Storage Guide for a College Student

If you’re in college, it’s likely that you’ve hauled quite a bit of stuff from home into your new dorm or apartment. When the school year is over and it’s time to head out for the summer, you probably won’t want to have to take all of those things with you. What’s the solution? Get a storage unit for the summer! Using self-storage is the perfect way to minimize what you have to take back and forth, while making sure you have what you need when school starts back up in the fall.

What kind of storage unit will you need? Storage units can typically hold at least one room full of furniture. For students living in two or three-bedroom apartments, a larger unit may be a better option. Which size unit will you need? A 5’ by 5’ storage space is perfect for holding a loveseat, boxes, and home décor, while a 5’ by 10’ unit will hold a sofa or twin bed, along with some smaller furnishings and décor. You should also consider a climate-controlled storage unit, especially if you’re storing clothing, papers, or furniture. This will protect your furniture from the elements, as well as mold and mildew.

No matter what you are storing while you’re away, make sure it’s packed correctly.

• Furniture: Disassemble what you can, and pack small things in larger things when you can’t. For instance, take apart a bed frame, but store small objects in your dresser drawers. When storing a mattress, wrap it in two fitted sheets or store it in a plastic mattress bag to protect it.
• Kitchen items: If you have pots and pans, glass or plastic storage containers, dishes, glasses, and silverware, there’s no need for you to bring those things back home with you. Instead, store your kitchen for the summer. Put fragile items in boxes lined with bubble wrap or packing paper, wrapping breakables carefully and storing heavier items on the bottom. Put extra filling material in the tops of the boxes, so that you can stack them without the risk of breaking any of their contents.
• Bedding: You probably have bedding that was purchased specifically for your room at college, especially if you live in the dorm. There’s no need to carry those things home and try to find a place for them in your parents’ house over the summer. Instead, pack your comforters, sheets, blankets, and extra pillows in large boxes and store them while you’re away. Don’t pack anything made of cloth in plastic bags, because moisture can become trapped in the bags and cause mildew.
• Books and school supplies: These supplies can be bulky, so they’re best left behind when you leave campus. Consider selling any books you won’t need in the future, but keep everything you will need next year in a self-storage unit. Use small, sturdy boxes to pack books, and place them in the box horizontally, never vertically, because storing them vertically can damage their spines.
• Seasonal clothing: Heavy winter coats, gloves, and hats will be of no use to you over your summer vacation. Instead of weighing yourself down with unnecessary clothing, wash or dry clean it carefully and pack it up until you need it again. Clear, plastic boxes are great for preventing damage to your clothing while it’s stored, or you can use wardrobe boxes, designed specifically for hanging clothes.
• Sports equipment: If you play a winter sport and will need your gear at school, you can leave it when you go home for the summer. Sporting goods can be expensive, so pack everything carefully, making sure not to damage breakable items and securing everything in appropriate containers. As with all the other things you store, take care to clean your sports equipment before you pack it away for the summer.

Especially if your hometown is far from where you go to school, leaving things in self-storage can help lighten your load and make moving off and back onto campus go more smoothly. When you’re ready to find a great self-storage facility, choose Pouch Self Storage. We’ve been operating mini-storage facilities since 1979 and we’re committed to keeping our clients’ belongings safe. Founded by John Yelland, who hails from Australia, Pouch Self Storage is named in honor of the kangaroo’s pouch- nature’s safe and secure storage spot. We’re an industry leader in design, building, and maintenance of self-storage facilities, and we strive to give our occupants the most advanced security systems available. At our nine Southern California facilities, you’ll find state-of-the-art computer monitoring systems that allow our self-storage managers to monitor the opening and closing of every storage unit door, 24 hours a day. For more information, call (800) 378-4598 or contact us through our website.