Say Goodbye to Summer with Storage for Your Summer Gear

Floats by asterion1 (CC BY 2.0)

You can lay out in your bikini all day long and protest, but there’s no stopping it, summer is coming to an end. Goodbye, pool parties and family BBQs. Hello to falling leaves and baking time. Before you start pulling out your favorite fall scarves and boots, it’s a good time to start thinking about storage for your summer gear. Cleaning out your closet, garage and patios of all that summer gear will help you save space and feel organized for the seasons to come.

Storage for the surfboards or ping pong table? How do you decide what summer gear should go into storage? A good way to start organizing your summer storage is by making a list of the belongings in each area of your home that you won’t be using after the weather cools down.

Storage for summer gear in your garage

On the Way to the Beach by jfinnirwin (CC BY 2.0)
On the Way to the Beach by jfinnirwin (CC BY 2.0)

Did you ride your last wave of the summer? Large sports equipment like surfboards, boogie boards, tents, beach umbrellas and ping pong tables can take up valuable space in your garage or home storage area for better part of the year. Instead of allowing this summer equipment to accumulate dust, why not put them into storage until next summer? Make sure to make an inventory of your items. You can even take pictures of your equipment to keep track of what summer toys are in storage.

Rubbermaid HomeFree series closet system by Rubbermaid Products (CC BY 2.0)
Rubbermaid HomeFree series closet system by Rubbermaid Products (CC BY 2.0)

Storage for summer items in your closet

Although most summer clothing is light and airy, they can take up valuable space in your closet once your winter clothes moves in. Storing your bathing suits, shorts, sandals, wetsuit and beach bags will give your closet enough breathing room for fall. If you live in Southern California or are planning a tropical getaway this winter, make sure you leave a few pieces out of storage just in case the temperature changes. If you find summer clothing your kids have grown out of and you don’t want to put them into storage, make sure to donate unwanted clothes instead of throwing them out.

Storage for your patio gear

8/365: snowy lawn furniture by Dan4th (CC BY 2.0)
8/365: snowy lawn furniture by Dan4th (CC BY 2.0)

You enjoyed many BBQs in your backyard this summer, but now it’s time to get your patio ready for falling leaves, rain and maybe even snow. Patio furniture, BBQ equipment, large playground equipment, toys and bikes may find a safer place in storage during the colder months. Although many of these items are made to withstand all weather, you might be adding years of use to them by protecting them from the effects of the changing exterior. Putting your trampoline and water slide into storage might just give you the extra space you need to plant your herb garden in time for spring.

Storage for summer toys

Beach Toys by }{enry (CC BY 2.0)
Beach Toys by }{enry (CC BY 2.0)

The end of summer means a new school year and a need for less distractions. Summer storage is a good solution for your children’s summer toys. With summer toys in storage you can help keep your kids rooms organized and full of space for them to grow and adapt to a new school year. Is it time for a new study desk? Old furniture can be put into storage for later use, or donated to local charities like Habitat for Humanity Restore or the Goodwill.

Once you’ve made a run through of your house and determined what will be going into storage, it’s time to figure out how much storage you actually need. Make sure to find out what kind of storage you need and the right storage company for your needs. Check out these great storage tips before you get started to help make your summer storage easy and breezy like the last few days left in summer.

Are you putting some things into storage? Tell me about it in the Comments section!