What You Can and Can’t Store in a Mobile Storage Unit
*This is a collaborative guest post
Mobile storage is one of the more convenient ways to free up space at home or between moves. A team collects your belongings, loads them into a container, and transports them to a secure facility until you need them back. But before you start packing, it’s worth knowing that not everything is fair game.
Most providers have a clear list of prohibited items, and some of the rules will catch people off guard. Now let’s dive in and see what you can and can’t store, and how to prepare your things properly.
What’s Typically Allowed
The good news is that the majority of household items are fine to put into mobile self storage. Furniture, appliances, clothing, books, bikes, garden equipment, and boxes of general household goods all fall within the permitted category. Larger items like beds, sofas, and white goods are also suitable, provided they’re packed or wrapped correctly.
When it comes to electricals, most providers will accept them, but you’ll want to make sure they’re clean and dry before they go in. Appliances like washing machines, fridges, and dishwashers should be drained of water and left to air out. Leaving residual moisture inside a machine that’s going to sit sealed in a container for weeks is a good way to end up with mould or a bad smell by the time it comes back to you.
What You Can’t Store
Hazardous Materials
This is probably the most straightforward category. Anything flammable, explosive, toxic, or corrosive is not allowed. That includes:
- Petrol, diesel, and other fuels
- Gas canisters and aerosols
- Paints, solvents, and cleaning chemicals
- Ammunition and fireworks
- Pesticides and weedkillers
If you have half-used tins of paint in your garage or a jerry can in the shed, those will need to go elsewhere. Most providers won’t make exceptions here, and for good reason, a sealed storage container is not a safe place for combustible materials.
Food and Perishables
No food should go into a mobile storage unit. Even tinned goods and dry goods are generally prohibited, as they can attract pests. Fresh food and anything perishable obviously can’t go in either. If you’ve been storing dry goods in a kitchen cabinet and that cabinet’s going into storage, empty it out first.
It’s an easy thing to overlook when you’re packing in a hurry, but a mouse or rodent problem in a storage facility can affect other customers’ belongings too, which is why providers are strict about it.
Plants and Animals
Living things aren’t permitted: that covers plants, pets, and anything else that requires air, water, or light to survive. A storage container isn’t designed to sustain life, and most facilities won’t have access to climate control or ventilation sufficient to keep anything alive.
How to Prepare Different Types of Belongings
Furniture
Disassemble what you can. Flat-packed items take up less space and are less prone to damage. Wrap corners and edges with bubble wrap or furniture blankets, and stand items like mattresses and headboards upright rather than flat. Keep heavier boxes at the bottom of the container, with lighter ones stacked on top.
Clothing and Soft Furnishings
Vacuum storage bags are useful here. They compress items down significantly, which saves space and keeps things cleaner during storage. Make sure everything is clean and completely dry before it goes in. Storing damp textiles is a reliable way to get mould.
Fragile Items
Wrap glassware and ceramics individually in paper or bubble wrap, and pack them tightly enough that nothing can shift around inside the box. Label boxes clearly as fragile, and don’t stack heavy items on top of them.
Garden Equipment
Drain any fuel from lawnmowers and power tools before storage. Clean off soil and debris from tools, as this can lead to rust over time. If items have sharp edges: spades, shears, secateurs, wrap the blades or store them in a case.
Wrapping Up
Mobile storage is well-suited to most household and business items, but a few simple rules will keep your belongings in good condition and avoid issues when the container arrives. Never pack food, even tinned or dried goods, and always drain and air out any water-bearing appliances before collection day.
Remove all fuel and chemicals from garden tools and equipment, wrap fragile items individually, and keep a proper inventory of anything valuable. Getting these basics right before collection day will save you a lot of hassle further down the line.
