With fall officially underway, it is time to admit that you are probably not going to hit the lake one more time or go lounge by the pool anymore. The start of fall is a great time of year to pack up your summer water toys and gear and put them away inside of your storage unit until you need them again next year. Here are a few tips that will help you store your summer water toys and gear more effectively and safely inside of your storage unit.

Kayak

The first thing you need to do to prepare your kayak for storage is to clean it. Use natural car wash soap and a soft sponge to clean the outside shell of your kayak, then use the same tools to clean the inside of your kayak as well. You want to make sure that you scrub off all salt and dirt on the outside of your boat and wash away all sand and dirt that may have gotten into the tiny crevices inside of your kayak.

Next, you are going to want to install hooks on the wall of your storage unit that are specifically designed for kayaks. These hooks are designed to hold the kayak so that all the weight is evenly distributed. You want to make sure that the weight is distributed equally because if it is not, the hard shell of the kayak may crack while it is in storage. These hooks are usually hung up in a straight line so that the kayak can rest horizontally on the wall.

Life Jackets

Take all of your life jackets inside and run them through your washing machine. This is the best way to ensure that all dirt is removed from your life jackets as well as any bacteria or micro-organisms that may be hanging out. After removing your life jackets from your washing machine, follow the drying instructions on the tag. Some life jackets can go into the dryer, while others need to be air dried. Regardless of the drying method you chose, make sure that your life jackets are completely dry before move on to the next step.

When your life jackets are dry, put them inside of a plastic store bin. They will stay safe there throughout the winter.

Floatable Water Toys

All of your pool, lake and ocean floatable water toys should be cleaned off before they are deflated; they will be easier to clean that way. Use natural car washing soap on the toys; you don't want to leave salt or chlorine sitting on the toys all winter. Once you clean off the toys, allow them to air dry in the sun.

Once the toys are dry, put them inside of a plastic storage bend that is large enough to allow all of your toys to be storied so that they are lying flat.

When you fold up your plastic pool toys, it is easier for them to develop cracks and holes, thus damaging the toys and preventing you from being able to use them again next winter.

The key to putting away your summer water gear is to make sure that everything is cleaned before it goes into storage and that you put in the right type of container or use the right types of hooks to hang up your equipment. 

For more tips on safely storing your items, contact a self storage facility.