Never Store This One Item In Plastic Containers Where There's High Humidity

Plastic containers serve a variety of storage purposes and are a popular way to keep your home clean, neat, and free of clutter. They're often inexpensive, easy to stack for space saving, and many are transparent for easy viewing of the contents while offering protection from dust and pests. Despite the versatility of these bins that come in many shapes and sizes, there are several common items that you should never store in plastic containers. Books, in particular, should not be stored in plastic containers in areas where there is high humidity.

Humidity poses a big risk to books trapped inside a container because the paper so easily absorbs moisture from the air. Books exposed to moisture can develop several problems, such as the paper curling, warping, or disintegrating, ink bleeds, mildew and mold growth, staining, and swelling or shrinking in size. Even containers with an airlock seal, where nothing should be able to get inside, can start to develop humidity, which produces condensation, when exposed to rapid temperature fluctuations. When storing your books without using a bookcase, avoid areas where you can't control the environment, like attics, basements, outdoor sheds, non-climate controlled storage units, and garages.

The best conditions for books are in a cool, dry area with consistent temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. You're better off storing books in your closet, a rarely used bedroom, or a climate controlled storage facility where your books can stay dry with ideal temperatures and low humidity. Along with avoiding this big storage mistake that's shortening the lives of your books, plastic containers with rubber gaskets or locking lids that create an air-tight seal will give you the best protection against moisture and mold growth.

Offset the risk of book damage due to moisture or humidity within the enclosed environment by wrapping your books individually before storage. You can use book sleeves or wrap them in acid-free paper or old clothing. Stored books should be clean and fully dry (preferably free of odors) with no signs of mold or mildew. To be on the safe side, even when storing books in temperature-controlled areas, you can reduce humidity inside plastic containers by adding silica gel packs or other desiccant materials to the container.