If you are thinking about storing musical instruments for a longer period, you cannot just chuck them in a box, put them in a storage unit and forget about them. Musical instruments are delicate, sensitive and usually very valuable. And they need special care and attention, especially when storing for longer periods. Of course, the state of your instruments will also depend on the state of the storage facility where you will keep them. If you decide to keep them in a cheap storage facility with moist and pest issues, you cannot hope that your items will survive for long. Storage units Sanford NC, on the other hand, will offer perfect protection for your instruments. But you will still have to put some effort in preparing and packing them. Here is how to do it properly.
Find an appropriate and well-maintained storage facility for storing musical instruments
Before you start packing and preparing your musical instruments for storage it would be smart to look for an appropriate storage facility. Storing musical instruments in an unreliable and not very well maintained storage facility is a good way to stay without your precious items.
Musical instruments are usually made from materials sensitive to moist, like wood or metal. And they can deteriorate quickly is they are stored in an unsuitable place. Therefore, take some time and make sure that the storage facility in which you are planning to keep them is well maintained, moist and pest free. Of course, there are other dangers that are lurking inside storage units, but these are the most common.
Visit the storage facility before you decide to rent a unit
Looking for an appropriate storage facility is not so complicated. There are dozens of facilities in every city in the US. And they all look decent enough, especially online. The trick is to visit them in person before you decide to rent a unit.
Things to prepare before you start preparing musical instruments for storage
Preparing musical instruments for storage requires some knowledge, suitable packing materials and maintaining products. Of course, it all depends on the type of instruments you are storing and the materials from which they are made. Some musical instruments, like the piano, for example, also need to be disassembled before storing and moving. Piano movers NC will be of great help in that case. And hiring professional help could be the answer you are looking for. But that will cost you, and the work required is not that difficult. Here is what to prepare:
- Instrument hard case is the central part of your packing assembly for storing musical instruments.
- You could also use soft cases
- Plastic containers
- Cardboard boxes
- Moving blankets
- Cotton cloths
- Acid-free tissues
- Special cleaning cloths for musical instruments
- Vacuum cleaner
Clean your musical instruments before storing them
The first thing to do when storing musical instruments is to clean them. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust. But be careful while you are doing this. Vacuum cleaners can damage the instrument if you are not cautious. Then use the clean cloth to clean it. If you want to use some cleaning products, be sure that you are using appropriate ones. Household cleaners could easily damage your delicate instruments. If you don’t know which cleaning products to use, go to your musical store and ask them to give you a recommendation.
Preparing woodwind instruments for storage
As mentioned above, cleaning is the first thing you should do. If you have instruments that you can disassemble, you should definitely do that. That will give you an opportunity to clean each piece thoroughly. And it will allow you to protect it better. Place acid-free tissues between pads to prevent them to become sticky. Then wrap each piece in a cotton cloth and place them in an instrument hard case or at least a plastic container with a sealable lid.
Preparing string instruments for storage
Of course, with string instruments cleaning is the first thing to do. Also, the important thing is to release the tension on strings. If you are not renting a temperature-controlled unit, the temperature variations could make your strings snap, neck warp, or crack the joint.
Preparing a piano for storage
In the case of a piano, the strings do not need loosening. They can withstand a lot of pressure. So, luckily, you do not have to deal with this. However, preparing a piano for storage is something that you should definitely do with professional help. Grand pianos are heavy, and you need to disassemble them before storing them. On the other hand, you could try to do it on your own. But, you will need to prepare some tools for disassembling. And you will need to find someone to help you. Also, you will need your local movers North Carolina to move your piano to the storage facility.
Preparing drums for storage
The process of preparing drums is the same as preparing other musical instruments for storage. Of course, cleaning is the first thing to do. Also loosening the drum skin will keep it from stretching. If you cannot find a suitable container for them, make sure they are wrapped in a cloth to protect them from dust, which can damage them in the long run.
Find a good place for your instruments
With storing musical instruments, the most important parts are to clean and give them appropriate protection from moist dust and pests. That is why it is crucial to find a decent public storage North Carolina. If you are successful, you will not have such issues. However, there is always a danger of something falling on your precious instruments. So, watch where you put them. The floor is the worst place. Except for being in danger of something falling on them, they could easily pick up the moist from the cold concrete floor. So watch where you put them.
