As the cold weather begins to settle in, it’s time to face the task of packing away your family’s summer equipment.

While the process may have you tempted to shove whatever you can into your garage or other storage space, there are certain considerations you should keep in mind in order to keep your family safe.

Whether it’s preventing pests and mildew, or keeping dangerous equipment away from your little ones, it’s important to pay attention to how you store your summer items.

To keep your storage space safe and organized, here are some tips for packing away your summer equipment:

Wash Everything

When it comes to storing your children’s outdoor toys, it’s important to give everything a good wash before packing it away.

Dirty toys and equipment will not only track the mess into your storage area but invite pests in as well. Give everything a good cleaning with warm soapy water.

Also make sure to dry everything completely to prevent mold or mildew from forming on the toys and equipment.

Pack and Stack

The key to safely storing your family’s summer equipment is to make sure it is packed away and stacked safely in your storage area.

Stackable totes are a great way to organize summer equipment and store items in a safe and organized manner.

Just be sure not to stack totes too high or else you risk having them collapse on you or your family members. Invest in sturdy storage shelves that can be easily attached to the wall.

Storing Dangerous Equipment

Lawn Care equipment, such as chainsaws and other items with sharp blades and edges, should be stored out of your children’s reach.

Dedicate a high and sturdy shelf for these items or install hooks to safely hang whipper-snippers, hedge trimmers and other sharp objects.

To ensure maximum safety for your little ones, consider using a shed or cabinet that can be locked and secured.

The last thing you want is curious little hands coming into contact with dangerous equipment!

Store Your Trampoline Properly

Improper storage of your trampoline can create a safety hazard when your kids use it the following year.

Leaving a trampoline outside during the winter can cause damage to the pad and result in rips and tears that can lead to injury.

It can also cause the frame to rust, which can compromise the integrity of the trampoline.

If you choose to store your trampoline without taking the framing apart, make sure you secure it tightly to a wall or other structure. This will reduce the risk of having the trampoline tip over onto your little ones.

Keep Things Organized

While this tip may be more so for your insanity and not your children’s safety, it is worth setting up a good organizational system to make accessing and packing away these items easier and less time-consuming.

Use clear bins so that you can easily see what each one contains. If your bins are not transparent, label them with index cards and packing tape.

Writing directly on the bins with permanent markers also works, but makes it more difficult to re-use the bin for another purpose.

Pegboards are another great option for hanging non-dangerous items on your wall. You can use these to sort your tennis rackets, basketballs, rollerblades and helmets.

They are easy to install and can easily be used by your children to store their own items.

Lastly, take inventory of what you have. This will help you keep track of what you own and where it is.

Also, if you are looking to replace or add to your summer equipment during the Christmas or Easter seasons, you can easily assess what you already own.

Rent Storage Space

If you’re low on space in your home, and have nowhere to safely store summer equipment, it may be worth looking into renting a storage space for these items.

Small storage lockers can be rented at a low fee and used all year round. You can swap out your summer equipment for your winter equipment, keeping everything in one convenient location.

If you’re concerned about your children’s safety when it comes to dangerous summer equipment, a storage locker can ensure that they have absolutely no access to these items.

Getting Ready for Winter

Taking the time to carefully pack away your summer equipment will ensure that your family enjoys a safe and fun winter season.

And, the more care you put into storing and organizing your summer items, the quicker you can get them unpacked when the weather warms up!

Follow the above tips to ensure your summer equipment is packed properly and does not pose any sort of risk to the safety of your family.