It doesn't take long for your little one to outgrow the items that he or she has. In fact, it often seems like as soon as your baby finally gets a certain toy down, they outgrow it and need something new. In the event that you're planning on another child, or you would like to save your baby gear in case a friend or family member may get some use out of the gear in the future, you may want to consider storing these items for later. However, before you throw everything into a local storage unit, you need to first consider a few things.

1. Check Current Safety Recommendations and For Recalls.

Health and safety recommendations for baby products occur rather frequently, which makes it easy to miss that your high chair no longer meets current safety recommendations. So, before you pack anything away, double-check to ensure that your items still adhere to the current and most up-to-date safety regulations. You will also want to check these regulations again when you remove the items from storage.

In addition, you will to make sure that your baby gear isn't on a nationwide recall list. This can easily be checked on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website. This should also be done before and after storing.

2. Check Expiration Dates.

Also, before you store something, make sure that it hasn't already expired or it isn't about to expire. An example would be car seats. Although it may meet safety regulations, your car seat is likely only good for several years. Usually, car seats only last for roughly six years after being manufactured. There should be a manufacturer label on the base or the side of the car seat that will show the expiration date.

3. Keep All the Accessories Together.

No matter how simple a baby item is, it probably has at least a dozen different pieces that go with it. For example, play yards often come with a toy pouch, bassinet, mobile, canopy, carrying bag, and sometimes more. Before you store your gear, make sure you've taken the time to find all of the little pieces that go along with it so that you can store it all together inside the storage unit. Otherwise, if you wait to try to find all the pieces when you remove the gear from storage, you will likely be unable to find the pieces that you need. It is better to know ahead of time if you need to order a replacement piece than to have to throw the entire item away because you can't find an integral accessory.  

4. Clean, Sanitize, Then Store.

Before you place any baby gear into a storage unit, make sure all items have been fully laundered, cleaned and sanitized. Your baby's mouth has likely been on everything, which means that there are germs. Allow all items to dry thoroughly before putting into a self-storage unit to help prevent the development of mold and mildew. Batteries should be removed from electronics since they can leak and cause damage.  

For more information, contact Island Movers or a similar company.

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