Can we talk about the air here? I was carrying a box out to my garage the other evening and just stopped for a second. It wasn’t even that hot, but the air was so thick and wet you could almost drink it. It hits you right in the face. We love Arkansas for its greenness, but man, that greenness comes from all this moisture, and it is public enemy number one for anything you’ve got in storage.
I learned this lesson the expensive way. I had a beautiful leather jacket from my dad—broken in perfectly. I left it in a closet in a house with a wonky AC for one humid summer. When I pulled it out in the fall, it was stiff and had these weird white spots all over it. I was devastated. Mold. Mildew. That sneaky, damp air got to it.
So if you’re storing anything you care about—your kid’s baby clothes, your winter wardrobe, that fancy grill—you gotta get smart. This isn’t about complex science; it’s about out-thinking the weather. Here’s how we do it down here.
Forget Cardboard. Just Stop Using It
See that stack of empty Amazon boxes? Leave ’em for recycling. The first time I peeked into a cardboard box I’d had in the shed, the bottom was just… soft. It had soaked up moisture from the concrete floor and felt like wet cereal. Cardboard is basically a sponge that invites pests to a mold party.
Go to the store and get some plastic totes with the lids that snap on tight. The solid colored ones are best because they also block light. They’re your first, best line of defense. They keep the wet air out and your stuff dry inside.
Your Furniture Isn’t Safe Either
That nice wooden dresser or your fabric headboard? You can’t just throw a sheet over it and call it a day. And for the love of all that is holy, do NOT use plastic wrap or those clear vinyl covers. I know it seems like a good idea to keep dust off, but what you’re actually doing is trapping any little bit of humidity inside with your furniture. It’s like putting it in a plastic bag and leaving it in the sun. You’ll come back to a fuzzy, nasty surprise.
Use old cotton bedsheets or breathable canvas drop cloths. They keep the dust away but let the air move, so nothing gets funky.
Fight Moisture with Moisture-Eaters
This is the pro tip that makes all the difference. You gotta actively pull that water out of the air.
You know those little silica gel packets that come in new shoes and beef jerky? Don’t throw them away! Start collecting them in a jar. Toss a handful into your plastic totes before you seal them. They’re tiny moisture magnets.
For the whole storage space itself, get a few tubs of DampRid or a similar product. You can find them at any Walmart or hardware store. They’re filled with crystals that absorb gallons of moisture from the air. Place one in the corner of your unit and another near the door. Check it every few months; you’ll be stunned by how much water it pulls out of the “empty” air. It’s deeply satisfying.
Give Your Stuff a Fighting Chance
A few more quick hits:
- Get it off the floor: Never, ever set a box or a piece of furniture directly on the concrete. Concrete sweats as temperatures change, and it will wick moisture right into your things: Use pallets, 2x4s, or even just a few pieces of scrap wood to create an air gap. It’s a total game-changer.
- Don’t jam-pack the space: Leave a little room for air to move around between your boxes and the wall. Stagnant air is what you’re trying to avoid.
The Real Secret? The Right Space
Look, you can do all this stuff—and you should—but if you’re renting a unit that’s basically a glorified metal shed, you’re still in for a fight. You’re trying to hold back the tide.
This is the whole reason we got into the storage business here. We saw people losing their important stuff to the climate. That’s why at B&D Self Storage, our top priority is climate-controlled units. It’s not just air conditioning; it’s a system that constantly manages both temperature and, crucially, humidity levels. It keeps the air inside our units dry and stable, 365 days a year. It’s the difference between hoping your grandma’s quilt will be okay and knowing it will be.
Storing your stuff in Arkansas shouldn’t be a gamble. It should be a solution. A little prep goes a long way, but the right storage space is what gives you real peace of mind. Now go check those boxes in your garage—I hope you used plastic totes!
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