Packing Guide
1. Distribute Weight Evenly
At Cache Depot, we take great care in ensuring the safety of your items while in storage. One important aspect of this is ensuring that boxes, bins, and bags are packed in a way that distributes weight evenly. Packing boxes or bins too heavily can result in damage to the containers and can make them difficult and unsafe to move. It can also lead to injury for our team members who lift and stack your items. To avoid these issues, we recommend that you pack your items strategically.
Here are some helpful tips to ensure that your items are packed safely and securely:
1. Avoid packing all your heavy items in one box or bin.
2. Mix heavy items with lighter ones, such as clothes or bedding.
3. Place heavier objects close to the center of the box or bin to reduce the risk of damage.
4. Disassemble large furniture pieces and pack the pieces in multiple boxes or bins to distribute the weight.
It's important to note that boxes or bins weighing 80lbs or more will incur a $25 Heavy Item Fee. However, thoughtful packing can reduce the risk of damage and save you money in the long run.By packing your items carefully, you can help us ensure that your belongings remain safe and secure while in storage.
2. Protect Your Items Inside Boxes
It's better to err on the side of caution and over-protect your items. When packing your boxes, please consider the following suggestions:
1. Use towels, blankets, bed sheets, newspaper, bubble wrap, or other cushioning materials to protect fragile items such as picture frames, mugs, dishes, electronics, alarm clocks, and other delicate items.
2. Ensure that the items inside the box are secure and cannot move around.
3. Use additional cushioning materials like towels, blankets, bed sheets, clothing, or crumpled newspaper to fill any open spaces. For electronics like monitors, TVs, and computers, use their original boxes and packaging if possible.
4. The original packaging from the manufacturer is usually the best method to ensure their safety during transportation and storage.
While we take every precaution to ensure your items are handled with care, Cache Depot is not liable for any damage or derangement to fragile items, cosmetic damage to items, or damage to fragile items like glassware or electronics. It is important to pack your items securely and properly to avoid damage during transportation and storage.
3. Label and Seal Your Boxes
Label Your Items
At Cache Depot, we want to make sure your items are easily identifiable and properly tracked. To ensure this, we kindly ask you to label your items clearly with your full name and contact information.
When packing your boxes and bins, please use a permanent marker to write your full name and contact information on the top and at least one side of the box. This will help us to quickly and easily identify your items.
For your stand-alone items, such as suitcases or bags, we recommend using self-adhesive sticker labels or luggage tags that will not fall off. Make sure to include your full name and contact information on the label or tag.
We also suggest adding an additional label or tag that indicates the contents of the box or item, as this will make it easier for you to find what you're looking for once you retrieve your items from storage.
Taking the time to label your items properly will help us to efficiently track and manage your belongings, and ensure that they are returned to you promptly and securely.
Seal and Secure
Ensuring that your boxes are properly sealed and secure is crucial for the safety of your items during storage. When constructing and sealing your boxes, we recommend applying tape liberally to both the top and bottom of the box to reinforce and secure it.
To seal your boxes effectively, use at least three strips of tape for each side, covering any areas of vulnerability with extra tape. Avoid using masking tape or string as they may not be strong enough to hold the box for the long term. Once you have sealed the box, test its seal by picking it up and moving it around to make sure it is secure.
4. Protect Stand-Alone Items
Protecting your stand-alone items is crucial when it comes to storage. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
Consider these tips for protecting your items:
Skis and Snowboards:
Use a dedicated ski or snowboard bag or wrap them with moving blankets and tape to prevent damage, especially on the base or edges. When storing skis, ensure that both skis are wrapped together using ski straps or tape. Please note that we are not responsible for any scratches or damage caused to fragile items like skis and snowboards during transport.
Mattresses and Mattress Toppers:
We require all mattresses to be sealed in a proper mattress bag. Mattress toppers must also be sealed in a bag. If you're storing a mattress topper, seal it with a properly sized mattress bag or heavy-duty garbage bag.
Bed Frames:
Disassemble your bed frame, fold it, and tape all the pieces securely together. Keep any screws or bolts separately in a secure bag to avoid losing them during moving.
Drawers & Bins:
When storing drawers or bins, tape the doors and lids shut to prevent them from opening and closing. Make sure anything inside the drawers and bins is firmly packed and secured to prevent shifting or damage.
Electronics, TVs, & Monitors:
When packing TVs or monitors, it's best to use the original manufacturer's packaging. If you no longer have the original packaging, carefully pack them into a properly sized box and protect them with foam, moving blankets, and bubble wrap. Please note that we are not responsible for any damage to delicate items like electronics, TVs, and monitors.
Carpets & Rugs:
Roll up your carpets and rugs tightly and tape them in multiple places to secure them. Wrap them in plastic to prevent dust and dirt from collecting on them.
Lamps:
Remove the light bulbs and cover the lampshade with a plastic bag. Wrap the lamp in a moving blanket or towel and secure it with tape to prevent damage.
Suitcases & Luggage:
Make sure your suitcases and luggage are properly zipped up, locked, or securely taped to prevent the contents from spilling. If your suitcase has any damage, make the necessary repairs, such as patching holes or cracks with duct tape.
While we make every effort to handle your items with care, Cache Depot is not liable for any damage or derangement to items.
5. Ensure Cleanliness
At Cache Depot, we want to ensure that your items remain in good condition and are free from dirt, stains, and bacteria. To achieve this, we kindly ask that you clean and disinfect your items before your drop off appointment.
Please consider the following tips when cleaning your items:
1. Use a damp cloth, disinfecting wipe, or feather duster to clean, wipe, and dust off your items.
2. Remove dirt, build-up, and stains with soapy water and a brush, sponge, cloth, or towel.
3. Disinfect your items with disinfecting wipes, alcohol wipes, or sanitizing products.
4. Wash clothing, bedding, towels, and sheets with laundry detergent.
5. Vacuum, beat, and wash pillows, bedding, carpets, and rugs outdoors to remove built-up dirt and dust.
Cleaning your items is not only important for their condition but also helps prevent the transmission of viruses and bacteria to our employees, clients, and others. For this reason, we reserve the right to reject any items that are of poor cleanliness.
6. Fridges and Freezers
When storing a fridge, it's crucial to take the proper steps to avoid damage caused by ice and frost build-up, water leakage, and mold and mildew growth. To ensure your fridge stays in good condition during storage, please follow these guidelines:
1. Unplug your fridge at least 2 days before your scheduled drop off date.
2. Remove all contents from the fridge and freezer, and wipe down the interior and exterior with a dry cloth.
3. Make sure the fridge is completely defrosted and dry to prevent water leakage.
4. Secure loose items such as shelving or ice cube trays inside your fridge by taping them down, to prevent them from shifting around and causing damage.Tape the door shut so the door does not swing open unexpectedly.
5. Neatly roll up, bundle, and tape the power cord to the empty space at the bottom of the back of the fridge, behind the cooling coils so it is not in the way or dangling on the ground.
We reserve the right to refuse refrigerators that have not been unplugged for a minimum of 2 days prior to storage and properly dried out. Make sure your fridge is completely defrosted and completely dry to ensure that we can store it safely. Fridges that are later discovered to be wet in storage are subject to a $50 Unthawed/Wet Fridge fee, automatically charged to your account.
7. What You Can Store
At Cache Depot, we specialize in the storage of a wide variety of items. Items that we CANNOT store and are prohibited include:
Food, perishable items, dry foods, or items made of edible ingredients (e.g. rice, flour, pet food, edible decorations, etc.)
Liquids (e.g. liquid food or drinks, liquid cleaning supplies, liquid care products, etc.)
Flammable materials and liquids, or items that could explode or cause fire
Any illegal substances, drugs, or illegal items or goods illegally obtained
Firearms, explosives, weapons or ammunition
Hazardous, toxic or radioactive goods, biological agents, harmful chemicals, powder, or materials
Pollutants, contaminated goods, asbestos or other materials of a potentially dangerous nature
Cash or securities, coins, precious stones, jewelry, antiques, fine art, or high-value items
Animals, birds, fish, or any other living creatures
Waste or other items which do or could emit any fumes, smell or odor
Extremely fragile items
Certain large appliances, large furniture, and vehicles
Items of poor cleanliness
While we make every attempt to ensure your items are handled with care, Cache Depot is not liable for any damage or derangement to Fragile Items, cosmetic damage to items, damage to fragile items such as glassware or electronics, as well as damage that occurs due to improper or poor packing, overpacking, or poor quality of items or containers.
We have the right to reject any items that do not comply with our standards, are improperly packed, or are of poor cleanliness. If you have items of a unique nature, please contact us to ensure that we can store them, as well as to ensure you follow the proper steps to pack and protect your items.