If your employer is sending you overseas to work on a long-term project, then it is important that you pack your self-storage unit in such a way that eliminates the possibility of damage to your belongings. One form of damage you may not otherwise think of is the damage that is caused by offensive smells and odors.

To prevent damage from odors and smells in your storage unit, follow these tips:

Ensure the Storage Unit is Clean Before You Start

Before you start to place your items into your storage unit, first take a moment and sweep it out and sniff around to see if there are any lingering odors from the belongings of the previous renter. A good sweep will remove any mold spores and dust from the unit. If you smell lingering offensive odors like pet urine, then you can ask to move to a different storage unit.

Store All Appliances with Open Doors

Since the rubber and plastic parts of appliances are porous materials and can absorb odors, you should always store appliances with their doors open. The open doors will allow air to circulate around the appliances and will keep them smelling fresh while in storage. You can also place newspapers or a bowl of baking soda inside of your appliances to add an additional layer of storage unit odor prevention.

Store All Textiles Dry and in Sealed Containers

While you may be tempted to wash all of your clothing and then place it in plastic tubs or boxes for long-term storage, instead, you should wash and dry your clothing well before your move to ensure that everything is completely dry before packing it away. This will prevent smells caused by mold and mildew. You should also wash and dry other textiles prior to your move and ensure that they are also stored while completely dry and in sealed containers to prevent smells from dust.

Provide Ample Descants and Odor Absorbents in Your Storage Unit

Finally, to keep your storage unit from developing issues from smells or excess moisture, you should place containers that have descants and odor absorbents inside of them. Some of the best items that you can use include:

• clay cat litter
• baking soda
• charcoal

In addition, using lots of newspaper as packing material will help to stave off offensive storage unit odors because the paper will absorb smells into its paper fibers.

For more information about storage and other tips, contact a local storage facility, such as Northgate Mini Storage.