Storage Safety Tips
We’ve spent the last month or so talking about storage safety hazards and how you can avoid them in your closet, garage, attic, and basement. We hope that you’ve been able to reevaluate your storage in these areas and perhaps have even moved some things out of certain spots to keep your home and family safe. At EZ Storage® in Detroit, we’re here to provide affordable self-storage options for anyone who needs them, and we’d love to help you find the right unit for your belongings.
In this post, we’ll take a look at some storage safety tips that you can employ whenever you’re moving things into or out of storage. This can include putting things in a storage unit that you’ve rented, or it can entail moving things from the garage to the house. No matter the situation, it’s important always to be safe!
Ask a Friend or Family Member to Help
If you’re going to be moving heavy items, such as appliances or furniture, into storage, it’s always best to ask a friend or family member to help. It’s never a smart or safe idea to try to move a heavy object on your own, as it can tip over and become damaged, or worse, injure you or someone else. If you have a large moving dolly that’s designed for transporting appliances or furniture, you might be able to wheel the item out of the garage or into the storage unit, but it’s still a good idea to have someone help you load it onto the dolly. It’s often a two-person job to get the item situated so that you can get it onto the dolly and strapped down properly.
Having two people also means that you have two sets of eyes that can look out for hazards, such as items on the floor or things that are in your way. Each of you can be aware of what needs to be moved next, such as the stack of boxes or tubs that are sitting in front of the old refrigerator you want to put into storage.
Borrow a Vehicle
If you only have a small car available to use when transporting items to and from a storage space, it can be tempting to fill the vehicle as full as possible with each trip. While this might save you time, it could lead to other problems such as obstructed rearview mirrors or a car trunk that won’t close. Not only will this put you at risk while driving down the road, it can put others at risk as well. If you don’t securely fasten things to the vehicle, such as items on the roof rack, you could be pulled over and issued a citation.
It’s best to borrow or rent a vehicle that makes transporting your items quick and easy. If a friend has a pickup that they’ve offered to let you borrow, take them up on that offer. You can load more things into the truck bed, and you can tie things down and cover them before you drive to the local storage center. At EZ Storage®, we offer a free* local move-in truck that you can use to transport your belongings. Be sure to ask one of our staff members for details on this service.
Take Your Time
One of the most important things you can do when moving or storing your belongings is to take your time. If you’re trying to get everything moved or stored quickly, or you’re in a hurry because you need to be somewhere at a certain time, you can end up cutting corners and risking your safety. Trying to carry heavy things by yourself so it takes less time can end up with you hurting yourself or dropping the item. Stacking boxes and tubs quickly can result in things tipping over and the items inside getting broken. While you might save yourself a few minutes, the resulting consequences might not be worth it.
Before you begin moving items into or out of storage, think about how much time you have to spend on the task, as well as how much time you think it will take to accomplish everything you need to. If you have an hour before you need to be somewhere, think about how many boxes, tubs, or pieces of furniture you and a friend or relative can reasonably move in that hour. If you have all day, pace yourself and give yourself plenty of time to plan how you’re going to move everything and how it’s going to be stacked and stored once it’s inside your rented unit.
Rent Storage Today
If you’re looking to rent a self-storage unit in Detroit, visit one of our metro-area locations today. We have multiple storage facilities, making it easy to find one that’s close to home. All of our units are available on a monthly basis, which means you don’t have to worry about a long-term lease. You can rent for the time you need and take your things home whenever it works best for you. Once you’ve rented a unit, you can access it on any day of the year.
If you have any questions about our storage solutions, or you want to know more about the facility you’ve rented from, our staff and resident managers are always happy to help. There’s nothing we love more than seeing a satisfied customer, and we want you to feel confident that your belongings are safe and sound with us.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
*At participating locations. Some restrictions apply.