Question from Deborah Barnett
What kind of boxes beside plastic that would be safe for storage items such as clothes etc? I would like to have the kind that atleast has a lid on it to protect from bugs etc if I store in basement.
What would you suggest Debra?
Thanks Debra.
-Deborah Barnett,
Mount Carmel, TN.
Debra’s Answer
Last year I was faced with this very question as I started packing things to move across the country (haven’t moved yet, and these boxes are still in a storage locker).
My concern was how do I pack my things to keep them safe, clean, and dry, but also protect them from any exposures to toxic chemicals they may be exposed to along the way.
I used two types of containers.
One is plastic “big bags”. These are like the little ziplock sandwich bags, but the size of a garbage bag, and have handles. I have used plastic garbage bags in the past, but they are not very durable. They are difficult to keep closed and often rip. These “big bags” are made of a much thicker plastic and designed to be reused and reused, and last for storage. They have no more odor than a sandwich bag as they are made out of the same polyethylene plastic (one of the safer plastics). Two brands I have found are Ziploc Big Bags and Hefty OneZip Big Bags. They come in several sizes. Both were on the shelf at my local Target store. I’ve tried both and infinitely prefer the Hefties. They are a little larger and have a zipper lock instead of the type you have to squeeze together to close, so closing is quick and fast. They are also about 20% larger and cost about 10% less than the Ziplocs. I used these for soft items, like clothing and bedding. Some have been in these bags for six months now, and are completely in the same condition as when I put them in the bags.
For things that need to be stored in boxes, like all my books, we got moving boxes, taped them up, and wrapped each box in plastic food wrap. We got a big roll of food wrap 24″ wide at a local food service store. I also am using some storage-type boxes with lids to pock up project materials that need to stay organized and be accessable at the other end. When I wrap these with the plastic, it keeps lid and box together and keeps the box in good shape for future storage. The first box we wrapped didn’t work well at all. The wrap wouldn’t stay on the box. Then my friend Joyce suggested that we get a roll of Scotch Stretch Wrap (which we easily found at our local Target store). It’s about 6″ wide and on a roll in a hand dispenser. She wrapped it once around the box, then the food wrap had something to stick to. And then once around the box at the end. This produced and nice tight wrap. And for large awkward items that needed protection but didn’t need a box, like my wooden tabletop dictionary stand, she put it in a clear plastic trash bag, then wrapped the stretch wrap around it.
Yes, this is a lot of plastic, but that’s what keeps things dry. We have a lot of humidity here and organic materials like fabrics and paper mold. Moving and storage can expose things to a wide variety of unknowns. Nature designs materials to break down and biodegrade, so when we want to preserve something, these manmade materials are the only way…
