If your children have accumulated a lot of stuffed toys, you may wonder how to deal with them when you need to put your things in storage while your house is on the market or when you move. While you and your kids may love the stuffed toys, they can make your home look messy and cluttered when you have a lot of them. Putting the toys in storage along with other household goods might be the right choice any time you need to declutter. Here are some tips for keeping stuffed toys in a storage unit.
Remove Stains And Odors First
Odors, particularly food odors, might attract pests while in storage, and once mice or insects find a bin full of fluffy toys, they might decide to stay due to the abundance of nesting materials. Machine-wash the toys if allowed on the product label, or spot-wash them by hand. Just make sure the toys are completely dry before you pack them, or they might grow mold while in storage.
Choose The Packing Method
Small, stuffed toys that don't have a lot of monetary or sentimental value might store well in vacuum bags as long as they're not smashed down for an extended time. By putting them in vacuum bags, the toys take up less space in the storage unit. However, if you want the toys to stay fluffy or you want to reduce the risk of damage to the fur or their shape, then storing the toys in bins that snap shut is a better solution.
You may want to wrap the toys in a sheet first to make sure dust won't settle on them. Then place the toys in a plastic bin along with some dryer sheets to keep them smelling nice. Plastic is a better storage box than cardboard since plastic protects against moisture as well as pests.
Pack The Totes Loosely
Avoid filling a tote so full that you have to force the toys inside so you can close the lid. The full bin might pop the lid off and leave the toys vulnerable to spiders or mice. Plus, squeezing the toys together could mash fur or alter the shapes of the toys in the same way a vacuum bag would. Instead, pack lightly, with bigger toys on the bottom and lighter ones on top, and allow plenty of room for the toys to stay expanded and for air to circulate around them.
If you take care to pack your toys carefully, they can withstand being in storage for months at a time, especially if you choose a climate-controlled unit. Climate control isn't essential for storing stuffed toys, but it will prevent them from freezing and provide a more protective environment.
To learn more about self-storage, contact a storage facility.
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