How to Protect Your Furniture, Fabrics, and Household Goods from Dust While in a Storage Unit

Posted on: 17 January 2020

Dust seems to be everywhere. You know how hard it can be to keep your home free of dust, but you may not give much thought to dust collecting on your things in a self-storage unit. Even though the unit is closed and you have climate control, dust will still be present in a storage unit. If you're going to keep things in your unit for the long term, you'll want a plan to fight dust so your fabrics and documents aren't ruined. Here are tips that could help.

Avoid Cardboard When Possible

Plastic provides the most protection against dust. Plus, plastic totes are easy to clean with wet wipes or a duster so dust doesn't accumulate. Cardboard boxes might be best for some things, such as storing mattresses and hanging clothing in, but plastic totes are worth the investment for protecting clothing and household goods from dust, bugs, and moisture.

Keep Cleaning Supplies Handy

Consider storing a few cleaning supplies in the unit so you can wipe away dust when you visit rather than just let dust accumulate over the months or years. You can buy cleaning wipes and even furniture wipes that you can use easily to dust the surfaces of things in storage. You might also want to leave a broom in the unit and bring along a battery-powered hand vacuum cleaner to pick up dust without spreading it around.

Cover Things with Sheets

Bed sheets make the perfect covers for things like sofas and tables. They are light enough to allow air circulation while protecting the surfaces from dust accumulation. If you don't want to use your sheets to block dust, buy inexpensive tarps from the home improvement store. By keeping things covered or in totes, you'll reduce the amount of dusting and cleaning you have to do when you retrieve your belongings from storage.

Keep Your Storage Unit Organized

It's good to have an organizational system in mind when you pack a self-storage unit. Create aisles if possible so you can reach all your boxes and furniture to keep a regular check on them. Cramming things in your storage unit in a haphazard manner not only makes it difficult to find what you need, but your belongings also turn into a clutter pile that attracts spiders and dust.

If you'll be using your unit for the short term, dust may not be an issue. The longer your things stay in storage, the more time dust has to settle into fabrics and coat household goods. Rather than risk damage to your things and create a cleaning nightmare, take time to pack your unit and protect your things so dust can't accumulate on them.

For more self-storage tips, contact storage facilities such as Belmont Self Storage.

Share