7 Tips for Decluttering Your Storage Unit
Decluttering your storage unit from time to time will help you keep it organized and clean. Most importantly, you’ll know you are storing the things you really need and want. However, decluttering your storage unit can take some time and effort. Luckily, there are ways to make this process easier. From creating a thorough plan to carefully organizing things once you pack them, here are some easy tips to help you declutter your storage unit quickly.
1. Make a plan before you start decluttering your storage unit
There’s a chance you might not be able to do everything in one day. Don’t worry – take as much time as you need when decluttering your storage unit. When you declutter slowly, you’ll be able to think through what to keep and what not. There will be enough time to sort and organize everything you decide to keep. It will be less overwhelming to declutter when you have enough time. Start by determining which area you want to declutter first. If you decide to get rid of certain things, organize transportation to help you move your stuff in no time.
2. Clean and pest-proof your storage unit
When you declutter your storage unit, clean it along the way. Regular cleaning and protecting your storage room against pests will help your things stay safe. Besides choosing a storage unit in a good facility, you can take some precautions just to stay safe against pests. You can keep those critters away and relax, knowing they won’t damage your things. Cleaning regularly will prevent dust from flying in the air and falling all over your things while you declutter your storage unit. The next time you want to access your things in the storage unit, you’ll be just as grateful for cleaning as well as decluttering.
3. Decide what to keep and what not
Deciding on whether to keep something or not can be tough, especially if you are storing sentimental items in the storage unit. If you aren’t sure whether to keep those items, put them aside to deal with them last. By the time you get around to tackling them, you may have even decided whether to keep them. As for the non-sentimental items, it’s best to see how many things you have before making decisions. Who knows, you might even have multiple items of the same kind. See how often you really use something and whether someone you know could benefit from the things you no longer use.
4. Organize and categorize things when decluttering your storage unit
Once you decide what to keep and what to discard, it’s time to put things into categories. As for the stuff you no longer need, you can separate them based on whether you want to sell, donate, or recycle the items. Doing this while decluttering will save you a lot of time later. Inside the storage unit, you can organize the items you’d like to keep.
Use simple storage solutions, such as cardboard moving boxes, for storing your things. This will help you quickly find what you need the next time you want to take something out of the storage unit. When you pack and organize items on shelves, do so based on how often you’ll take them out of storage. Leave those commonly used things easily accessible to save time searching for them. Put the heavy items on the bottom shelves, so the weight is distributed easily.
5. Label everything
Organizing and decluttering your storage unit is an excellent opportunity to add labels to boxes if you haven’t already. With everything labeled, your storage unit will be much easier to navigate. This tip can come in handy, especially if you want to relocate your things. If you wish to move your things to larger storage at some point, it will be much easier to handle and move the boxes when you know what’s where.
You can get creative with the labels and color-code them. For example, you can choose the color of the paper to represent a room or a category and then write the contents on it. Write down on your inventory list which color represents which room in the house or category.
6. Make an inventory list
It can be easy to lose track of the number of things we own. Therefore, it’s best to keep an inventory list to prevent clutter from accumulating in your storage unit. This will immensely help you organize your storage unit when decluttering. Writing down what you own will help you decide what to keep and what not.
Another pro is that writing down what you own will help you remember easily whether you already have something when shopping. Therefore, you will minimize the risk of buying something you already have stored away. Even if it might seem silly at first, the next time you declutter your storage unit, you will be grateful you did so, and you’ll easily know which area to tackle first.
7. Ask for help if you need it
Decluttering your storage unit can be challenging, so don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need any. You might find yourself in a situation where you’ll have to lift heavy boxes or need help writing the inventory list. With tasks like these, asking for help is always a good idea. However, even if you know you can do the decluttering on your own, you can have someone keep you company while you do so. Time will pass much faster; soon enough, your storage unit will be decluttered and organized like never before. Best of all, you’ll have someone to relax and grab a coffee with right after you declutter your storage unit.
To sum up
Decluttering your storage unit will never be easier than with these seven smart tips. The key to decluttering quickly and efficiently lies in staying organized and sticking to your plan. Once you’re done decluttering your storage unit, you can ensure that it stays this way by cleaning and reorganizing it when needed.
