To help prevent avoidable damage and costly repairs, it’s best to take some time to ensure that your vehicle is appropriately prepared for self storage, regardless of how long you intend to store it. Whether you’re looking to store your vehicle for a few weeks or an extended period of time, check out our top tips on how to prepare your car for self storage:
Clean the interior and exterior of your vehicle
Before you store your vehicle for any period of time, it’s a good idea to set aside an hour or two to ensure that it is as clean as possible. This simple action can help to prevent avoidable damage to the vehicle’s upholstery and paint work. Remove all rubbish from the inside of your car, give the upholstery a good vacuum to get rid of any food and dirt particles, spot clean any stains and wash the exterior thoroughly. Ensure that both the interior and exterior are completely dry before storing to prevent the growth of mould and mildew.
Make access difficult for pests
Ensuring that the interior of your vehicle is free of any rubbish and food particles is the first step towards ensuring that your vehicle remains free of insects and rodents. In addition to cleaning the car interior, it’s also a good idea to block the air intake and the exhaust with lint free rags, eliminating one of the easiest access routes for insects, rodents and other pests completely. Before removing your vehicle from storage, ensure that you remove the rags to avoid any mechanical issues.
Consult a mechanic for advice
When it comes to determining which maintenance tasks you need to carry out before you store your vehicle, it’s often best to consult an expert. Each make of car is slightly different and the length of time you plan to store your vehicle can dictate what needs to be done.
Keep a minimal amount of petrol or diesel in your fuel tank
If you’re looking to store your car for an extended period of time, it’s best to keep just a minimal amount of petrol or diesel in your car’s fuel tank to ensure that it is stored safely. Petrol remains quite stable for several months, but if you’re looking to store your car for an extended period of time, it may be worth considering adding a fuel stabiliser to your tank.
Protect your car from the elements
When storing your vehicle for extended periods of time, it’s best to protect it from the elements. Choose to keep your vehicle in a covered storage space or, if you will be keeping it outside, purchase a specialised and well fitting car cover. Ill fitting car covers made from plastic and standard tarps are best avoided as they can be quite abrasive and cause damage to a vehicle’s paintwork overtime.
Remove valuables from inside your car
Although self storage is generally very secure, it’s always a good idea to ensure that that there are no valuables visible inside your car. If you do have valuables in your car for whatever reason, either leave them at home or opt to store them out of sight.
Carry out regular checks
Whether you’re looking to store your vehicle for just a few weeks or for several months, it’s a good idea to undertake a regular checks to make sure that everything is still in good working order. Look under your car for any possible fluid leaks, check the fluid levels and tyre pressure and top up if needed, run your car for a few minutes every now and then, and move your car, if possible, to rotate the tyres.
Ensure the storage facility is secure
Regardless of if you’re set to store your pride and joy or your everyday run-about, it’s best to ensure that the storage facility you choose offers an adequate level of security. All Rent a Space facilities are secured with CCTV surveillance and can only be accessed with unique access codes, providing all the peace of mind you’ll need when storing your car.
Interested in storing your car? Get in touch with Rent a Space’s friendly customer service team today to discover which facilities near you offer vehicle storage!
Feature Image Credit: Zelda Richardson / CC by ND 2.0.
