When you have run out of space in your home, you may start looking into a storage unit to help free up some space for the things you use every single day. A concern about using a storage unit is how humidity in the unit can have an effect on your belongings over the months and years. Here are some tips for reducing humidity inside a storage unit.

Use A Humidity Gauge

You will want to know where the current humidity levels are inside your storage unit, and that starts with getting an electronic humidity gauge. It's placed inside the storage unit, and will tell you exactly what the humidity levels are after a moment.

The ideal humidity level is going to depend on what materials you are storing. For example, if you are storing a musical instrument like a guitar, you'll want the humidity to be around 50%. Anything above 60% will run the risk of mildew, mold, and the degradation of wood to happen.

Use Chemicals To Absorb Moisture

For storage units that are above the ideal levels, you will need to take steps to reduce humidity levels to prevent the belongings from being affected by the previously mentioned problems. You can do this using chemicals that have moisture-absorbing properties, and store them in the unit with your belongings.

Do you remember those small packets of silica gel that you find in the boxes of electronic items when you open them? Silica gel is actually used to reduce moisture. You can purchase silica gel at a home improvement store to help reduce humidity in a storage unit.

Leave The Lights On

Do you have a light in your storage unit that you have full control over? If so, consider replacing the bulb with one that produces UV Light, then leave the light on when not in the unit. This may seem wasteful, but a light can help prevent mildew and mold from growing in a storage unit by breaking up its DNA. Since mildew and mold often grow in places with high humidity, this can help combat one of the side effects of humidity that you are trying to prevent.

Use Climate Controlled Storage

When proper humidity levels are essential, you may be better off getting a climate controlled storage unit instead. You can talk to your storage place about this option for additional info. They will cost a little more money than a unit that doesn't have climate controls, but you can feel assured that the humidity levels of the unit will be ideal for what you are storing. When it comes time to take items out of storage, there will be no worries about the items being damaged.