Tips For Preparing Your Shoes For Storage

If you've ever had to store your shoes away for a period, you know a lot of things can happen. The shoes can develop an awful smell, crack and if you store them away for a long period of time, they could dry rot. All of these things can make your shoes anything, but wearable once you take them out of storage. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to prevent dry rotting and other damage from occurring while your shoes are stored away.

Washing

Take some time to wash your shoes before you put them in storage. Whether this means tossing them in the washing machine or using a specialized cleaner, don't store away a dirty shoe. Your shoes are exposed to all types of harmful bacteria and other materials. If you store your shoes away dirty, you're only asking for trouble.

The minerals and chemicals naturally found in dirt, rain, fecal matter and other debris can eat away at the shoe's surface, cause it to deteriorate and cause the shoe to smell. Ensuring your shoe is clean can prevent this.

As an added note, make sure you are washing the shoes several days before you plan to store them. This will ensure the shoe has adequate time to dry so that you can prevent any moisture issues.

Stuffing

It's also a good idea to stuff your shoes before you plan to store them away. This is a particularly good measure for preventing dry rotting. Although it's called dry rotting, this issue generally occurs when there is an excess amount of moisture trapped inside a shoe.

Whether you realize it or not, each time you wear your shoes, oil, sweat and other moisture gets trapped inside. Over time, the excess moisture causes a fungus to form causing your shoes to split or crack.

Stuff your shoes with newspaper to avoid this dilemma. The newspaper works as a sponge, soaking up all the moisture from the shoe. This is an especially important step if you plan to store your shoes in a unit that is not climate-controlled. The variances in temperatures inside these units can cause the shoes to sweat, increasing moisture. Make sure you are stuffing your shoes first.

What type of condition your shoes are in when you take them out of storage is all dependent on how well you prepare them. Take the time to prepare your shoes for storage for the best result. To learn more, contact a company like Total Storage Ltd with any questions or concerns you have.


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