How to Store Luggage

Luggage is an essential part of moving and travel. It can hold so much, with various pockets to keep your clothes, toiletries, paperwork, and electronics all separate. Sets of luggage provide you with a variety of size options, allowing you to scale up or down depending on the length of your trip or how you’re traveling.

The problem with luggage, however, is how to store it when you’re not traveling. Suitcases, duffel bags and backpacks take up so much space in your home.

These tips will help you whether you want to store your luggage at home or in self storage.

Clean It

While travelling, you probably put your dirty clothes in your luggage. There may also be food crumbs and spillage from leaked toiletries. This can cause your luggage to smell bad and can cause damage to the leather or fabric over time.

After you unpack, but before you store your suitcases, make sure they’re clean. Check them for dirt, wet spots, and the like. Use a hand-vac to clean out any dirt, crumbs, and lint, making sure to get the pockets and pouches, too. Then, clean inside and out with a damp cloth, and keep them open for a few hours to dry.

Seal it Up

Leaving straps, zippers, and the like open can cause a suitcase to take up more space. Pat down and fold pockets where appropriate, and secure or zipper everything. This may save only a few inches, but those few inches can add up to more room in your storage unit.

Luggage in Luggage

You can save more space by storing smaller suitcases inside of larger ones. You’ll want to be smart about this. Don’t store one in another if it will cause damage to either item. However, your carry-on bag, at least, should fit in one of your larger suitcases.

Other Items in Luggage

You can free up even more space by storing a variety of possessions in your luggage. This works well for things that you don’t use all the time. Spare bedding, towels and washcloths, fabrics or yarn (if you sew or knit), costumes, and the seasonal items are all great candidates to go in your luggage while you’re not traveling.

Climate Controlled Storage

Since luggage is so bulky and takes up space, you may want to keep it in self storage instead. Perhaps you already have a unit serving as a sort of second closet. If you do choose to go this route, we recommend putting it in a unit with climate control. This is the self storage equivalent of keeping it in an air conditioned room at home. Climate controlled units rent for about 25% more than standard units, and most self storage facilities offer this them.

Luggage Covers

Even in a self storage unit with climate control, there may still be to be some dust. As such, you may want to give your suitcases an extra layer of protection with luggage covers. These are inexpensive and available at a number of stores and websites.

Whether you decide to keep your luggage at home or in a self storage unit, the most important things to remember are to keep it clean, keep it dry, and keep it closed properly. If you do, it will be there, ready for your next trip, and the next, and the next.