UKC

I'm putting the contents of my flat into long term storage, 8 months minimum. Trying to get tips on best way to look after clothes and books. 

The unit I am looking at is non climate controlled shipping container, with air vents for air to circulate.

I was hoping that storing items in heavy duty plastic bags inside cardboard or plastic boxes would be OK, but looking online I have seen some tips saying do not seal in plastic.

Anyone with experience care to advise?

The little silica gel desiccant bags that absorb water that you find in various packaged things e.g. a covid test - you can buy a big bag of them and chuck them around the things you are storing. If you're worried about damp that might help.

Vacuum seal bags for the clothes as well perhaps. 

Some notes about their use on here, no idea if it's a good supplier or anything

https://www.kitepackaging.co.uk/scp/protection-and-wrapping/silica-gel/

Is the container outside? If so it'll be very damp, cold metal is classic for creating damp on the inside unless it's got some forced air through it. 

Yes, thats what I'm looking at. Thats the cheapest, but obvioulsy not worth it if my clothes/books are going to be ruined in one winter. I was hoping this would be OK if properley wrapped? The company did assure me that their units are used for domestic/household storage.

I have stored, and continue to do so, books, clothes and other belongings under a veranda, exposed to temperature change but protected from water, for almost a decade. Nothing damaged so far. 

I packed the stuff away in summer (dry air, dry belongings) into bin bags, inside cardboard boxes which themselves were sealed, air tight, in two bin bags each. The whole stack is on pallets and under a tarp. A royal pain when I need to get something out.

The ideas you have and that others have shared seem just as workable. Clean, dry, protected is the key.

I'd be wanting to make sure that any used clothing is thoroughly washed and dried to remove any oily residues before sealing in vacuum packs prior to storage

They might be ok, plastic sealed boxes, as full as possible, so there is very little air to cool and create condensation inside. 

I've had an issue with clothes just in a bag in a wardrobe getting musty and horrible (room is a bit damp and wardrobe is I'll ventilated). I'd definitely take those extra steps - saying they take household stuff may just mean furniture. 

We used a container for about 3 months a few years ago. Mostly in normal cardboard boxes.

No ill effects, this was winter though and no extremes of temperature.

I'd suggest, if you have any other options, family or friends to look after your things, take them. I had belongings in storage for 5 months it's very expensive. .After that life changed and all the expensive stuff, white goods etc were sold. I made about a quarter of the storage expenses.

I think you'll be ok. We usually leave books and fabric items in the caravan over the winter and that is, to all intents and purposes, a metal box out in the open. Albeit a bit better insulated. 

I'd still take Swigs advice with the silica gel packets and take it one step further by adding a couple of these. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AERO-Ultra-Absorbent-Dehumidifier-Condensation-Rec...

Keep the air vents clear and space your items out as much as possible to allow air to circulate.

Also make sure you keep anything that can be affected by damp away from the walls as they may run with condensation. 

Moisture is your enemy.  Store with desiccant inside vacuum sealed bags to reduce the available moisturise and then give it somewhere else to go. For the clothes make them as dry as possible before storage.  For the book, make sure some don’t compress others by packing them carefully and with good use of load spreaders or bubble wrap.

Thanks all, lots of really helpful info.

Too much stuff to impose on family or friends. I agree some quotes were really expensive, but I have  found a good deal on the storage unit after some searching around. Prices in some parts of the country are 1/3 that of the south east. 

I’m half way through a ~2 year stint away. After seeing the cost of storage, all the books and clothes which we decided we could face losing are in bin bags stuffed underneath the suspended floor of our flat. Probably providing luxurious accomodation for the mice and rats.

I have been living in south wales, but also have connetions around Oxford, I have been getting quotes for storage units in both areas, for 150 square foot around oxford prices are up to £100 per week, for the same size in south wales I have managed (after shopping around) to get one for £100 per month!

Not much use if you need to access your stuff regularly but could be a substantial saving for medium/long term stotage.

Hi Martin

I've put my stuff in storage for 6 months in the past, just in  re-used cardboard boxes and clothes in bin bags, sofa's and matrasses open in the container.

We made sure that there was an airflow between everything and away from the steel walls and we had no problems.

Have fun in Antartica!