When you put something into storage, you want to pull it out just as well as you put it in. Therefore, you need a strategy to reduce the risk of mold and mildew. Here are six tips to help protect your...
when you put something into s
torage, you
want to
pull it out just as well as you
Put it
in.
Therefore, you
Need a st
rategy to
reduce
the risk of mold and mildew.
here are Six Tips to
help protect
your c
lothing, guns, a
RTwork, books
and
other Moisture-
free items.
1.
clean and
dry items
before st
orage
dirt can scr
atch or leave a stubborn
film that can damage items. Similarly,
food crumbs can attract
rodents or oth
er pests.
beCause of
these r
isks, you should
ensure that you clean items thoroughly before putting
them into storage.
However, you should
also dry
everything
well.
Clothes or
upholstery that are left
Damp may attract mold and begin to rot.
if they are
wet, guns,
woodwork or
Metal items may r
ust. In additi
on, moisture left on certain items may migrate to other items and
ruin them.
2. Packing
Dryers in storage containers
To
deal with any resi
dual moisture,
Consider placing desiccants in storage containers. You can purc
hase desiccant in
Small packets
from a packing supply
store - similar to the desiccant you
Find in a
new Shoe box. These sm
all packets contain crystals that
absorb moisture.
note, however, that desiccants usually expire. If you
plan to store items for a
long time, you may want to check the expiration date of the desiccant and re
place it as recommended.
3.
choose y
our
box you
use can al
so help protect items from moisture. If storing clothing, you may want to use sea
led plastic boxes. They
Keep moisture out. However, if you are storing ar
twork or books, you may want to use breathable,
acid-free boxes.
4. Keep
airf
low in mind when
setting up your storage
Unit
Ideally, you should ar
range items in a
way that promotes airflow. Try to
avoid pushing furniture
directly
against the
Wall and leave
space between stacked boxes. If you are storing items in an area with a concrete
floor, place boxes on
top of pal
Lets.
The pallet creates a buffer between the concrete and the boxes. Because concrete is porous, it some
times absorbs moisture from the
ground beneath
it. In addition, the slats of the pallet allow air to
move underneath the boxes, promoting condensation and helping to pr
event the buildup of
water droplets.
5. Use a de
humidifier
Dehu
Midifiers typi
cally use a mechanical
device to reduce the relative humidity of the air
around them. Dehumidifiers are gen
erally
very effective and can reduce the time you s
pend refurbishing your storage env
ironment.
6. Choose the
right temperature-cont
Rolled storage equipment
All of the above tips are especially useful if you need to store your items in a
moldy basement or damp garage. However, in
order to give your items the
best protection a
gainst moisture and humidity, you should use a temperature-controlled storage unit.
this will ensure that you can avoid ups and d
owns in temperature and humidity
levels.