Handy Tips to Follow When Packing Your Mobile Storage Unit in Melbourne

Mobile storage units are a helpful storage solution. With all the storage units delivered to you, there is no hassle and stress on your part. The company will also handle the storage for you.

However, it is up to you to pack and load all your stuff into the unit. 

Mobile storage containers cannot work well without a good packing strategy. A loosely packed container can cause damage to your things, especially during transit. 

So, follow the five packing tips below to make sure you pack your unit correctly.

5 Storage Unit Packing Tips 

1.Clean Everything Before Packing

The first step before storage is to clean. Skip this part and you risk your things getting infested by mould. 

Food crumbs and water droplets will make your things damp. Then, all the food crumbs will go bad and attract pests. The water droplets make the container humid, so mould can grow freely.

Once one of your stuff is mouldy, it will spread everywhere. So, save yourself the hassle and clean everything.

2.Pack Fragile Items with Protective Materials

Your glassware, gadgets, mirrors, and glass surfaces need to be packed correctly. Use protective materials before putting them in boxes.

The recommended protective materials for them are;

• Furniture blankets
• Bubble wrap
• Packing paper

Furniture blankets and bubble wraps are shock-absorbent. They will absorb the impact if bumps happen during transit. So, wrap them around your fragile items. 

Also, wrap your furniture with the furniture blankets. They can prevent scratches and tears if bumps happen.

Packing papers are stuffed inside your glasses and mugs. You can also put packing papers in between stacks of plates and bowls. They reduce vibration and prevent cracks if your things collide.

3.Pack and Seal Box Correctly

To make use of every inch of the storage unit, it is better to use boxes. Boxes can be stacked vertically, so they save space. Moreover, a compact stack is easier to secure.

However, don’t just cram everything inside one box. Overstuffing will make your boxes’ surfaces uneven. Uneven surfaces make stacking difficult. 

Moreover, your boxes will fall and crash into each other. Your things – especially the fragile ones – can be broken.

But, it is also bad to leave empty spaces inside the box. A box with too much stuff can cave in from the weight of the box above it.

Therefore, put just enough stuff inside the boxes. Not too full, not too empty. Then, seal them tight before stacking.

Keep in mind, make sure that you separate the fragile and non-fragile items. This will come in handy in the next step.

4.Load Your Things in Order

Fragile items and non-fragile items need to be loaded at different stages. That’s why you have to keep them in different boxes.

At the very start, load all the heavy and bulky items. Refrigerators, dining tables, and sofas should be put first to form a ‘base’ of the unit. This ‘base’ will protect fragile items from colliding with the unit walls.

Make sure all your heavy items are tied down to the unit walls, as well. This is to prevent them from moving and sliding into other items.

Then, put all your boxes around the ‘base’. Start with the non-fragile boxes, then gradually stack fragile boxes at the top.

5.Take These Things Out of Your Unit

Inside a storage unit, you can put practically everything. But, these things are not allowed because they can harm your things. 

• Gas and aerosols
• Oils and fuels
• Paint and paint thinner
• Organic matters like soil, compost, and plants
• Firearms, explosives, and ammunition

These items are flammable. Left unchecked, they can spill and combust. Your things can be destroyed beyond repair. 

Organic matters also need to be separated from your stuff. They are damp and can attract mould. All your stuff will be unrecoverable once they are covered in mould.

Conclusion

Packing a storage unit correctly will keep your things damage-free. So, it’s important to know the best packing strategy.

Start with cleaning everything. Wipe every food crumb and water droplet before packing. Then, protect all fragile items with protective materials.

After that, put them all into boxes and seal them tight. Separate the fragile and non-fragile boxes. Once that’s done, load all heavy items and tie them all to the unit’s walls. Then, put all the boxes around the heavy items. 

The last thing to do is sort all the forbidden items out. Then, your storage unit is ready for storage!