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3380 Rustin Street, Sioux City, IA 51105
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June 1, 2023

Things You Should Never Store in a Storage Unit in Sioux City

Learn some things you should never keep in a storage unit, including live animals, toxic materials, explosives, and many more.
You have been looking for convenient ways to declutter your home and found the perfect one—self-storage. After finding the proper storage unit size, it’s time to decide what will go in there. That means carefully assessing your items to know which items are safe for the unit and how to store them safely. At Elite Self Storage, we recommend checking out our resources to provide you with enough information to store your items in an organized and safe method. We also provide valuable tips that will make your work easier. Even though you control access to your storage space alone, some items cannot be stored in your unit at any time. These include:

Live animals

This looks obvious, but many people have overlooked it and stored plants in a storage unit. Storage units are not designed to house living things, including pets and plants. It should go without saying, shouldn’t it? Well, living things require enough supply of air, sun, and nutrients to survive. The tiny, dark, windowless conditions of a storage unit don’t offer this. Therefore, you may want to find alternative spaces for your plants and pets.

Perishables

Perishable items and food should never go into a storage unit. Edibles are attractive food for pests and could cause rodents and insects to invade your unit and damage other items. If you store a perishable item and it rots in there, you will likely have the smell lingering for a long time. You will invite mold and other forms of destruction on your personal property.

Liquids

The main reason why you should keep liquids from your storage unit is to avoid mold growth. If you store a small container with water in your unit, it will be empty after some time. Where do you think the water escapes? The water could escape in the form of vapor and settle in your unit, causing mold and musty smells. Similarly, if a rodent knocks the liquid over, it can cause other damage to the floor and other items stored on the floor.

Explosives

You should never store a corrosive, toxic, flammable, or explosive item in your storage unit. This includes batteries, paint, herbicide, and insecticides. You should also avoid keeping motor oil, fireworks, corrosive and biological waste in your storage unit. Such items require special conditions and plenty of ventilation. Leaving them in a unit that is not climate-controlled can be disastrous in the hot season.

Electronics

Electronics such as TVs can get damaged if you keep them in a storage unit for a long time. Electronics don’t do well in extreme temperatures, and your storage unit can be extremely hot in the summer and extremely cold in winter. If you store electronics, be sure to remove the batteries and wrap the items properly to prevent humidity. At Elite Self Storage, our units are climate controlled to keep your items in constant temperature.

Any items that need to be in a controlled environment

There are so many items you should avoid keeping in your storage unit. When renting our units, you can always enquire about the items you can keep, and our team will be happy to share the list with you. Generally, avoid keeping money, radioactive equipment, non-operational vehicles, ammunition, firearms, and any other illegal item. Find a storage unit that’s right for your needs! Need a storage unit today? Elite self-storage has a solution for you. We have units of all sizes to meet your needs. Contact us today for more information.