While some people use storage units for large items only, you may need to place your entire life into one. From travelling around the world to moving in with a partner, lots of life events call for self-storage. If you're storing smaller items in yours, it's worth learning how to do so safely.

Jewellery

One of the biggest challenges you'll face when storing jewellery is preventing tangles in the chains. When deep tangles set in, there's always a risk you'll cause damage—which defeats the point of using a unit. To avoid this happening, grab some cling wrap and create one piece that's large enough to accommodate your jewellery and another that's of equal size so you can cover it. Press the items into the cling wrap and cover them tightly. Store them flat in a box and you should avoid unnecessary tangles.

Makeup

Although makeup comes with a sell-by date, it's not unusual to want to store luxury items when you're going to be away from home for a while. To avoid your makeup perishing, it's worth keeping it in airtight containers such as the ones takeaway restaurants use to store food. When it comes to items such as lipstick and mascara, though, you need to take extra steps towards ensuring they don't dehydrate. Try doubling up on ziplock bags instead.

Books and magazines

When storing books and magazines that are precious to you, the aim is to stop them from becoming damp. This is especially important when you know that a book or a magazine is a collector's item, as curled pages and staining will decrease their value. Place your books into storage bins with some silica gel to keep them dry and intact. Ensure the bins are the right size for keeping the books snug, while still leaving some breathing room. Finally, make sure they have lids that are airtight to keep damp from seeping in.

China

If you're going to the effort of storing china, the chances are it's expensive. If this is the case, your first step is to wrap every item individually. Although it seems like a good idea to use newspaper and magazines, the ink can bleed onto your items and cause stains. Instead, invest in some bubble wrap which will provide maximum cushioning. You may also want to consider investing in sturdy boxes, but don't pack them more than one layer deep. Doing so increases the risk of tears, which then increases the risk of breakages.