Are You Ready For Winter?

Summer is winding down.  There is a crisp feeling in the air.  A feeling of things coming to an end to make way for new beginnings.  The summer heat is almost over and fall is right around the corner.  In the Midwest they call this, "Indian Summer".  We are teased with a few chilly days enveloped by a warm day here and there.  As we rummage through our closets we grab a jacket or sweatshirt and begin to dress in layers again.  I see more smiles, caravans to football games, people lounging outside coffee shops in the evening and a more relaxed feel as people walk to and fro.


This past weekend I realized that it wasn't quite so easy to grab for my favorite sweatshirt because it was packed tight in a container.  I didn't feel like taking the extra effort to find it so I grabbed a jean jacket instead.  I looked at my son and said, we need to go through our clothes and start packing the summer clothes soon.  It's not exactly an enjoyable way to spend the evening but a very necessary one.  After all of this time, I decided two weeks ago to get a small storage unit.  I don't like having too much "stuff" and would just prefer to get rid of it in lieu of putting it in storage.  However, I decided that it was easier to get through our home if we weren't tripping over each other to avoid storage tubs in our hallway (we live in a loft apartment).  So, I budged and took out a unit small enough to store some items over the winter.


Not long after, my customers began dropping by to take their winter clothes out of storage.  I didn't feel quite so alone.  I ran to the store and bought an extra storage container (never pack items in boxes or trash bags if you can help it).  I still need to grab some sachets to pop inside as well (sachets are great to keep clothes smelling nice and fresh).  When we are preparing for auctions, I sometimes gasp when I open the door and see trash bags and boxes strewn about with clothes hanging out.  News seasons bring pollen, dust and other undesirables more often than not (unless your area has hard freezes prior to the first day of winter).  This can get into your clothing and cause even greater problems.  If they have been in bags or boxes, you most definitely would not want to wear them without washing first.  My suggestion always is to pack clothing into plastic storage containers.  These are also easy to label (you can get cheap peel-off labels at any dollar store) so you know what is in the container as well.


Now, what about electronics?  With the changing of any season comes that dreaded word (unless you live in the desert) "moisture".  It may hit 28 at night and 50 during the day.  Drastic temperature changes almost always create moisture.  With that being said, are you storing electronics?  If so, you may want to consider a climate controlled unit if at all possible.  If not, I would suggest insulating your electronic items with as much absorbent padding as possible.  You can purchase egg crate mattress pads and cut them up to fit and wrap around your electronics for insulation and maybe the pad will absorb some of the moisture. 


This isn't fail-proof, though.  Read the question from a reader and answer from electronics guru, Dave Taylor at http://www.askdavetaylor.com:  


"Every year I have a problem trying to figure out where to hide Christmas presents and this year I've finally decided to just leave them in a box in the trunk of my card. My only concern is the cold weather. Can cold mess up digitalcameras, iPods, etc?"


"Dave's Answer:I asked the folks at DriveSavers for their input on this issue, since they make their money recovering data from damaged drives and gadgets, and here's what they reported back to me:
Oh yeah, that's a serious problem, one that I have been thinking about myself since I realized that I couldn't leave my own iPod in my car on nights when it gets below 32F, which we've definitely been experiencing in the last week or so here in Colorado. 
"Winter’s cold temperatures can certainly damage hard drives and electronic gadgets. This holiday season, expensive presents with built-in hard drives like new game systems, personal computers and MP3 music players require extra protection from the cold. DriveSavers, experts at data recovery, warns that hard drives can be damaged when the temperature drops below freezing."
Their advice to you is:

• Don’t keep gifts of electronic devices hidden in car trunks, especially: laptops or desktop computers, digital cameras, MP3 music players, game systems or hard drive-based video recorders.
• If your hard drive-based gifts experience extreme temperatures (below 30 degrees), allow them time to warm to room temperature before operating them.
• If you receive a new personal computer, be sure to backup all the files on your old computer before startier them to the new one.
• As an added precaution, always use surge protectors or battery backup systems to protect your new electronic devices. This will prevent damage from power spikes or surges, common during the winter.

Michelle Armstrong
Manager
Star Storage
816-765-7300