Okay, confession time. A few years back, I moved into a place with a basement that was basically a black hole. You know the type—it swallows holiday decorations, old yearbooks, and that juicer you swore you’d use every day.

Eventually, the chaos got to me. I decided to be a proper adult and rent a storage unit to get my life in order. It felt amazing. But then came the packing. And I made a classic, rookie mistake: I went all-in on cardboard boxes. I mean, why not? You can get them for free behind the grocery store. You can break them down flat. It feels thrifty. It feels smart.

I was so, so wrong.

A year and a half later, I went to my unit to finally retrieve my Halloween stuff. I pulled out a box labeled “PUMPKINS & SPOOKY STUFF,” and the bottom immediately felt soft. Like, suspiciously soft. I lifted it gingerly, and my hand went right through the sodden cardboard. A fine, musty dust—a mix of disintegrated box and god-knows-what-else—poofed into the air. My cute ceramic pumpkins were fine, but the cardboard had basically returned to the earth from whence it came. It was a mess.

That was the day I became a plastic tote person. Let me tell you why.

Why Cardboard is a Long-Term Storage Nightmare?

Look, cardboard has its place. For a quick move across town? Sure. For storing stuff in your dry, climate-controlled attic? Maybe. But for a storage unit, where you have zero control over the ambient air, it’s a ticking time bomb.

The problem isn’t just that it’s weak. It’s that it’s alive in a way. It breathes. It absorbs every hint of moisture in the air, even in a seemingly dry unit. Over months, that slight humidity makes the cardboard weak, gives it that sad, saggy feeling, and can lead to a nasty mildew smell that gets into your things. I had a box of old linens that smelled like wet basement for weeks after I rescued them.

And let’s not even talk about pests. To a spider or a silverfish, a cardboard box isn’t a container; it’s a five-star hotel. It’s shelter, it’s nesting material, and if there’s any old glue on it, it’s a snack. Plastic? They can’t do a thing with it.

The Plastic Tote Revelation

After the Great Pumpkin Catastrophe, I went out and bought a bunch of those big, clear plastic totes with the yellow lids. It felt like an annoying extra expense at the time. I’m not gonna lie.

But let me tell you, the first time I opened my storage unit after the switch, it was a religious experience. No dust. No weird smells. I could see what was in each box without even pulling it down. I grabbed a tote full of winter clothes, and when I opened it at home, my sweaters smelled exactly like they did when I packed them. Not like storage. It was incredible.

The strength is the other thing. You can stack those things to the ceiling. The one on the bottom isn’t sweating under the pressure. It’s just chilling, holding its shape, protecting your grandma’s china like a champ.

So, When Would I Ever Use Cardboard?

I’m not a total plastic tyrant. I will still use cardboard for a few specific things.

• For stuff that doesn’t matter. That box of old college notebooks I can’t throw away but will never look at again? Cardboard is fine. If it gets a little dusty or soft, no big loss.
• For oddly shaped, light things. A big, flat box for storing empty picture frames is perfect.
• As a box for my empty boxes. I keep a few broken-down ones in a larger cardboard box in the unit, just in case I need one for something later. It’s the circle of life.

But for anything I even remotely care about? For anything that could be ruined by moisture, dust, or being crushed? It’s plastic, no question. Your photo albums, your important documents, your good clothes, your holiday decorations—they deserve the armor.

A Few Hard-Earned Tips from My Many Mistakes

Dry is the rule:

This is the one caveat to plastic: if you seal something even slightly damp inside, you are creating a terrarium of regret. Make sure everything is bone-dry before you snap that lid on. I learned this with a camping tent. Don’t be like me.

Label anyway:

Even clear totes benefit from a strip of masking tape with a contents list. “XMAS – Tree Skirt, Ornaments, Lights” is so much better than squinting.

Don’t overstuff:

A tote crammed too full is a pain to carry, and the lid can bow. Leave a little breathing room.

Climate-Control is your friend:

If your stuff is truly precious, spring for a climate-controlled unit. It’s another layer of insurance. And hey, if you’re looking for a unit that pairs perfectly with your shiny new plastic totes, we’ve got clean, dry, and secure spaces that will keep your belongings safe from the elements. It’s the best way to make sure your things are exactly as you left them.

The Bottom Line

It feels like a small choice, cardboard or plastic. But when you’re trusting your belongings to sit for months on end, it’s the most important one you’ll make. Spend a little more on the front end on good totes. Your future self, the one who isn’t cleaning musty dust off everything, will thank you for it.

And if you’re looking for a storage spot that’s as clean and reliable as your plastic totes, you know where to find us. Our units are the perfect dry, secure home for your well-packed belongings, so you can rest easy.