Are you getting ready for winter storage? That’s always a tricky piece of business; seeing as there are so many things that have to be put away. And yet simultaneously; you’re definitely low on storage space, even if you’ve got a big home. So, what can you actually do to mitigate this issue? Well, you can prepare items for winter storage and put them in climate controlled portable storage, or some other storage solution. However, regardless of what you opt for – there are certain things that you need to know about winter storage preparations. And luckily for you, we’re going to give you all of the information you need to do it correctly right here!
Think about what you want to keep
Before you start thinking about on site storage containers and how to prepare items for winter storage; you need to make another prerequisite decision first. And that’s what you actually want to keep in storage – and what you can realistically get rid of. Let’s be reasonable here; chances are that you don’t really need every single item that you intend to put into a storage unit. And that’s quite normal; most of us don’t want to get rid of our things if we can avoid doing so. There’s always that nagging feeling creeping in the back of your head; maybe you’re actually going to need that? What if you find that you had a use for that item you tossed out a couple of months ago?
In reality, however; that happens quite rarely. That’s why you should make an inventory of all of the stuff. After that, you’ll be able to see if there are any items that can be discarded. And this doesn’t necessarily mean throwing anything out. On the contrary – you can always recycle or donate things that someone else could have a use for. Or, on the other hand – if the items that you don’t want to use anymore are in good condition, you could always sell them?
Protect all of your belongings properly
Once you start to prepare items for winter storage and set them apart; you can also think about some items that you can actually keep outside. However, regardless of whether you’re going to keep something in a storage unit, in your garage, or simply outside; you need to make sure that they have ample coverage and protection from the elements. And yes, this includes even all of the stuff that you’re going to keep indoors. Find some blankets or, ideally, furniture covers. And use them to protect all of your bigger furniture items or appliances from excessive dust. Plus, this will also provide protection against accidental wear and tear.
Storing your lawnmower the right way
There are plenty of garden tools that you need to think about as you prepare items for winter storage. And among those, power tools are especially tricky for storing; such as your lawnmower. So, before you store it – the first thing you need to do is to take out the mower’s spark plug. Then, carefully drain the entirety of the fuel tank; there must be nothing left in your mower once it goes into storage. If you leave gas inside, it will definitely break down and become unusable by the time next spring arrives.
Plus, there’s a chance that the fuel residue could damage the mower over time. You could install a fuel stabilizer; though it’s best to drain the tank in order to be on the safe side. And it’s something you’ll have to do if you’ll be putting the mower inside a long-term storage unit; you aren’t allowed to bring any flammable liquids inside.
Preparing your grill for storage
Unless you happen to hail from one of the states in the South; chances are that your days of looking up grilling recipes will be done once winter rolls around. And if your home is somewhere where winters become particularly snappy; that goes double. That’s why you need to think about your grill while you prepare items for winter storage. After all, leaving it outside will mean exposing it to ice and snow; potentially rendering it unusable in the next couple of months. With that in mind – approach the task of storing your grill for the winter carefully.
The first thing that you need to do is to give your grill the most thorough cleaning yet. The reason for that is simple – there are bound to be food scraps and grease residues all over it. If you don’t find it easy cleaning everything off, try turning the grill on for a dozen minutes. Once it cools down a bit, use aluminum foil wads or soft brushes to clean everything off it; the heat should make that easier to do.
After this, you want to remove the gas tubes and disconnect the tank. Otherwise, keep it connected while covering everything with the best possible protective cover. If you intend to put the girl in storage; remember to remove the propane tank. You can leave it outside in the cold, but make sure that it’s positioned upright and that there aren’t any heat sources nearby.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are plenty of different things to keep in mind while you prepare items for winter storage. And as you can see from the examples of the grill and the lawnmower; each appliance, furniture piece, or bigger item will require different things from you in terms of storage preparations. However, it’s just important to start planning out the process in advance – and crucially, to leave yourself enough time to do everything properly!
