If you want to rent a self storage unit so your belongings can be stored long-term, then you want your items to remain in great condition throughout the entirety of the storage period. Making sure the storage unit is completely closed off, sealed, and locked is the first step to ensuring that your belongings are not damaged by pests or weather. However, you need to also protect your items from the formation of mold. This may be more difficult, but there are a few things you can do to try to reduce mold growth as much as possible.

Remove Mold Spores

Mold spores are almost everywhere, both inside and outside the home, and they float through the air and attach themselves to objects as they land. There are over 100,000 types of mold. Thankfully, most of these molds are completely harmless. They will still stain and destroy your items though. One of the best ways to prevent this from happening is to make sure there are very few mold spores on the items you pack.

Killing Mold on Fabrics

If you are storing clothes, then you can use heat to kill mold. Mold spores will only grow in certain temperature ranges, and most mold spores will remain dormant until the environment reaches an ideal temperature. However, very low and very high temperatures will kill the spores completely. Different mold varieties will die at different temperatures, and the temperature needs to exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit if you want to use heat to kill the mold.

Your dryer can reach temperatures as high as 135 degrees Fahrenheit, so make sure to place all of your clothing in your dryer for about 60 minutes. The temperature level as well as the duration of the heat being forced against the fabrics will kill most of the mold spores. Make sure to place your clothing into a storage container immediately afterwards, so new mold spores are unlikely to attach to the fabrics.

Other Objects

If you want to get rid of mold spores that sit on other types of objects that you want to store, then consider cleaning them with mold killing cleaners. Bleach and vinegar both work well to kill mold. If your items can withstand bleach, then place one-quarter cup of bleach in one gallon eof water and use a sponge to clean the item. Bleach will kill mold spores immediately, so you can rinse the item with water after cleaning and dry it as well. 

If you cannot use bleach, then use vinegar instead. Fill a spray bottle half the way with vinegar and fill the rest of it with water. Spray your item with the vinegar mixture. Vinegar will not kill mold spores on contact. It takes a few minutes for the vinegar to work, so allow the solution to sit on each item for about 30 minutes. Rinse and dry them afterwards and immediately store your belongings.

Use the Right Storage Containers

Once your items are ready to be stored after mold spores are removed or killed, you will need to place your items in storage contains. However, certain types of containers and materials can encourage mold growth. This can cause mold spores to reach the interior of your storage containers after the exteriors are used as a food source for the mold. Mold can use any organic material as a food source. This means that natural items will be susceptible to the formation of mold. Mold likes to feed on cellulose in particular, and this material can be found in abundance in paper, cotton, hemp, and other plant-based products. This means that you should stay away from storing items in some sort of paper or natural fabric storage bins. These types of containers are breathable as well, and this allows oxygen to feed mold spores that may be present.

Instead of using paper or cloth bins, use plastic ones instead. Mold spores cannot use plastic as a food source, and the containers can be sealed tight so that oxygen cannot get inside. 

For more information, contact a company like Tysons Self Storage.