Do you dump all electronics into random boxes and tell yourself you’ll organize them later? Yes, us too. The trouble is, we keep buying new electronics, and then realize that we already have an HDMI cable, or a mouse, or more expensive, we forget we have an old iPhone to trade in!
When it comes to storing electronics, there are some easy things you can do up-front to stay organized and help keep them in good shape while you’re not using them, so that they work when you do need them.
1. Temperature-Controlled / Heated Storage Units
Electronics are actually pretty resilient, but if you have a big screen tv, you should consider putting it into a temperature-controlled storage unit. Some electronics don’t do well in extreme cold or humid temperatures. Temperature controlled self-storage keeps your belongings at a consistent temperature, which is ideal.
2. Group Them…and Group Them Again!
Try and group your cables into one box, computer accessories into another, game consoles into their own, etc. This is a really helpful storage approach because it fully organizes your stored electronics and keeps things that go together, together. You can easily grab what you need when you need it, and best of all, have all the right cables, connectors and adapters, etc. There is nothing worse than going to plug in something only to realize that you misplaced the charger or grabbed the wrong one.
And keeping with that last point, keep the cables or cords that go with your various stored electronics with them, literally. Depending on the device, and its size, using a rubber band around the chords and device may work (don’t go too tight), or using masking tape to affix the cables to the back of the device may be best. This makes it very clear what goes with what.
3. Re-Use Original Packaging
If you have the original packaging for any electronic items you want to store in a storage unit, use them! After all, they were designed specifically for the devices they held. Plus they often come with additional packaging that helps keep electronics safe and secure while inside those boxes.
4. Remove Any Batteries
If you plan on storing your electronics, remove the batteries. Depending on the length of storage, and how humid the storage unit rental gets over the summer months, batteries can and will die, and even worse, they can become corroded and leak. If this happens, they can cause permanent damage to your devices, and anything else that they may be stored along with these. We strongly advise that you safely store batteries at home.
5. Store on Shelves
It depends on what you have, but for some electronics, you might want to consider putting them on shelves. This will help prevent them from ending up at the bottom of a box and getting damaged if another box, especially a heavier box, is stacked on top of it. Also, depending on the type of electronics you are storing, using clear plastic bins on shelves may be an optional solution to consider. Not only will you be able to see your stored electronic items, but it will help keep them together, and prevent your shelving unit from becoming cluttered.
6. Take Pictures
We are big fans of taking pictures of our self-storage unit, and not just because we are proud of how organized we are. The pictures also help you easily locate things and answer the age-old question of “Is it in my unit?”. We’re also a big fan of taking a picture of the more ‘complicated’ electronics with the cables plugged into them before they are unplugged and tucked into storage. Having to figure out how to connect everything the first time was hard enough. Having an image of how things ‘go back to together’ makes things nice and easy.
7. Do You Need to Keep it?
We want our customers to store things they need to keep. If you don’t need to keep your electronics, well, then don’t. Sell them, donate them, recycle them, but don’t pay for self-storage you don’t need. There are so many other great uses for your unit!
Your belongings are safe & secure in a self-storage rental from Storage Solutions! Check out our storage rentals and self-storage facilities by visiting our YouTube channel where we have lots of online tours. You can also check out our sizing & pricing page to help you figure out the right sized storage unit to rent.
Need or want personalized help with self-storage? Contact us!
And don't forget to check out the discounts on self-storage we’re offering at our Milton self-storage facility, Woodstock self-storage facility, and Ayr self-storage facility.
For more helpful tips, tricks, advice, and a good laugh, keep up with our blog and like or follow us on Instagram & Facebook.
Your friend in self-storage,
Storage Solutions
