One of America’s most beloved holidays, Halloween is a time for fantastic costumes and fun parties. In the last few decades, it’s also become a time for decorating that’s nearly as popular as Christmas, with some folks going all out to scare their neighborhood. Of course, when the festivities are finished, all those decorations and costumes need to be safely stored for next season.
To help you get it right, the storage experts at iStorage put together the following information about how to store all things Halloween, including animatronics, oversized Halloween decorations, and more. Read on to discover them all and ensure your Halloween decorations and costumes stay as scary as possible!
How to Store Halloween Costumes
The thing about Halloween costumes is that when they’re for children, they’re usually used for one season only. You can keep them, but it’s better to give them away or donate them to Goodwill. On the other hand, adult Halloween costumes can be used for years if stored correctly. Considering some adult Halloween costumes cost a pretty penny, storing them well is a good call. The following tips will help you do exactly that.
1. Clean and Dry Your Costumes
Before storing any Halloween costume, ensure they’re clean and completely dry. Food stains especially, as they can attract bugs and vermin that will destroy your costume while stored. Wash or spot-clean your costumes as needed.
2. Hang Costumes in a Wardrobe Box
The best way to store most adult Halloween costumes is to hang them in a wardrobe box. You should also use padded hangers to prevent fabric stretching and misshaping.
3. Use Protective Covers
Using garment bags or plastic covers to shield costumes from dust and pests is a great idea. Make sure the covers are breathable to prevent any moisture buildup that can cause mold and mildew.
4. Label Everything Well
Label each costume bag or hanger with a description of the costume to easily identify them when you take them out of storage.
5. Avoid Placing Your Costumes in Sunlight
Like Dracula, most Halloween costumes will be destroyed by sunlight. Therefore, you should store them away from direct sunlight to prevent fading and discoloration. (Hanging them up inside, for example, your garage or storage shed, is a good option.)
How to Store Halloween Decorations
Your typical Halloween decorations aren’t what you’d call “fragile,” as they’re usually made from plastic, styrofoam, and wood. For that reason, you don’t have to spend as much time packing them as you would with, for example, fine china or glass Christmas ornaments. To ensure your Halloween decorations are in good shape for next season, use the following storage tips.
1. Categorize All Your Decorations
Sort your Halloween decorations into categories (e.g., lights, props, small ornaments, etc.) to make storage easier this season and retrieval easier next season.
2. Use Clear Plastic Storage Bins
Clear plastic storage bins with tight-fitting lids will protect your decorations from dust and moisture that can damage or ruin them. Transparent storage bins, which you can easily find in most big box retailers, allow you to see the contents. This can make the following years’ decorating tasks much faster and easier.
3. Wrap Fragile Items with Packing Paper
As mentioned, most Halloween decorations aren’t fragile. But the ones that are should be wrapped in bubble wrap or packing paper before placing them in your storage bins or boxes. This will prevent breakage or damage during storage.
4. Label All of Your Storage Bins
Label each storage bin with the contents inside it. If you want to make decorating easier next season, you can also note the area of your home where they’re usually displayed.
5. Keep Small Parts Together
Use ziplock bags or small containers for tiny decorations, and store them in one larger container to prevent losing any pieces or parts.
6. Avoid Overloading Your Bins and Boxes
Don’t overpack storage bins, as this can damage delicate decorations. Use more containers if necessary rather than stuffing them too full.
7. Stack Your Bins and Boxes in Storage
When possible, stack bins and boxes vertically to save space.
8. Use Shelving Units
Some Halloween decorations are easily crushed. To prevent this, storing your bins and boxes on shelving units (rather than stacking them) is a great idea. You can find plastic and metal storage shelving units like storage bins at most big-box home improvement stores.
How to Store Animatronic Halloween Figures
Animatronic Halloween decorations can be fragile and have electronics that can be damaged by moisture, dust, and dirt. That makes it critical to store them well, especially since many animatronic decorations are quite expensive.
1. Use the Original Packaging when Possible
Whenever possible, use the original packaging and boxes to store animatronic figures. They were designed to protect the delicate components.
2. Use Bubble Wrap or Pads for Extra Protection
Use bubble wrap or foam padding to protect against damage for decorations without original packaging.
3. Secure any Motors and Electronic Parts
If an animatronic decoration has moving parts or electronics, be sure to secure them to prevent damage during storage.
Store Your Halloween Decorations and Costumes Safely and Securely with iStorage
When the Halloween festivities have ended, and it’s time to store your scary supplies until next season, count on iStorage to do it right. iStorage has everything you need to store Halloween decorations and costumes well, including packing supplies like tape, paper, and boxes.
iStorage also offers convenient drive-up and temperature-controlled storage units for Halloween costumes and decorations that can’t take extreme heat or cold. It’s also worth noting that iStorage offers various storage unit sizes to fit all your storage needs, whether you have a small amount of Halloween decorations or enough to decorate half the block!
With month-to-month leases and the best security features in the storage industry, iStorage can help you easily store Halloween decorations. If you’re ready, you can reserve a storage unit online today. No deposit or credit card is necessary to reserve a storage unit with iStorage. Once reserved, your storage unit will be waiting for you to arrive with your frightening Halloween stuff (and anything else you might need to store).