Is Your College Student An Avid Musician? 3 Tips To Store Their Instruments And Equipment While They Are At School

Sending your child off to college is a momentous occasion, and it is often accompanied by a flurry of packing and cleaning. Now that your college student won't be home as often, they may need to put their music gear into storage to keep it safe until they are ready to use it again.  As you get ready to pack things up, keep in mind that musical instruments and equipment tend to be fragile and require special care. These three tips will help you store your child's gear without fear of damage while they are away at school.

Choose a Climate Controlled Unit

One of the most effective steps to take is to make sure that you select the right place to store their gear. While your garage or attic might seem like an easy place, they can cause damage to delicate gear due to issues with temperature fluctuations. Musical instruments made from wood are susceptible to damage from moisture, heat and extreme cold temperatures. Amps and other electronic equipment can also be damaged from major changes in the climate. Start by choosing a climate-controlled storage unit to avoid most of the common causes of damage to musical equipment.

Clean the Instruments

You should always make sure that any item that you put into a self-storage unit is clean. Have your child clean any instruments according to the recommended procedures. You might also want to wipe down any electronics to remove dust and other grime that might have accumulated on them. Once you the items are clean, give them time to completely dry so that you don't inadvertently expose them to moisture before they even enter the storage unit.

Use Caution When Packing Without Original Cases

The best way to pack music gear is in their original cases. However, that might not be possible with all of their items. For example, your child might have electronic music equipment such as amps and speakers that you need to pack carefully to avoid having their components broken as they are moved around the unit. For these, you can use special electronic boxes or use a regular one that is heavily packed with cushioning supplies such as bubble wrap. 

Larger items, such as a drum set, may need to be broken down into smaller parts. If you need to break an item down, then wrap each small piece in bubble wrap and place all the pieces together in a cushioned box. Equipment that is too big to pack can then be covered once it is safely placed in the unit as an added measure to keep it clean.