Once trick-or treating and the candy sorting is over, the holidays will seem to be just kicking into full gear.
However, before you start thinking about Thanksgiving and beyond, you will first need to pack away all your spooky decorations and make way for what comes next.
Because packing away your Halloween decorations and bringing out the decorations for the next holiday is something you’ll be doing every year, you might as well make sure you’re doing it right.
Below is some expert info on storing your Halloween decorations simply and efficiently so that cleaning up post-holiday no longer feels like a chore, but a way of clearing space for Thanksgiving.
(Top Tip: One of the easiest ways to keep your Halloween (or any other holiday, for that matter) decoration storage clean and simple is to use Closetbox’s valet storage services.)
Opt for plastic, not cardboard
The way that you choose to store your decorations can either keep pests out, or welcome them in. Rachel Betterbid of EnviroCon Termite & Pest Control shared with us her number one tip: to keep the decorations in plastic containers that close tightly. “It’s never a good idea to keep items in cardboard boxes where pests can easily get in,” says Betterbid. “You want to use plastic containers because then pests like rodents cannot chew through them or tear them open.”
And it’s not just rodents that are a concern with cardboard boxes. “Specific bugs like spiders also like to inhabit dark, gloomy areas where they will be left alone — and they’re often found in cardboard boxes,” warns Betterbid.
To steer clear of any spider scares, or rodent run-ins, be sure to keep it in plastic.
Organize by room
When putting decorations back into storage, it may be tempting to put all the pumpkins together, all the skeletons together, etc.
However, Darla DeMorrow, Certified Professional Organizer with NAPO.net suggests storing decorations according to where you use them.
“Maybe have a bin for porch decorations. One for entry foyer decorations. And one for dining room decor,” she suggests. “When you take out the bins next year, you’ll be able to haul them right to the place where you’ll want to decorate.”
Clean before putting away
Not many things will ruin your holiday decorating buzz quite like grabbing some lawn decor out of the storage bin and finding it’s been marinating in dog poop for a year.
To avoid situations like this, make sure you clean your lawn decorations prior to putting them away. As DeMorrow shares: “Stains are easier to remove now, before they go into storage.”
She also points out that “you don’t want to accidentally bring insects or their nests into your storage space.”
No you certainly don’t. Get in the habit of keeping it clean for Halloween, and all other holidays too.
Inspect outside before opening inside
Because, as you can see from above, pests love to hide out in damp and dark places like your Halloween decoration bins, before you bring the storage bins inside your house and get the decorating party started, take a bit of extra time to examine them outside.
This is especially important when decorating for colder holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. “In the winter, pests are always trying to find refuge in warm places with food sources. Add Halloween and Christmas decorating to the mix and it’s even more likely that they’ll get into your home,” says Betterbid.
If you do come across some pests during your examination, call a professional or show them who’s boss on your own.
Color coordinate those holidays
If you decorate for Halloween, chances are good you decorate for other holidays throughout the year as well.
If this is the case, DeMorrow suggests making your decorations “unmistakably easy to find in your storage area by using color coded bins. During each holiday season, you can buy bins that match the dominant holiday color.”
Think orange for Halloween, red and green for Christmas, pastel hues for Easter, etc.
This may teeter a little bit too close to Type A for you, but you won’t regret spending a few extra minutes and possibly a few extra dollars color coordinating your decorations.
Out with the old
When putting your Halloween decorations back into their storage bins, DeMorrow suggests that you “take a peek at any that are still in the storage area. If you didn’t use it this year, are you ready to toss or donate it?”
There is no better time than the present to “release decor that you don’t like, especially if you need to make room for new items that you acquired during the season.”
This is true for any holiday’s decorating — you may find that you enjoy decorating for holidays even more if it’s not the exact same layout and decor every year.
Hire Closetbox to keep it simple
One of the easiest ways to keep your Halloween (or any other holiday, for that matter) decoration storage clean and simple is to use Closetbox’s valet storage services.
Here’s how it works:
- Once you’ve got your decorations packed up, give Closetbox a call.
- Professional movers will come to your house and swiftly sweep up all your items to be stored away.
- No need to worry about renting a truck or dealing with traffic — Closetbox will transport your items to a safe and secure storage unit that is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- The rate of your storage unit rental depends on how many things you’re storing. If you want to add to your storage at any time, you pay just a bit more. And when you want to remove items, your storage rent goes down.
- Speaking of bringing decorations out of storage, Closetbox will do that too — no need for you to rummage through your storage unit and load the items up. Closetbox’s digital inventory allows you to pick what you want returned, and have a moving professional deliver it to your doorstep.
