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Whether you’re packing toys into affordable self storage to save for a future child, or you’re moving house and you need to store some toys whilst the kids room is decorated, the fact is that it isn’t as simple as chucking everything into a box and hoping for the best. At least, not if you want to make sure the toys come out in great condition when they are next taken out of the box to be played with.
The good news is that it’s very easy to prepare toys and pack them for affordable self storage, so that they don’t degrade or become damaged during their time securely held in your unit. Let’s take a closer look at these top tips for packing toys for self storage:
Clean, Clean, Clean
Following the manufacturer’s instructions, clean the toys correctly before storing them away. Bits of dirt, grime, dribble or other tarnishes can cause a toy to degrade when in storage, potentially causing bad smells, too.
Dry, Dry, Dry
If there is anything more important than cleaning toys before they go into storage, it is ensuring they are dry. Wet toys can rust, go mouldy, or even breed nasty bacteria and rot. Ensure they are bone dry, and be especially careful with soft toys which can hold moisture inside, even if the outside feels dry.
Centre The Larger Toys
Larger toys can be placed in the box they came in, or in the middle of a larger box. If they need some packaging around them, use clean towels or some squashed up clean and dry carrier bags.
Surround With Smaller Toys Or Padding
Often, for organisation and efficient use of storage space, smaller toys can surround the larger toy in the centre of the box. This works well as long as the space above the toys is packed out, and as long as the larger toy is unable to move around and cause damage (it might be particularly heavy) whilst the box is in transit. Whether the toys are packed together or separately, they should not be able to move around in the box, which helps to avoid damage. This can even be the case with teddies and other toys, which are durable, but which are able to become dented or the plastic can be damaged if there is too much constant or abrupt movement against other hard surfaces in the box.
Allow Airflow
Even with the toys being clean and dry, stale air can cause them to become smelly, and that smell can be hard to get rid of once the toys come out of storage. Do ensure the box has a few holes in it to allow airflow. It also helps to avoid packing up toys in plastic bags or boxes, too.
Remove Batteries
Do take care to remove batteries when packing toys in self storage as they can degrade and ruin the toy if left over time.
Store Toys With Bags Of Accessories
Try to store toys with their associated accessories, ideally in ziplock or cloth bags, and attached to the toy, or at least in the box with it. Extra labelling using sticky labels on the bags would also be useful if you have the time to do so.
Stack Carefully
Do stack toys carefully so that there is no squashing or chance of toppling. You can do this by placing boxes against the wall, avoiding stacking too high, and by stacking the lightest boxes at the top of the pile and the heaviest on the bottom.
You’re Ready To Store Those Toys!
With the tips above you can store your toys safely and securely until it’s time to get them out again for your children, or future children to enjoy.