Six Tips for Storing Sensitive Items

Sensitive items, such as photographs, wedding dresses, jewellery, audio equipment and musical instruments need special care when placed in storage. These six tips will help to ensure they are properly protected.

Should you put valuable or sensitive items in self storage?

Much as we would love to hold on to our valuables and keep sensitive items such as family heirlooms, wedding dresses, musical instruments, grandfather clocks, photo albums and sound systems close by, they do tend to take up a lot of room around the house that could be used for other things.

What’s more, when you’re moving house, particularly on big or multi-stage moves, these items simply have to follow all the rest of your belongings into storage.

Here are a few tips that will help make it easier for you to store sensitive, valuable and sentimentally significant items with confidence.

How to store wedding dresses

Always wear white cotton gloves when handling your wedding dress. Ensure the gown has been professionally cleaned, dried and wrapped in acid-free tissue paper or pre-washed unbleached muslin before storage.

Store the dress in an acid-free container or garment bag away from harsh light and high temperatures. Add silica desiccant sachets to reduce humidity inside the box or bag.

If you’re planning on hanging the dress up during storage be sure to use padded hangers to prevent damage to the shoulders and neckline.

If packing the dress in a box, check on it every three to four years. Take it out of the box and refold it to prevent permanent creases.

How to store jewellery

Before storing your jewellery, make sure that it is clean and dry and add silica desiccant sachets to storage containers to ensure that no moisture gets close to the jewellery. Moisture will cause pieces to tarnish and degrade in storage.

Do not store tarnished jewellery with untarnished pieces as this will cause both types of jewellery to tarnish even faster. Already tarnished pieces (even those that you think may be beyond cleaning) should be professionally cleaned prior to storage – especially if they’ll be in storage for more than a week.

Use a jewellery roll to protect valuable pieces and organise smaller items using a pill case. Thread necklaces through a straw or cardboard roll to keep them from tangling. Alternatively, place individual pieces of jewellery into small ziplock sachets and store them inside your jewellery box.

Choose a secure unit and use a safe or lockable box to store your valuable pieces. Take photos of your jewellery and be sure you have adequate insurance cover.

How to store family heirlooms

Family heirlooms such as grandfather clocks, heavy wooden furniture and the like may need to be placed in storage to free up space around your home.

Choose a powered storage unit and, if possible, add an air conditioning or climate control system to keep temperatures moderate and reduce humidity.

To ensure that they are kept in the best possible condition, it’s important to properly clean and thoroughly dry your items prior to storage. Covering these items using purpose-made furniture blankets will protect them against chips and dents during moving and storage, while allowing air flow to stop mildew from forming.

In the case of grandfather clocks, allow the clock to wind down before storage (this takes about three days). Photograph the weighted pendulums and label them before removal to ensure that you can replace them in their original positions.

Wrap pendulums and glass panels in blankets or bubble wrap and store chains and cables in a labelled plastic ziplock bag. Separate chime rods by passing them through holes in a sheet of cardboard. Pad the insides of the clock with soft materials and wrap the whole clock in a blanket.

How to store musical instruments

Use a soft microfibre cloth to remove all dust, finger prints and skin oils from your instruments.

Loosen the strings of stringed instruments to prevent them from snapping or warping the instrument.

Place the instrument in a hard case to protect it against dust, dents, scratches and chips. Add acid-free tissue paper and silica desiccant sachets to keep the interior of the case free from humidity during long-term storage.

Pick a powered unit that will allow you to add an air conditioning or humidity control system, so you can keep your instruments at moderate temperatures and low humidity levels.

How to store photographs

Photos are considered by many to be priceless possessions. And, despite the rise of digital photography, classic prints remain incredibly popular.

When the time comes to put them into storage, it’s vital that things are done properly. Here are a few simple steps you can take to ensure your precious memories stay well-preserved in storage.

As with all sensitive items, a powered storage fitted with air conditioning or climate control is best when storing photos. This ensures that conditions remain cool with no fluctuations in temperature and that the humidity stays low.

Store photos in albums or in acid-free folders in archive boxes made from inert, pH-neutral materials and plastics (no PVC plastic or cellophane).

Provided they have not been affected by rust, you can use enamelled steel filing cabinets to store prints and negatives. If you’re using wooden cabinets, be sure to coat them with paint, lacquer or wax to protect your photos from the discharge of vapours from wood.

How to store audio equipment

Moisture is the enemy of your sound system, causing corrosion, damaging speakers, microphones and wiring, and reducing the longevity of your gear.

So, choose a modern self storage facility where units are well-maintained, weather proof and fitted with power outlets where you can hook up a climate and/or humidity control system.

Audio equipment can carry a hefty price tag, so make sure your self storage provider offers excellent security, including restricted access to the storage facility, 24/7 CCTV monitoring and individually lockable units.

24-hour keypad access is an advantage if you need to retrieve or store your audio equipment outside of normal business hours. Drive-up units also make it easier to load and unload heavy gear.

Clean everything thoroughly with the appropriate cleaning cloths to ensure all equipment is free from dirt and grime before storage.

Use built-in shelving and/or wooden pallets to keep things off the floor of your storage unit. This will prevent humidity and dampness from damaging your equipment.

Stay organised by using rack mounts that have cases specifically designed to store amps and speakers or purchase storage bins. Storing your gear in labelled cases/bins will make it much easier to find the things you need when you need them.

Got sensitive items to store? Talk to our friendly team. We will provide you with all the information you need to protect your treasured possessions.