Self Storage in Oklahoma Can Help You Safely Store All That Kid Stuff

Babies are tiny, but they need an enormous amount of stuff, and that amount only increases as they grow. As soon as kids join our families, the clothing begins to fill up the closets, the toys start to pile up, and our homes suddenly get awfully cluttered. And that’s just the stuff that’s indoors. We also need to find a way to store the bicycles, tricycles, sand boxes, summer swim gear, winter sports gear, and everything else that seems to be taking up space in the garage, the back yard, the basement, and anywhere else it can be stashed.

Let’s face it: All of that clutter can get to be a bit much for one home. At the same time, most of us are hesitant to do away with all of our kids’ toys, clothes, and other items, even when our kids have outgrown them. Sometimes we keep them around for sentimental value, or we may be saving them for a future child in the family. Fortunately, self storage in Oklahoma may be just the solution you need.

Self storage can help you safely store all that kid stuff.  

That’s right! With a little help from Oklahoma self storage, you can find an out-of-the-way place for everything your kids no longer use, wear, or play with. To help you get started, we’ve scoured the web for some of the top tips for how to use self storage to help manage all those children’s toys, games, puzzles, arts-and-crafts supplies, outdoor play gear, stuffed animals, bikes, sporting equipment, unused clothes, and more!

Make a plan. This is honestly good advice before you put anything into storage. When it comes to your kids, chances are you have a lot of stuff to sort through and organize. By making a plan and writing it all out, you’ll know what steps to take in what order, and you’ll have a better shot at keeping things organized so that you can find the things you need when you need them.

Get them to choose for you. Whether your kids are indifferent to their old toys and other belongings or not yet sold on the idea of putting some of them into storage, you can get their buy-in and get a better idea of which items are ready for storage by having them choose which things they want to keep. While some kids may say they want to keep everything, you can usually get them to give you some definitive yes-and-no answers on what should go into storage and what should stay out, which will help them feel like they’re a part of the process.

Make an inventory. Again, this is good advice for any storage project. An inventory helps you know what you have in storage and where it’s located so that it can be easily retrieved at a later date. Apps and other devices can help, or you can simply make a written list or fill in a spreadsheet. However you do it, an inventory helps you to know what’s in every box in your storage unit. Then, when you need to find someone’s collection of Star Wars Lego sets, you’ll know exactly where to look.

Prepare everything for long-term storage. Whether you’re storing toys, games, or clothes, you can take certain steps before you put anything into a box or bin for long-term storage. The first step is to clean everything thoroughly. This not only makes the process of boxing it up more pleasant, but it can help to avoid mold growth on the items and prevent the presence of pests in your storage unit. Be especially vigilant about removing food residue. Then dry the toys—especially anything with fabrics—to avoid mold or mildew growth while they’re stored. Finally, remove batteries from any toys that have them. Batteries corrode over time, and besides, there’s no reason to store perfectly good batteries when you could be using them in something else.

Pack it up. Now you’re finally ready to start packing everything away! Before things go into storage, they should go into boxes or bins. Clear plastic bins are often the best option, especially for smaller things like toys, but small or medium-sized cardboard boxes also work. Wrap fragile items in bubble wrap and be sure that they’re packed in a way that makes them unlikely to shift. Whatever you pack, make sure to record it on your inventory and pack things such that lighter and more fragile items are on top of heavier items. It’s also a good idea to make use of vertical space in your storage unit. Bringing in some shelving can help keep more fragile or valuable items off the ground so they’ll be better protected.

Storing items with sentimental value. Not all the kids’ toys, clothes, and other items that you put into storage are created equal. Some of them are more valuable to you, personally, than others, regardless of their value overall. From favorite stuffed animals to first clothes, some items just have greater sentimental value. These items should be stored with even greater care, probably using climate-controlled self storage. Climate-controlled storage protects items from extremes of temperature and humidity, and it’s ideal for fragile pieces or things that might otherwise decay over time.

Label everything. Your inventory is only half the battle. Knowing that the Pokémon plushies are in the same box isn’t much help if you don’t know which box that is. You can label bins with what’s in them, such as “dolls” or “Legos,” or you can use a number or other key to help reference your inventory. However you do it, you should be able to tell what’s in each box at a glance. And then, of course, make sure that, if things come out of that box (or new things go in), you adjust your inventory accordingly.

Store it all. After all that, it’s finally time to put those toys, clothes, games, bikes, and whatever else into secure self storage! You can get the most out of your storage unit in a variety of ways, including using pallets or shelves to keep things off the floor, giving items room to “breathe,” and never stacking heavier boxes on top of lighter ones. A helpful self storage professional will be able to answer any questions you have and help you pick the storage unit that’s right for your needs.

Ready for self storage in Oklahoma to take some of that clutter off your hands? Whether you’ve gone through all these steps and are ready to put things into storage or you’re stuck with questions somewhere in the process, Storage ‘R’ Us is here to help!