1. General Tips
2. Pack Your Storage Unit Carefully
3. Packing Tips for Specific Items
4. Do You Need Insurance?
5. Prohibited Goods

General Tips

• The better you pack your personal items, the better condition they will be in when you unpack them!
• Get a big enough storage unit so you can leave a walkway to get to things in the back when you need them. You don't want to have to move half your things out in order to get to something in the back.
• If you choose cardboard boxes for storage, use clean, new ones to pack your possessions. Old cardboard can be a breeding ground for insects that you don't want mixed in with your possessions, and damp cardboard can mildew.
• We highly recommend plastic bins for storage! They allow you to see what is inside, and, if packed and stacked well, they won't collapse or mildew! At Gold Key Storage, we provide new boxes in all the right sizes to meet your moving and storage needs.
• Use empty drawers in furniture you may be storing to pack away knick-knacks and other small items.
• It really helps to label boxes so you know what is in them later.
• DO NOT pack heavy items together in one large box. It will likely be too heavy to lift.

At Gold Key Storage, we sell boxes in a large variety of sizes, some with special functions (lamp boxes, golf bag boxes, etc.)

Pack your Storage Space Carefully
Packing and stacking carefully will minimize the amount of space you'll need and prevent damage. Place frequently used items near the door and valuables in the rear of the unit. Pack heavy items in small boxes to make them easier to carry and place them on the bottom of stacks to prevent any damage to your belongings. Try to leave room to get to the back of the unit in case you need items stored there.

Packing Tips for Specific Items
Books and Documents
Pack books flat to protect their spines. Use packing materials, old shirts, clean towels or newspaper to fill out voids in the boxes. Do not pack fragile items in the same box with books and don't overload.

Appliances
We recommend cleaning food residue off stoves and other appliances before storing. Refrigerators and freezers should be thoroughly dry and stored with doors slightly ajar. Some things can also be stored inside and on top of large appliances.

Bicycles and other metal items
Wipe metal parts with a rag containing a few drops of machine oil to retard rust.

Bedding, clothing, curtains, drapes and linens
Clothing, curtains and drapes are best stored on hangers. You can purchase wardrobe boxes for clothes in any of our three convenient store locations. If the items cannot be hung, they should be carefully folded and stored in cedar chests, dresser drawers or cardboard cartons along with bedding and linens.

Dishes and glassware
Place a layer of padding inside the bottom and at the top of boxes containing dishes and glassware. Ideally these items should be stored in a specifically designed dish pack box (available at Gold Key Storage facilities). All glass items should be individually wrapped and placed near the top of cartons. Nest cups and bowls and stand plates, saucers and platters on edge. Fill all pockets with packing materials. Label boxes containing dishes and glassware, and do not place heavy items on top of them.

Furniture
Some furniture legs can easily be removed from many tables so they take up less space. Wrap table legs in paper or old towels to protect them. Stand sofas and mattresses on end, but keep upholstery off the floor. Most lightweight chairs can be stacked "seat to seat" or placed upside down on tables that cannot be disassembled. Finally, place a light cotton dust cover (e.g., a bed sheet) over your furniture — or dust covers can be purchased in our store.

Holiday decorations
If possible, save the original cartons that contained delicate ornaments and pad the ornaments with packing paper or newsprint. Wrap strings of lights around a piece of cardboard before placing in a carton to keep them from getting tangled.

Lamps
Wrap large lamps and place them in boxes and pack delicate lampshades separately. Do not use newspaper to wrap lampshades or any other goods that may be damaged by ink stains. We have clean, blank newsprint for sale in the store.

Mirrors, windows and screens
Store these items on edge, not flat.

Tools
Metal tools should be cleaned and wiped with a rag containing a few drops of machine oil to retard rust. Long-handled tools such as rakes, shovels and hoes should be clean, lightly oiled and tied in bundles.

Insure Your Possessions in Storage
The items you place in storage are your sole responsibility. Check with your insurance carrier to see if your homeowner's or renter's insurance covers items in storage. They are not insured by Gold Key Storage, although we do offer storage insurance through a third-party company for a nominal cost. Remember, if it's worth storing, it's worth insuring.

Prohibited Storage Goods
Common sense and state laws determine what may be stored. You alone control access to your storage space. Therefore, never store live animals, perishables, liquids, explosives, flammable liquids and fuels, toxic materials, or other items that need a controlled environment. We require you to drain the fuel from gasoline engines before storing in one of our units.