Baby on the way! How families can use self-storage

Babies bring an incredible number of beautiful moments and completely new situations to a family. The little bundles of joy and their siblings need space for their play paradise, diapers, strollers, child seats, cots and much more. In family planning Self-Storage can help to create enough space for the kids, while not breaking the bank. Here's how it's done.

Storing (siblings’) clothes

Storing well-preserved clothes from older siblings for the planned expanding family, makes sense. Keep the following points in mind:

• Before storing the clothes, make sure you wash them first. It is also important that the clothes are completely dry. If clothes are still damp, they could become moldy.
  
• If clothes are only kept for a short time, because the next winter is around the corner or friends have a baby on the way, simple cardboard boxes are sufficient for storage. If you are planning to store the clothes for a longer period, it is better to use more sturdy boxes. That way, the clothes will be free of dust and moisture.
  
• To have the right clothing at hand for every age, it is a good idea to arrange the clothes according to age. For example, for babies aged 0-9 months, 12 months, 18 months and 24 months.
  
• Extra tip: Washing, packing, storing not only works for baby clothes, but also for your favorite maternity wear
  

Furniture

The cot, the changing table and high chair for the dining table are furniture babies grow out of pretty quickly. They also need space, which we urgently need as soon as the little ones get bigger. To ensure that such baby furniture is well preserved for the second, third and fourth child, they can be stored dry and safe in a placeBox. When storing such furniture, you should keep in mind the following three points:

• To ensure that the changing table looks as good as new even for the fourth child, you should make sure it is kept cleaned and that the wood should is cared for before storing.
  
• In addition, the changing table and the cot should be taken apart. This makes transport easier and helps to prevent scratches. To keep screws and other items from getting lost, they should be attached in small bags to the corresponding furniture.
  
• When loading the furniture into the van and also when storing it in your placeBox you can also use cloths for protection.
  

Children's car seats

Car seats are one of the few children's things that can be stored, but preferably not for a very long time. Children's car seats have an expiration date. Why?

Child seats should be replaced after 6 to 8 years. The belts and the plastic shell of these seats are subject to severe summer and winter temperature fluctuations. The plastic always expands and contracts depending on the temperature. This will cause the seats to become permanently brittle. In addition, car seat manufacturers are constantly developing the materials. Engineers are always trying to attach the child to the car or rather the seat and at the same time to better absorb energy with the materials they use.

Toys

It is amazing how many toys toddlers can accumulate. Every child's birthday attracts thousands of Playmobil figures, books and stuffed animals. Kids love these intimately, playing with them for days, months and maybe even years, but somewhere along the line the day will come that they will eventually get tired of them. This is what we call growing up. Well-preserved toys and favorite toys can be stored hassle-free for their brothers and sisters to play with later on. Again, a few points should be kept in mind.

• As with storing clothes, similar rules apply here. Children's toys should be as clean and dry as possible before storing. The once favorite teddy must be washed first, before storing in a plastic box.
  
• Make sure you remove the batteries of battery-operated toys. If a battery leaks, the toy is no longer usable.
  
• Toys that could become scratched or are sensitive must be wrapped in paper or cloths.
  
• In general, it's best not to overfill the storage boxes. This will prevent toys from breaking and, in addition, light boxes will be easier to transport.