaner and a glove conditioner then stored with a ball rolled in the glove.
#5. Know How to Store a Grill Off-Season
Don’t want your grill taking up space in your garage over the fall and winter? Grills are easy to store in a self-storage unit with very little care. Before storing your grill, take care to remove all grease, food scraps, and debris by turning on the grill then allowing it to cool as you scrape it with a soft bristle brush. Turn off the gas, if you have a gas grill, and disconnect the gas tubes to remove the burner unit. Coat the metal parts and burners with cooking oil then wrap the burner unit with plastic to prevent pests. You can safely store your grill in a storage unit but the propane tank will need to stay at home.
#6. Get Your Lawn Mower Ready for Storage
You don’t need to let your push mower take up space in your garage or shed. When it’s time to say goodbye to the mower for the season, get it ready for storage so it’ll be good to go when spring returns. Remove the mower’s spark plug and drain the fuel tank as the fuel will break down and damage the engine. As an alternative, you can add a fuel stabilizer to the tank. Clean the mower thoroughly to remove grass and grime then top off the oil.
#7. Come Down to Passion Safe Storage and Pick Out a Climate Controlled Unit.
Life can be tough enough without tripping over a box of Christmas decorations in the middle of July, or finding yourself parked on the street in January under a foot of fresh fallen snow just because your perfectly good garage is bursting at the seams. Come down to our new storage facility off Marquis Drive in Saskatoon and we can help.
