Now that the Holidays are behind us it's time to take down all of your holiday decorations so you can begin 2012 with a clean slate. By carefully organizing and packing you decorations it will make next year's holiday season a joy from the beginning. Once you pack up all of your decorations, you can store them safely away with us at West Cantrell Self Storage leaving you with more room in you home for the rest of the year. I have listed some tips on how to store your decorations properly.
Ornaments
Look for specially made containers for ornament storage. You can find these at most retailers such as Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and Lowes. They are flat boxes, often with tray divider inserts that protect individual ornaments. The containers stack for easy storage. If you cannot find any of these types of containers then purchase the flip top plastic containers and use tissue or packing paper (do not use newspaper - the ink can rub off on the ornaments) to cushion each ornament individually. Pack the ornaments snuggly but not too tight, and if you need packing paper we have it.
Lights
You want to insure that you pack you light strands in an orderly manner so that they don't break or get tangled. One of the worst things you can do is to just throw them into a box in a huge tangled mess. Not only can that break bulbs, but it could also damage the integrity of the electrical wiring creating a potential for a short to develop which could lead to a fire. Look for special spools available that will hold your lights. If you cannot find one of these spools then I suggest you cut a piece of cardboard and wind the lights on the cardboard. Another idea is to simply coil the strand evenly and twist tie it in a couple of spots. Be sure to store your lights in seperate boxes to prevent them from getting crushed by heavier items.
Artificial Trees
Carefully compress all of the branches and place them in a large plastic bag before placing the tree back in its' box. If your tree did not come with a plastice bag you can use a plastic furniture cover to protect the branches from collecting dust. We sell various sizes of furniture bags as well as several sizes of boxes in case you either don't have the orginal box of it has lost its' integrity.
Holiday Collections
Dust all of your decorations that sit on shelving or tables so they will be clean and ready to use for next year. For larger, bulkier items like holiday villages, nativity scenes and train sets, try to use the orginal packaging to store them away in. If the original packaging is not available, be sure to use plenty of padding around breakable parts. Try to use large plastic bins to keep boxes of items organized.
Lawn Decorations
Make sure everything is dry and clean before storing them away to prevent mold and any musty smell from developing while in storage. I always take a photo of my decorations before I take them down so I can remember next year what I did the previous year. You might want to label all of your electrical extension cords, plugs, and lighting so you know where it goes next year when you take it out of storage.
Kitchen and Linens
Wash all holiday themed linens such as table runners, table clothes, napkins and towels. Do not bother ironing them as they will need to be ironed once you take them out of storage next year. Make sure to have a box just for your linens, and then another box for holiday themed serving platters, cream and sugar despensors, dishes, and glasses. Use plenty of packing paper and padding and pack snuggly but not too tight. Place your heavier items on the bottom of the box and more delicate items on top.
Once you have it all packed away,come in and let us rent you the perfect size space for all of your holiday decorations. Not only will your decorations be safely stored away, you will be happy with the extra space in your home.