Cardboard
Storage Boxes -- Guidelines and Precautions to Consider When Using Them for Home
Storage
So perhaps you read my article about the pluses of using
plastic storage boxes
to store items such as your holiday decorations. But you still plan to "dumpster dive" anyway for cardboard
storage boxes (you may
have your reasons). That's fine but do so with these precautions and guidelines:
♦Choose only dry cardboard boxes.
You don't need to give mildew a headstart!
♦Make sure the
lids are intact (lids are a necessity for proper storage and care of your
items). A box without some type of lid is useless for proper home storage needs.
♦Discard any
cardboard boxes with holes in them. You want cardboard boxes that are in good, sturdy shape.
However, if you must have that
cardboard box with a hole in it, patch the hole tightly when you get home.
♦If needed, you can make
your own interior dividers by cutting sheets of poster board or cardboard into
panels. Use these dividers to separate ornaments (or other items) from clinking together. This will entail some
patience, work and time on your part. But do it to prevent ornament breakage and
scratches.
Also, you might check your supermarket on the days they're stocking food
shelves. That way you can grab the boxes directly after they unload the food
items onto the shelving. This is when the cardboard boxes will be in their best shape.
Once the employees stocking shelves empty a box, the supermarket usually will
let you take the empty box right off the floor (ask anyway before doing so).
Another way to get good cardboard storage boxes is to save boxes you personally receive from
deliveries at home and work. If you know you're going to reuse the box for
storage, don't rip into your delivery. Take more care with opening it and it'll
remain intact for your holiday storage needs. Ask your co-workers to do the
same. You'd be surprised at how many would love to be able to do you a favor as
simple as saving their cardboard boxes for you.
Another option is
to buy cardboard storage boxes new, which are already in perfect shape. You can find
ordinary cardboard boxes where moving or mailing supplies are sold. And you can find decorative
cardboard storage boxes made for holiday ornament storage like these below. Plus
think "out of the box" for your boxes too, such as perhaps using decorative
cardboard hat boxes. But that's only if you want decorative boxes (which
frankly, you can store in plain site then). But if it's a cardboard storage box
to be assigned to the back corner of your closet, plain brown cardboard will do
just fine.
By the way, cardboard storage
boxes do have one advantage over plastic storage boxes: Price. You'll note that they usually
cost less than their
plastic box
counterparts.
But if you do have some change to
spare, consider mixing and matching
cardboard storage boxes and plastic storage boxes. Put your holiday ornaments in various
size cardboard boxes that you then put into one or two big plastic storage
boxes. This will keep the items organized and sorted and prevent them from sliding around into each
other. And the plastic
storage bin will keep the boxes and their contents safe from the elements
and the critters.
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