How To Properly Store Books And Magazines

When you store items in a self-storage unit, you need to consider the material they are made so you know how to properly store them. With paper items like books and magazines, you are trying to protect the material while also using the right boxes and preparing them correctly. Here are some tips for storing books and magazines.

Prepare the Books First

Your books should be clean and dust-free before you start packing them up to bring them to storage. Books get dusty over time, especially hard covers, so take a feather duster to them and make sure they are free of dirt and dust. A dry, soft paintbrush is another tool that helps to remove dust. If the books have been sitting in an attic or other dusty place, also open the pages to dust the inside as well. Don't use anything with water or moisture to clean your books and magazines.

Pack Them Properly

Knowing how to pack your books and what boxes to put them in is very important. For a storage unit, plastic storage bins are ideal. They help to keep out moisture and pests, and will be sturdier. While you can use cardboard boxes, you need to make sure they are new. Older boxes don't hold much weight, so you won't be able to store many books in them.

Either way you go, keep testing the weight so you don't try to place too many books in the same bin. Try to keep your magazines stacked in a different box or bin than your books. Only use acid-free tissue paper in the boxes and bins. Never wrap books or other paper items with newspaper.

Get a Climate-Controlled Unit

Paper items can get ruined in a self-storage unit when there is a high level of heat and moisture, including your books and magazines. Unfortunately, regular storage units have a tendency to get hot and humid, which is a terrible environment for these types of items. Whether you are storing valuable comic books or vintage magazines, you don't want them to get ruined. The best thing you can do aside from storing them in the right container is to get a climate-controlled storage unit. You will be able to control the temperature and keep the humidity level down.

Keep the Boxes Off the Ground

If you are storing your books and magazines in cardboard boxes, make sure they are not placed on the ground. If there is a storm with a lot of rain and you have a bottom-floor unit, that water might seep in underneath the door and cause damage to the box, which can then leak inside and damage your books. While plastic bins should preferably not be on the ground either, it isn't as important as when you are using cardboard. A good place to keep the boxes is on top of wooden pallets so they aren't in direct contact with the ground. Contact a company like Grand Central Storage for more information.


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