Cardboard boxes should only be used for very temporary storage, especially if they’re going to be kept in attics, basements, garages or commercial, off-site storage facilities. Aside from the fact that clear plastic boxes make it easier to see and find things – if cardboard gets wet, there’s the potential for mold to grow. In addition to damaging or ruining your possessions, mold can make you and your loved ones SICK. I can also tell you that mice and other little creatures are fond of eating and infesting cardboard boxes. So if the potential for mold or mildew doesn’t motivate you to get rid of your cardboard boxes, perhaps the thought of rodents and bugs will!
I recently worked with a client and her husband to empty out their off-site storage unit. They told me that the storage company had informed them several months before that there had been some minor flooding in the facility and theirs was one of the affected units. My clients didn’t do anything about it at the time and were understandably concerned about what they might find now. Despite the fact that we were all wearing gloves and protective masks, within 15 minutes my client started to feel sick. I surmised that she was probably having a reaction to the black mold we were finding on and in several of the cardboard boxes. She was having trouble breathing so I insisted that she leave the facility immediately and get some fresh air. Her husband went outside with her, where they wisely called her doctor and explained the situation. Her doctor advised her not to go anywhere near anything that had the mold on it. With some fresh air she started to feel better and waited in the van while her husband and I finished sorting through what to keep and what now had to be dumped because of the mold. Unfortunately, we had to toss many items that were simply not salvageable and could have made their young children and who knows who else sick if they had been brought back to their apartment. If those items had been properly stored, the mold infestation and destruction of so many of their possessions could all have been avoided. I sincerely hope that everyone will learn a lesson from this cautionary tale.
So, while cardboard boxes are great for moving or holding things for a short time, they’re not a good long term solution for safely keeping important items. Though I’m not a big advocate of off-site storage (unless it’s a temporary solution), if you need to use it, make sure to store items in plastic containers. If an item is worth having in your home or putting in storage, then treat it with respect and make sure that you protect it as much as possible from any kind of physical damage.
