The new school year is fast approaching. Soon, your last child will head off to college and you will officially be an empty-nester. Now it's time to figure out what to do with the extra space. The first thing you'll have to do is clear out your kid's belongings. You don't want throw everything away. You just want to move it out of the house to make room for your things. That's where a storage unit comes in. Renting a storage unit will allow you to pack up your kid's belongings and tuck them safely away until they're needed again. To make sure your kid's belongings stay safe while in storage, here are two simple tips you can follow.

Protect Against Moisture Damage

If you're going to be placing wood furniture in the storage unit, you want to make sure that moisture doesn't become a problem. One way to do that is to cover up all the wood. This will allow you to properly cover each item before moving on to the next. Here's what you'll need to protect your kids wood furniture while it's in storage.

Supplies You'll Need

• Soft cloth
• Old blankets
• Plastic sheeting
• Duct tape

Directions

1. Use your soft cloth to wipe dust off the furniture.
2. Place an old blanket over the furniture.
3. Place plastic sheeting over the blanket.
4. Wrap a strip of duct tape around the exterior of the furniture to secure the plastic sheeting.
5. Repeat the process on each piece of wood furniture.

Prevent Pest Problems

Pests can cause a real problem inside storage units. Even if the storage facility provides pest control services, rodents and roaches can still find their way inside your unit. Unfortunately, if you're storing important papers – such as your kids old schoolwork – mice and roaches can wreak havoc. To protect your kid's belongings, make sure you provide your own pest control methods inside the unit.

Rodent Control

To protect against rodent infestation, you should place mouse traps or bait boxes in each corner of the unit. Be sure to place them in areas that are easily accessible. You don't want a dead mouse in a corner that you can't get to.

Roaches

The easiest way to prevent roach infestations is to apply a strip of roach bait along the edges of your storage unit. The roaches will eat the bait and take it back to their nest.

Your kids are leaving for college. You can finally have that den you've always wanted. The steps provided here will help you keep your kids belongings safe while in storage.

For more information, contact a professional in your area or visit a website like http://www.storageinphila.com.