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holidays, halloween, decoration and people concept - close up of woman with pumpkins at home

We Americans love to dress up and decorate for the Halloween holiday. So much so, the National Retail Federation estimates that $1.9 billion is spent annually on decorations alone. Now that it’s time to get ready for Thanksgiving all that Halloween décor has to go somewhere.

Our professional moving team has helped transport countless boxes of decorations over the years. Here are a few insider tips that we’ve picked up along the way on how to safely store Halloween decorations so they can be reused next year.

Never Try to Store Edible Decorations

If you used candy or fresh fall produce to create a Halloween display you’re better off throwing it away than trying to preserve it. The chances of these edibles surviving until next year are slim to none. They are much more likely to decompose creating a huge mess or attracting pests.

Use Airtight Containers for Decorations With Dried Foods

Many of the most popular Halloween decorations feature dried foods like corn stalks and pasta. While you might never consider eating these yourself, pests will devour them. These Halloween decorations should be stored in airtight containers with lids that snap into place so rodents and insects can’t destroy them.

Use Archival Storage Containers for Natural Fibers

Any decorations that are made with paper or another natural fiber can yellow and age over time if they aren’t stored properly. Archival storage containers are designed to be airtight and protect these types of materials from becoming damaged. They are also ideal for pictures and cloth decorations that you want to preserve for future generations.

Make the Containers Easy to Identify

Smart storage leads to easier unpacking when Halloween rolls around next year. There are three ways to make finding the decorations simple:

Separate Items Based on Climate-Control

Some holiday decorations are fine to store in the garage or a shed that isn’t climate-controlled. Then there are other items, like candles, that are susceptible to very cold and very warm temperatures. Separate your Halloween decorations into two groups so that items requiring climate-controlled storage can be packed up together.

Box Decorations Up By Room

After a year has passed it can be easy to forget how all your Halloween decorations were displayed. Boxing things up room-by-room and labeling the containers will make decorating next year much quicker. You can even include labels for each item or take pictures before packing up to use as a reminder.

Protect Halloween Costumes With Garment Bags

If you aren’t the type to recycle old Halloween costumes or your kids will outgrow them before next year it’s probably a good idea to donate costumes instead of storing them. However, if you do want to hold onto a costume, the way you store it will affect how it looks next year. The best option is to hang the costume up in a garment bag. If the costume is bulky you may want to store it in a space bag that way it’s kept dry and dust-free while taking up less real estate in your closet.

Put Decorations Back in Their Original Boxes

Hopefully you saved the box for your life-sized electronic skeleton. The original box is designed to protect the decoration during transit, which means it will offer superior protection for storage. It can also be difficult (i.e. expensive) to find containers for bulky or oddly shaped items.

Store Halloween Hardware Separately

All the little hooks and fasteners used to hang Halloween decorations can easily get lost in a big container. Small and/or compartmentalized containers keep components together and can be labeled so decorating next year is a snap.

Need help getting all of your Halloween decorations to a new location? Square Cow Movers is equipped to help you move your holiday decorations into a storage facility or help you pack up your entire home. Use the online form to get a moving quote in seconds.

Original Source: https://squarecowmovers.com/best-ways-to-safely-store-halloween-decorations/