February might not seem like the end of winter, but for us here in middle Tennessee, the weather will start warming up pretty soon. And when this happens, you are going to find yourself with a lot of materials that won’t be needed until the end of next autumn.

This is a perfect opportunity to make use of self storage units in Columbia TN. Off-season items might not be immediately useful, but you’ll be glad you have them once the weather changes. But how do you find space for these items in a way that they will be available and in good condition when the time comes to take them back out? And how can you do this without disrupting the other items in your self storage unit?

Clothes

Our winter wardrobes tend to be a lot thicker and more comforting than something we might wear in the middle of summer. Temperatures bordering on triple digits don’t normally lend themselves to sweaters and long underwear. And because you won’t need them until the weather again grows cold, self storage units are a great place to keep them.

The first thing you want to do is be sure the clothes you want to stash away for the season are clean. Any stains or dirtiness will only set or get worse until the next time you take them out. This can easily ruin an item of clothing. But once you’re done cleaning them, don’t iron them. Your clothes are going to be folded for an extended period of time and wrinkles are unavoidable. Also, ironing can weaken the fabric.

Try to store your clothes in plastic storage boxes. Cardboard and wood boxes contain chemicals which can transfer to your clothes over time. Store these items off the floor and away from any potential sources of moisture.

It might be tempting to seal these boxes up, but there are some fabrics like wool that actually like to breathe. Don’t keep these materials in airtight containers.

Accessories

The cold winter air can convince you to grab more than a thick coat or a warm sweater. Hats, mittens, scarves, and boots are frequently used over the colder months to protect our more vulnerable areas like fingers and toes. You don’t want to catch a cold, after all.

But much like thick sweaters, there isn’t much need for mittens in the middle of July. These items are also great candidates for spending the warmer months in self storage units.

The first step is to make sure these items are completely dry. Moisture can grow into mold over the summer months. This is not only gross but also unhealthy.

Find yourself a box that can hold all of these accessories. Label it clearly and put it in an area you will be able to remember when winter comes back around. And then when they are again needed, you won’t have to dig through multiple boxes in order to find everything you need.

Equipment

Winter brings snow and ice. These conditions can grow quite dangerous so we’ve come up with many clever ways to clear them out of our way. The equipment needed to accomplish this can be quite bulky, and sometimes even pretty expensive.

This means you don’t want to toss it out and buy replacements every year. Items such as snow shovels, road salt, ice scrapers, or even a snowblower can be quite useful in the winter. Stashing these items in self storage units in Columbia TN can save you a lot of trouble once the weather starts to dip toward the end of the year.

These items can frequently grow moist so be sure they are completely dry when it’s time to put them away. They can be bulky so clearing a space for them before you arrive is a good idea. Seal up your salt, bundle your shovels, and drain your snowblower of oil and gas to avoid potential health issues when visiting your self storage unit.

Bedding

Those winter nights can grow cold. There’s almost no better way to combat this than by getting out the big, thick blankets. Getting out of bed in the morning might be a little tougher, but the comfort of a quilt in the middle of a cold night can’t be beat.

These thick blankets are obviously unnecessary in the warmer months. The first step, as with clothing, is to clean and thoroughly dry your winter blankets. Any cords should be removed from electric blankets and stored separately.

Vacuum storage bags are a great way to keep these items from getting dirty while also saving space in self storage units.