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From decluttering the garage to clearing out a long-term storage unit, organizing, cleaning, and getting rid of stuff is not a job many of us look forward to. However, with the right approach and a positive mindset, cleaning out your storage unit can have many benefits. And you might even have a bit of fun along the way too.
Whether it’s a storage unit that’s too big, or you need space for more things because you’re moving home, or you simply want to reduce the clutter and get rid of some stuff that’s been sitting for years, proper storage unit organization and cleaning can make all the difference.
Hygiene also plays a huge part in storage unit clean outs and although CubeSmart offers climate-controlled storage units for long-lasting quality, it’s always a good idea to thoroughly clean out your storage unit to prevent any bacterial and fungal build-up, particularly if you are storing items long-term.
In this guide, we take a look at why storage unit clean out is important and give you some top tips for keeping your unit in the best possible condition.
Why Clean Out Your Storage Unit?
Effective cleaning out of your storage space can help you in a variety of ways. For one, it allows you to take account of your belongings and see if you have unnecessary items that you no longer have use for. You know the sort of thing, an item you cleared out of the garage and into storage five years ago and haven’t thought about since.
It’s a good idea to ask yourself if things should be thrown away if you haven’t had a use for them in some time too. Cutting down on clutter increases the effective, useable space within your storage unit by enabling a more managed placement of goods.
You might even find that you could save some money. If you’ve just been adding to the pile in your storage unit for years, cleaning it out could mean you get rid of many unnecessary items, and you may be able to rent a smaller unit.
Don’t forget about cleanliness either. A clean storage unit will prevent dust and debris from accumulating, reducing the risk of damage to your items.
Finally, accessibility is key to cleaning your storage unit. You want quick access to your belongings when you need them, so you should always ensure that you carefully organize your storage items with this in mind.
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5 Steps to Cleaning Out Your Storage Unit
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First things first – if you’re cleaning out your storage unit, you’re going to want to start by taking everything out. Make sure you have plenty of clean space around you to put things down safely and ensure any expensive items or those with sentimental value are carefully set aside. Bring a dust sheet so you’re not having to put everything on the ground. Itemize things as you go too, keeping note of everything you’re taking out.
Once you’ve done that, it’s time to get started with that big clean out task. Here are just a few of our top tricks for effectively cleaning out storage.
1. Determine Your Goals
It can be easier to achieve your goals when decluttering and cleaning if you know what they are before you dive in. For example, if your objective is just to clean and organize everything, it’s going to be a different task from one where you’re looking to declutter and get rid of a lot of old junk.
If you’re looking to close down your storage unit, you need to consider how much you need to throw away and where you’ll keep other items. Or if you’re downsizing, you need a plan for what you can afford to keep and what you can’t for your new unit.
2. Ask for Help
Before you start ask yourself how big of a job you’re facing. Cleaning out your storage unit can be a time-sapping task. And it’s easy to get bored or fed up while doing it. So why not make a day of it? Invite some friends or family members along for the ride and enlist them to help.
You’ll have more fun, you’ll get done a whole lot quicker, and what’s more, they’re probably going to be far more useful than you when it comes to being ruthless with the things you should be throwing away.
3. Organize One Section at a Time
A storage unit is essentially an open canvas to toss your stuff in, but effective management and grouping setups can save you tons of time in locating and retrieving items when you need them.
Once you’ve removed all of your items from the unit, try to group things together so you can focus on one area at a time. That way, you’ll be able to keep track of what’s useful, will have more of an idea of what you can afford to throw away, and when you come to putting everything back, you’ll find it easier to organize. How you sort things is entirely up to you, but you might choose to do it in order of size, alphabetical order, or even by type of item.
4. Make Three Piles: Donate, Keep, Toss
When you’re cleaning out your storage unit, you have the perfect chance to rethink and decide if you want to throw some things away to make more space.
Impulsively, most of us will have many things we choose to keep, thinking that they may be useful in the future. In reality, many of the items we store are never used again and simply take up valuable storage space.
Use this as a good opportunity to have a bit of a clear-out. With all of your items in front of you, start sorting everything into three piles. One for things you want to keep, one for things you want to throw away, and one for things you want to donate to charity.
And try to be honest with yourself. If there’s a box of clothes you haven’t worn since college or a golf bag that hasn’t seen the course in a decade, ask yourself if you need to keep it. You can choose to throw anything away that isn’t likely to be of use to anyone. Or if you have something you feel someone else could benefit from, you may want to donate it to charity and do your bit for a good cause.
If you want to have a big clear-out, try the three-year rule. Take stock of all the items you have and if you come across anything that you haven’t used within the last three years, toss or donate it to those who would use it more.
5. Storage Unit Junk Removal
If your toss pile ends up being particularly large, there may be more to throw in the trash than you can manage yourself. Take one task off your hands and make it easier by calling in professional storage unit junk removal experts to get rid of stuff from your storage unit, including anything too big to dispose of yourself.
Rather than having to make multiple trips to dispose of things yourself, professional garbage removal experts will come in and whisk it all away in one go. That’s one less job for you to worry about!
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Additional Tips for Cleaning Out a Storage Unit
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When cleaning up your unit, there are a few tips and tricks you should follow. Here are just some of our favorites.
Sweep First
If you’re leaving your storage unit for good, chances are the storage company will be cleaning the unit before the next customer uses it, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t spend some time making sure everything is in good order.
And if you’re just giving a storage unit a bit of a spruce up but intend to keep it, you’re going to want everything looking in top shape and ready to store your items effectively.
To start with, you’re going to want to get out your broom and give everything a good sweep. Whether it’s dust, dirt from your shoes, or other debris, anything that stays in the atmosphere can damage items over time. A good sweep should help get rid of most of it and ensure your items are being stored in a clean setting.
Mop and Wipe
Once you’ve swept, you may be tempted to call it a day with the cleaning, but there’s still more you can do to keep everything in order. After sweeping, a good mop will leave the floor clean, so you can feel comfortable leaving furniture and other belongings on the floor.
In addition, it can be a good idea to wipe down the walls if possible. Any accumulated dust and other debris can cause issues in the future if it settles on your stored items, so it’s a good idea to clean it all away every so often, leaving your stored items in far better condition.
Label Everything
Boxes are very tough to differentiate in storage, especially if you are visiting after a long period and have forgotten where everything was placed. So to make it easier to find everything and give your unit a bit more order, make sure you label everything as you work through your storage unit cleanout.
That way, if you are putting everything back in, it makes it easier to categorize and easier to find everything in the future. And if you’re closing your storage unit and taking everything home, it simplifies the unpacking process at the other end.
Whether you’re using a marker to write on boxes or want to do it with a bit more flair with a label maker, the important thing is to make sure you’ve got everything marked up and you know what is in each box.
Stack Boxes and Tubs
Once you have finalized your packing and cleanup job, it’s time to get everything you want to keep back in your storage unit.
To make the most of your storage space, you’re going to want to make sure everything is properly stacked. Try to stack boxes with others of a similar size, and make sure storage boxes fit on top of each other comfortably. This way, you can save space, while also ensuring that your boxes aren’t going to topple over and cause damage.
When you’re putting everything in, try to leave space so you can get to your boxes in the future too. And always ensure you store the heaviest items at the bottom to avoid the potential for mishaps.
Why not utilize professional storage unit services from CubeSmart? You’ll benefit from temperature-regulated units in secure facilities, so you can rest assured that your valuables will be kept safe for years to come.
