Wherever you store extra belongings, and especially if outside the home, it’s important to protect your belongings from water damage (it can happen anywhere), bugs, smells, mold spores, mycotoxins, and actual mold.
Here's the deal. You just don’t know the condition the belongings in your neighboring units may be in. Perhaps they have moths, funky smells, moldy items, or mold spores and mycotoxins on items all of which can travel and attached to your precious belongings. You also don’t know the condition of the unit and building itself.
Everything in our storage unit is in waterproof and airtight plastic containers as they protect far better than regular containers which from my experience, warp and crack.
Here are some tips and products we find beneficial:
If possible, choose a storage unit that is in a temperature controlled space. This means that whatever the season, the temperature of the space remains around 70 degrees F (give or take). I’ve been on floors in our storage building that are not temp controlled and in summer months they are humid and hot, making it easy for not only mold to grow but also for things like certain fabrics and papers to become damaged.
No paper boxes. Why? Paper doesn’t protect your items against mold spores/mycotoxins or water damage (I’ve seen people’s units flood from a pipe burst in a storage building). We use these bins (they have wheels which make transport easy) or these extra large bins which fit a TON.
The plastic container option can get pricey, so if for budget purposes you need to use more affordable but not airtight plastic bins or paper boxes, my suggestion is to place your belongings in the 3mm plastic bags (linked and explained below), seal the bag properly, and then store within the box/bin.
The plastic bags we use (around luggage for example) are 3mm thick, so when doubled you get added protection from a total of 6mm of plastic, the standard thickness mold remediation companies use when putting up containment.
It's important to tie these properly, otherwise water can get in in the event of a flood or leak.
I like these clear ones (doubled) for using either in the actual bins or stand alone as it's easy to see what is inside. They are enormous which make them easy to store things like cushions, workout equipment, etc. They do tear easier than these contractor bags that we also use so keep that in mind when handling.
Moisture absorbers. We keep 4 of them in different areas and heights in the unit and replace them when full. They are great for absorbing extra moisture (mold thrives from moisture) and smells.
These are all tips for storage units outside the home whether in a storage area in a condo complex or outside storage unit however the same tips apply if you’re storing items in a basement, especially one that has not been tested for mold. Basements are notorious for hosting mold and high amounts of spores from water damage, moisture, and temperature changes, so keep this in mind when you say, “just throw it in the basement!”.
All items shared here are items I personally use and may receive commission on certain links.
