At Storage Near Me,
we take pride in providing our customers with clean, well-maintained
self-storage facilities. Clean storage units and facilities help promote safety
while you visit our facilities, as well as help protect your belongings from
pests, extreme weather and dust. Storage unit cleanliness is a dual effort
between our team and our customers. What you store in your storage unit makes a
big difference in the cleanliness of not only your unit, but the entire
facility.
In our experience,
storage units with food and other prohibited items tend to attract pests like
mice and other rodents. Pests are a problem in storage units because they could
possibly nibble small holes in your stored items, like furniture and clothing.
We have maintenance measures in place to prevent pests from entering storage
units, but with your help these tiny invaders can be evaded all together.
Sometimes self-storage
customers may inadvertently pack items into their storage units that may
attract unwanted pests. It is essential to learn how to keep rodents out of
your unit whenever possible in order to prevent an infestation at the facility.
1.
Don’t Store Food Inside a
Storage Unit — This is the
biggest factor in preventing pests from entering your storage unit. Many people
have made the mistake of accidentally leaving food items while moving into a
storage unit, but rodents will take notice. Remember to look for food where you
may not have intended to leave it. Vacuum furniture underneath the cushions.
Check kitchen storage containers and other surfaces that may have any residual
food on the surfaces.
2.
Cover Mattresses and
Upholstered Furniture — Before bringing
your mattresses into your storage unit, check thoroughly to ensure that they
are free of insects. Use a plastic mattress cover that is specifically designed
to keep pests out. Bugs and rodents can also burrow into or chew through
upholstered furniture. If you have furniture with fabric, make sure it is
covered in some way. You want to keep pests out, but also allow your items to
breathe.
3.
Raise Stored Items — Bugs and rodents may be able to crawl, but it’s still
helpful to elevate your items off of the ground. Consider placing a clean
pallet on the ground or use open shelving to raise your items off of the
ground. This will help deter pests from entering your boxes and will protect
your belongings from moisture.
4.
Be Aware of Scent — We advise our customers to avoid storing items with a
strong scent. This includes candles, potpourri, reed diffusers, laundry
detergent and more. If it’s designed to smell good, it will attract bugs. On
the opposite end of the spectrum, stinky fabrics like dirty clothes and
furniture can also attract vermin. If you must store the good-smelling items,
seal them in airtight plastic bags and containers to deter creatures.
5.
Pack Items in Containers
with Air-Tight Lids — Plastic containers
with air-tight lids work best for protection for fabrics, linens and clothing in
a storage unit. If you prefer to use boxes, it’s advised to buy new cardboard
boxes for use in your storage unit. These new boxes will be stronger and are
less likely to have punctures and gaps where pests can enter than the used, free
boxes you might get from a restaurant or grocery store.
6.
Try Natural Pest
Deterrents — Rather than coming
prepared with poison and traps, consider more natural remedies to deter pests
from entering your storage unit. Be sure to keep the area clean and broom
swept. Put cedar blocks in a bowl on a shelf. Add drops of lavender or
peppermint essential oils to cotton balls to deter pests.
7.
Have Wool Rugs
Professionally Cleaned — We suggest having
your wool rugs professionally cleaned, and then leaving them in their plastic
bags when stored. This gets rids of moths and moth larvae. We’ve had incidents
over the years where units get inundated with moths attracted to someone’s wool
rug.
Visit your storage unit
often in order to catch potential pests and rodents. It’s much easier to remedy
a possible infestation when rodents are caught and addressed quickly. We
recommend you visit your storage unit at least every other month if possible,
in order to inspect your belongings for signs of pest damage. Look for rodent
droppings, the presence of bugs and new holes in your boxes and furniture. If
you notice any of these things, contact management immediately.
At Storage Near Me, we
do our very best to prevent pest and rodent infestations. Our facilities are
cleaned regularly. It’s with the help of our customers that we are able to
provide immaculate storage facilities. Remember to check your furniture and
kitchen items for stray food particles and your mattresses for potential bugs.
We love welcoming customers to clean facilities and with your help we can
continue to provide beautifully maintained storage unit.