Items you should not put in storage

Storing our items for later use is a smart thing to do. But there are some items that simply should not be stored inside a storage unit. In fact, if you are looking for self storage Columbus Ohio, there are rules and regulations on what you simply can’t store in there. Then there are the items that may degrade or get damaged if they stay inside a storage unit for too long. At the end of the day, you need to know which items you should not put in storage. And that is where this article comes in. We will show you which are the items that are not fit to be inside a storage unit.

What are the items you should not put in storage?

Here is the quick and dirty list of items that you don’t really want to store:

• Artwork and antique furniture
• Electronics
• Family heirlooms
• Flammable items and hazardous materials
• Food
• Leather
• Sensitive documents

Artwork and antique furniture

These items are quite expensive and extremely fragile and sensitive to being stored for a long time. You need to take regular care of such items and to maintain their peak condition. You simply can’t do that while they are within a storage unit. Even if you rent a storage unit from one of the best moving companies Columbus Ohio, you simply can’t guarantee their perfect safety. Yes, the danger will be minimal and you will have insurance. But the fact is that, over time, a lot of things can happen to your items. However, if you take regular trips to your storage unit, you can mitigate this problem.

But the fact of the matter is that if you are storing items, you will most likely forget about them for prolonged periods of time. And there is always a possibility that your artwork or antique furniture gets “changed” a bit after their prolonged stay. That is why you should leave such items at home.

Electronics

Electronic items are really sensitive. Unless you can guarantee that a storage unit will have 0% humidity, it is always better not to store them. Even if you know how to pack and move a computer, there are always dangers present. A lot of people take their electronics out of the storage unit only to find that they no longer work. If you simply have to store them, then a climate-controlled unit is what you want. Anything other than that poses a good amount of added risk.

Now, truth to be told, most of the time your electronics will work just fine after their stay in storage. But the fact of the matter is that there are times when they will not. That is why we do not recommend storing them in the first place.

Items you should not put in storage – Family heirlooms

This type of item is another story altogether. Family heirlooms have immense emotional (and sometimes monetary) value. You don’t really want to be far away from them at any point. Even if they are perfectly safe from damage inside a storage unit, there can always be accidents. And these items are irreplaceable. Simply put, don’t leave them out of your sight or you might live to regret it, is all.

Flammable items and hazardous materials

Now we come to items that are banned from most storage units. Items that are flammable or otherwise hazardous need special storing solutions. Your items are not only ones that are at risk here. Anything flammable can easily cause a lot of damage if handled incorrectly. Ditto for hazardous materials. If you absolutely need to store such items, you will need to find special storage solutions. But the best thing is not to store them but to use them as soon as you can. Have a limited supply for your needs, try not to stockpile them.

Food

Food does not go inside a storage unit. Period. One exception is food that is specially prepared for being stored. Even if you have a freezer to store your food in, it may attract unwanted attention inside a storage unit. The fact of the matter is that the storage unit should not be considered a side pantry.

One of the items you should not put in storage – Leather

Leather does not fare well with temperature changes. The shrinking and expanding that might be going on will damage your leather items. These items were not made for storing in a non-temperature-regulated storage unit. You can minimize the risk by storing them for short periods of time, though. All that damage takes time to accrue, it does not happen instantly. But, to be on the safe side, simply avoid storing them altogether.

Sensitive documents

You should never put any sensitive documents in a storage unit. Ever. Those documents need to be within your reach. Similar to family heirlooms, these documents might be irreplaceable. In fact, they are one of the things not to pack when you move. You want them with you when you relocate, you want them with you when you settle in. If you really need to store them, you need to choose the safest possible option. They are not prone to temperature change nor humidity overmuch but they are prone to other types of accidents.

Whenever you can’t really afford to lose something, you should not store it. Simple as that.

Choose insured and secured climate-controlled storage unit

But, to be frank, there are times when you simply have to store some of those items. In those cases, your best bet is a storage unit that will combine climate-control and high security. Work with your storage provider to find a location that is suitable for your needs. Every single item on this list, save for the hazardous and flammable ones, will be better off within such a storage unit. But you need to consider this as a last resort. It is simply much better not to store any of the items from the list if you can help it.