The Hidden Health Hazards of At-Home Storage
Everyone has a "that one spot" somewhere in their house. You know the one I'm talking about; it's probably the attic, basement, or garage. Do you still have a "that one spot" after getting your basement kind of clean? You know you have one in the garage if it's packed with boxes and if the last time you tried to get something out, you hit a box that fell right down on top of you. In the basement, every inch is taken up by storage bins.
Not in the strictest sense.
Letting things sit in your home for months—or years—on end can morph into more than just a clutter problem. It can become a health hazard. Poor storage conditions in your home can put your health (and your belongings) at risk, from mold and pests to fire and air quality issues. That's where self-storing your stuff comes in as a smart, clean, and secure solution.
- Mold & Mildew Love an Unused Corner
Your attic or basement might seem like a good place to put all those boxes, but they are often humid and poorly ventilated. Over time, moisture builds up. And that’s when mold and mildew really start to thrive, creating a space that is not only harmful to your possessions but also harmful to your family’s respiratory health. Mold and mildew are known to release all sorts of allergens and other toxins into the air. And get this: Even if your attic and basement are immaculate, any space in your home can be affected if mold and mildew are allowed to run rampant in the areas where you do keep boxes.
SpareBox Storage provides storage facilities where the climate is controlled, allowing not only the temperature but also the humidity to be kept in check. Such facilities are almost a necessity if you want to store anything remotely valuable for an extended period of time. Humidity, if you allow it, has this way of creeping into every nook and cranny, and it does so in a way that is almost undetectable until it is too late.
- Rodents and Insects Find Their Way In
Mouse, roach, and termite havens are what garages, crawl spaces, and sheds tend to be. The pests are attracted to the undisturbed boxes, the warm hiding spots (we hope none of them has found our insulation), and the soft materials. And any that get in almost certainly will not hold up their end of a good guest with a peaceable, clean cohabitation agreement. They are more likely to carry in all manner of microbiological baggage.
We maintain our self-storage units to keep them clean and pest-free. To do this, we seal the units, as well as the doors, very tightly to keep out pests of all kinds. That way, only people with the right key can get inside. Not even mice and bugs can get in!
- Dust, Debris, and Air Quality Concerns
Piling items in your house for months results in dust accumulation that can set off allergies and affect the quality of the air indoors. Even cardboard boxes can break down over time, sending particulates into the air.
At a well-preserved SpareBox Storage venue, your things are housed in a cleaner, more regulated surrounding—so you’re not inadvertently undermining your domicile’s wellness in the pursuit of additional square footage.
- Fire Hazards from Forgotten Items
Fire risk increases from old electronics, cardboard boxes near water heaters, or clutter blocking electrical panels. After several months, it's easy to forget what's in those piles—making it hard to recognize hazards and to remember conversations around spotting and stopping safety risks.
Not only does a secure storage unit clear space, but it also removes potential risks from your living space.
Conclusion: Don’t Let Clutter Compromise Your Health
Allowing things to accumulate in the residence may seem like the path of least resistance, but it can create serious problems after a while. Shunting things off into a handy, climate-controlled spare-box storage unit of sorts, won't just keep those things secure and even the most delicate, long-haul, preservation-worthy items in a all-but-sure-to-be condition. It'll keep your place—the place that's the most intimate an environmental control agency is ever going to get—in spick-and-span condition. It'll let the place breathe easy. It'll give you peace of mind.
Remove disarray without wrecking your health. Put things away in a way that preserves your peace of mind. And let your lungs do their job without interruption.