Your kids have a lot of toys, and it's hard to keep track of them all. In fact, too many toys can actually make your children feel overwhelmed, according to some psychologists, and can lead to toy hoarding, selfishness and the inability to simply enjoy a single toy's attributes.

If you are wishing to put some of your kids' toys away where they cannot find them, then a self-storage unit is a great idea. A storage unit is a locked and secure personal building space that you can rent by the month or longer and is able to house a great number of things, from clothing to toys to equipment.

Before you place just any of your kids' toys in a storage unit, do these things first. It will make the transition much easier and allow you to enjoy their favorite toys when it's time to bring them out of storage again.

Get Your Children Involved

Gather your kids into their toy room or bedrooms, and ask them to choose their favorite toy. After they have made their selection, ask them to choose another toy, then another, until they have acquired a small collection of their favorite play items.

If your children consistently grab the same type of toy, like a doll or toy car, ask them which of the ones they have chosen is their favorite. Then have them grab a new toy to replace the lesser-liked of the two. The goal of this exercise is to allow your kids to pick out their favorite variety of toys so you can place the remaining items in storage.

Sanitize Toys for Storage

Toys carry a great variety of bacteria and germs, including the long-living strep strains. Kids put toys in their mouths or play with cloth, plastic and wooden toys without washing their hands, transferring germs and bacteria from the bathroom or the outdoors to their play things.

Clean wooden and plastic toys using safe cleaning agents, such as water and vinegar mixtures, to remove bacteria and germs. Soft toys can be placed in the dryer for several minutes at a time. Books should be sprayed with a natural cleaning spray and then laid open to dry. When you sanitize toys for storage purposes, you help prevent the spread of bacteria while they are left in bins or bags.

Choose Bins Over Bags

Garbage bags may be the most obvious choice for loading up toys for storage, but they are not the most ideal. To keep toys organized, safe, and easy to transport, use colored plastic bins with lids instead. Each bin color can house a different type of toy, or simply be assigned to a single child so they toys stay organized.

Place heavier toys on the bottom of bins while putting stuffed animals and fragile items on top. Toys that come with pieces should be boxed or bagged prior to placing them in a storage unit provided by a self storage facility.

You will want to rotate the toys you place in storage every few months so your children have "new" toys to explore as they grow bored of their current favorites. Repeat the process of toy selection after pulling items out of storage, then restore toys until it's time to rotate them again.

If your kids have too many toys and don't play with them all, placing them in storage is an excellent solution. Your children may begin to enjoy their toys more wholly when they don't have distracting options to choose from. We offer a variety of self-storage solutions at Sutters Fort Self Storage LLC. Allow us to help you select the right storage unit for your needs today.