It’s easy to overlook your storage unit when you’re planning your spring cleaning chores, but your rented space can benefit from some attention, too. Cleaning up your storage for a new season can help you prevent pests, odors, and dust from damaging your belongings. These tips can help keep your possessions in top shape for when they’re needed again.

If you’ve had items in your storage unit for more than a few weeks, you can expect to be greeted by a covering of dust when you open up your door. Not only does dust attract dust mites, but if allowed to build up, it can provide a covering in which small pests such as cockroaches and mice can burrow and nest. Dust can also damage items such as photographs and artwork while in storage. Sweep the floor of your unit and wipe down surfaces, including the walls and boxes.

Now is an ideal time to sort through your storage unit and get rid of items you don’t need. Do you need that container of old clothes, that bag of used toys, or that out-of-style sofa? Consider donating them to charity.  Straighten up and organize any boxes that might have been packed in haphazardly or in a rush. Heavy boxes should be placed beneath lighter ones, and they should be stacked in neat piles. By moving and organizing your boxes, it offers a chance to sweep and clean corners that might otherwise be unreachable. It also creates a clean, safe path that allows you easier access to your possessions and reduces the risk of knocking something over.

If your boxes aren’t labeled, take the time to label them, noting in which room they belong and a few articles they contain. If you haven’t done so already, it can also benefit you to create an inventory list or map of your items in storage so that you know where your belongings are when you need to retrieve them. Your list doesn’t need to be complicated or note where every individual item is. If you’re in a hurry, move similar boxes together, and note where your possessions are by room.