Halloween. For just one month of the year, Utah homes become graveyards, monster’s lairs, and haunted houses. Whether you go for the creepiest of scary sights designed to frighten even the toughest teenager or the cutest little delights for small kids to enjoy, Halloween decorations take up a lot of space. With so few weeks for display, why store all these tricks and treats at your house, taking up valuable room on your property? Here are some ideas for storing all your chill-inducing accoutrements off site.
Get a unit that’s temperature controlled. If you have expensive Halloween items, you’ll want to make sure they’re kept at a regulated temperature. Fog machines, battery operated figures and displays, and wood coffins or headstones will fare much better in a temperature-controlled unit. Prolong the life of your dead displays with the right storage solution.
Use décor for packing. A lot of Halloween décor includes rags, fabric, or spider web material. Use this to help pack up fragile items. Halloween napkins or hand towels make great packing padding for glass and delicate objects. Also keep any paper or plastic bags the store provides when buying a new item – this can also be used to wrap around the ghoulish goods.
Get boxes and bins that are durable. Totes that will last for years are the best for storage in general. Make sure they keep moisture out—a little water left in a box can become a big mold problem. If you open up a box to a layer of mold, that’s far scarier than the scary contents themselves. Clear totes are best because you can see inside, but it’s still wise to write with a sharpie on duct tape what’s stored in each one. Clearly label your boxes and stack them neatly with heaviest items on the bottom.
Remove batteries before storing. Batteries left in your zombie or jumping spider will deplete the battery and can cause corrosion. Over time, the corrosion can render the item unusable. You can remove the batteries and tape them onto the decoration itself or get a battery case designed for long-term storage and keep it close to your battery-operated items.
Don’t forget the cookware and serving items. Your kitchen is used daily and there’s no need to have a bunch of Halloween-specific dishes and serving ware taking up a lot of space. Create a tote just for entertaining goods where all the kitchen and food specific items can go. Often, these goods are stashed away in the back of a cupboard in the kitchen and forgotten about when stored like this. In a purposeful bin with all the other decorations, these items will be easier to find next haunting season.
Find a facility that is safe and convenient. Storing your Halloween décor offsite is only going to be helpful if you’re not worried about the safety of your items and if it’s not a hassle to go retrieve your décor when you want. Choose a facility that is honest and secure, with options for whatever size unit you need.
