Why Do We Always Store Items Clean?

When one puts their belongings in storage, the goal is to eventually retrieve them in the same condition as the day they went in. Nobody wants to find that their things have acquired a musty smell, and stains can cause actual damage to fabric. A thorough cleaning will ensure that items don’t suffer from time spent in storage.

Follow Cleaning Instrucions

Care instructions vary widely from upholstery to bedding, and garment to garment. Make sure to look up the specific-care instructions for whatever may be going into storage. After all, a leather jacket will have different cleaning directions than cotton clothing, and the process to clean a mattress is different from that of a couch. Whatever the instructions, it’s important to clean any and all fabric items before storing them for any length of time.

Avoid Mould and Mildew

Have you ever put off laundry day for a tad too long? Ever packed a tent while it was still wet? These are mini-examples of what can happen if things are stored negligently, even for a day or two. If something is stinky when it goes into storage, say, your gym socks in the laundry hamper, it will not come out smelling better than when it went in. The tent example illustrates the importance of drying items completely before storing them. Moisture invites mildew and mould and should be avoided at all costs. Musty smells and mildew can be difficult if not impossible to remove.

Preempt Damage

Beyond discolouring a fabric, stains can actually eat away at the fibers. Over time, oils, acids, and other compounds present in a stain can cause bleaching, breakage, and damage to the threads. Give spot treatments to any noticable splotches.

Not Just Fabric

Although we’ve covered the importance of cleaning fabrics, let’s not underestimate the importance of cleaning wood, metal, and plastic surfaces too. Any item that gets stored in a dirty or contaminated state can suffer damage to the surface, rust, or degradation.

As can be seen, failing to properly store items can lead to the damage or loss of cherished possessions. In order to make your storage a successful one, take care to properly clean all items and thereby avoiding that dreaded musty smell!

Yaletown Mini Storage offers brightly lit, clean, affordable storage units in downtown Vancouver. Most units have 8-foot ceilings, and there are no access fees or limitations. If you have any questions about this article or our downtown Vancouver storage units, contact us at (604) 603-5885.