Tuesday, September 29, 2015

With winter's approach, nesting your summer wardrobe and possibly buttoning down a summer residence or cottage becomes a necessity. Read on for some great tips on winter storing, from none other than Arc Self Storage of Hamilton, N.J.

The folks at Arc offer these best practices for preparing your stored belongings for colder weather:

1. Is there anything with a higher risk for damage from the cold? Items such as fragile antiques and those that have liquids or chemicals in them such as batteries have a higher chance of damage. The cold air can make glass and even some plastics very brittle. Wrap them up in a lot of newspaper for insulation.
2. Consider renting a temperature controlled storage unit for peace of mind during the winter months if available. A stable temperature helps preserve all of your belongings for many years to come.
3. Not only do packing peanuts prove to be a fantastic cushioning device for your valuables, they’re also a fantastic insulator for objects more affected by the cold air. There are several types of materials the peanuts can be made of so, keep that in mind when choosing what kind to purchase. Cornstarch peanuts are biodegradable, so use caution if you’re planning on using these as water will decompose these very quickly into a puddle of mush, especially during the spring thaw. The best packing peanuts to use are the ones made of polystyrene. They take literally hundreds of years to decompose and will not melt into a puddle upon contact with water. These peanuts are so good at insulating, people have actually insulated their houses with them!
4. Be careful storing canned food items and sodas in storage over the winter months as it’s not uncommon for cans to burst open and spill everywhere. Cans that have burst open previously can be a major health hazard if consumed. Inspect all cans when ready for use. A trick that works great for storing cans of various foods and liquids is using an unplugged refrigerator. It can actually insulate those items from freezing temperatures.

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