Thinking of clearing out your storage unit? It’s about time, don’t you think? The unit must be overflowing if you feel that it’s finally time. If you have been spending more time lately sorting through all that junk and clutter you hide away from home then it is past time to deal with it. If you are reading this article and have crossed over into the joyous phase that is adulthood, chances are that over the years, you have been gaining more and more ‘stuff’ that you label as possessions. In short, you may find yourself running out of space in your own home to accommodate all your years of hoarding! We don’t judge, because guess what? We are all in the same boat. For those of us who have a harder time letting go of our belongings, we generally rent out or buy a storage unit to shove all those things that don’t fit into the aesthetics of our home anymore.
Feeling overwhelmed with all the organizing and cleaning that you have on your plate? Don’t give up just yet. The good news is there is hope on the horizon. Having been recently integrated into the art that is cleaning, sorting and organizing; we must say, the entire process can have numerous psychological benefits as well. If you step into this mission full of knowledge, prepared with a plan and definite goals and ideas in mind, cleaning can become a soothing act rather than a stressful one. As the famous Marie Kondo says, “the physical act of decluttering your space, your surroundings and your belongings, can help declutter your mind.” When all your belongings and your possessions are organized around you, just looking at them can help you feel more organized within yourself.
Still don’t believe us? You will. Throughout the rest of the article, we will present you with practical and definitive steps, which we guarantee will make cleaning out your self storage unit not just easy, but an act that can be fun and enjoyable as well. Let’s get to it then, shall we?
STEP 1 - Get the right tools and equipment
Before you head out in your Sunday best, hold on. You are going to be cleaning out a storage unit. There are many tools and equipment that you need before you start that extensive process. Here’s a few that of the most important items that you will need:
STEP 2 - Edit and categorize
Once you reach your storage unit, it may be confusing as to where to begin. There is a simple but straightforward approach that helps streamline everything down. The first step is, always think of removing things you no longer need, want, or have space to accommodate. The broad category here is the keep and donate pile. Take a gander at each object decisively and determine whether they go into the ‘keep’ pile or ‘donate’ pile. Another junk category usually forms as you go around cleaning. The objects which are broken or unrepairable. Therefore, they have to be thrown out completely.
Integrating the keep and donate system is essential. This helps you declutter instantly. Making your job easier by allowing you to work with the keep pile only. This minimizes your work, plus saves you a lot of unnecessary time and trouble afterwards.
STEP 3 - Broader categorization
In reality, storage units are a hotch-potch of things. There may be broken furniture, sofas, outdated gym equipment that you no longer use or need. Once in a while, you may be lucky enough to come across old-school outdated equipment and machinery. Maybe a VCR! You may use your storage as a place to house your old artwork, old clothes that you once intended to donate. Honestly, diving through your storage unit will even surprise you occasionally. Thus, once you have edited out the things you no longer need, clear them out of the unit and now it’s time to pack the important things up.
Use broader categorization parameters this time. Divide up your things and separate your books, equipment, glass objects, utensils etc. Once you have done that, step back to look at what you have to work with.
STEP 4 - Extras
The suggestion is always to start with the bigger elements like machinery or equipment first, as many of them may require you to dismantle them. Calculate which item is the most in number and would require most space. You will experience the visual pleasure of organizing things when you have sorted them out and compartmentalized.
DO NOT FORGET TO LABEL. Seriously. All this hard work may be of no fruition if you forget to label the boxes, or worse, mislabel them!
Use extensive bubble wrap and padding for fragile glass objects. Old newspapers can be used to fill in the space between the objects. We also have our friend packing peanuts to help seal the job!
Hopefully, you now have a little more insight into how to clear and sort out your storage unit. Always remember that a stitch in time saves nine! Invest in doing this properly and you will save a lot of valuable time in the future.
