What NOT to pack for summer storage: the list to keep on hand

Why some things simply don't belong in storage

When your boxes stay closed for two, three, even five months in a warehouse with shifting temperatures, anything can happen: liquids evaporate and leak, food attracts insects, batteries discharge and sometimes swell, delicate documents degrade. All of this is predictable — and preventable.

This list isn't theoretical. It's built on what we actually find every year in the warehouses of services like Smoves. Nothing dramatic, but situations you could easily skip with five extra minutes of attention when packing.

1. Food, drinks, anything organic

Sounds obvious, but it's the most common category we find. A forgotten pasta pack at the bottom, "sealed" canned goods, cereal bars "that last a year". Result: after two months at 30°C in a warehouse, something leaks or attracts insects. And insects don't stay in your box — they spread to neighbouring ones.

Even packaged, long-life food is out. Expiry dates designed for room-controlled environments don't apply to a summer warehouse. The rule is simple: nothing edible, not even sealed, not even "just bought".

Same goes for plants, seeds, animals (live or preserved), opened spices, used tea bags. Anything with a biological origin stays out of storage.

2. Flammable liquids and dangerous products

Alcohol, stain removers, paint thinners, bleach, spray deodorants, large perfumes: some of these are explicitly forbidden by law in commercial storage facilities, others simply can't handle summer heat and leak or explode.

If you're unsure about a product, check the label: if you see hazard symbols or "keep away from heat sources", it doesn't go into storage. Dispose of what you don't need at your city's collection points (in Milan, AMSA handles special waste).

3. Unique documents and valuables

Passport, ID card, original rental contracts, degrees, medical certificates, important invoices: anything that can't easily be replaced if lost goes with you. Not because storage is unsafe, but because if you need that document while away, having to recover it becomes a problem.

Same logic for jewellery, cash, artwork. For truly valuable items, feel free to ask us for a dedicated solution: sometimes it's worth a specific arrangement (separate insured storage, photo inventory, etc.).

4. Delicate electronics and old batteries

Electronics handle storage fine if properly prepared — but batteries are another story. Old power banks, swollen lithium batteries, alkaline batteries that have been discharged for months: all things that can leak acid or, worst case, swell and burst.

Before storing any device, remove the batteries: remotes, wireless mice, old controllers, battery-powered desk lamps. Dispose of old batteries at WEEE collection points (you'll find them at major supermarkets or at AMSA waste sites).

For more delicate items — laptops, tablets, cameras — there's no need to remove built-in batteries, but make sure they're fully discharged before storing: a device left at half-charge for three months often won't turn back on.

5. Anything you might need between June and September

This is the category that always gets forgotten: things you'll need "in a bit". The motorbike helmet, clothes for your cousin's July wedding, your Kindle charger, your passport if you have a trip booked, your dog's vaccination certificate if a trip is coming. If there's any chance you might need it, leave it out.

Good practice: before sealing the boxes, make a list of everything you need until September and keep it visible. You'll often realise something has already ended up in box number 7.