Cardboard boxes are inexpensive, easy to find, and convenient for moving or temporary storage. But for long-term storage, they often do more harm than good.
Because cardboard absorbs moisture, attracts pests, and weakens over time, it isn’t the best place for many household items. If you’re packing things away for months or years, these are the items you’ll want to keep out of cardboard boxes.
Food
Even shelf-stable foods shouldn’t be stored inside cardboard boxes for extended periods. Cardboard attracts rodents and pantry pests, while heat and humidity can shorten the shelf life of many packaged foods.
Clothing and Linens
Clothing, blankets, and linens can absorb moisture when stored in cardboard boxes, leaving them musty or even moldy. Fabrics are also attractive to clothes moths and rodents, making plastic storage bins or breathable garment bags a much safer option.
Sentimental Keepsakes
Handwritten letters, childhood artwork, heirlooms, and treasured mementos deserve better than ordinary cardboard. Acid-free archival boxes or sealed plastic bins help protect these irreplaceable items from deterioration.
Related: Decluttering Is Hard When You’re Sentimental—Here’s What Helps
Towels and Bedding
Extra towels, comforters, and bedding can develop mildew and unpleasant odors when stored in cardboard for long periods. Sealed plastic bins or vacuum-storage bags help keep them clean, dry, and ready to use whenever you need them.
Important Documents
Birth certificates, passports, tax records, and legal documents should never be left in ordinary cardboard boxes for long-term storage. Humidity, insects, and accidental water damage can permanently destroy paperwork that’s difficult or expensive to replace.
Related: 15 Important Documents You Should Never Throw Away
Family Photos
Printed photographs are especially vulnerable to moisture, heat, and the acids found in regular cardboard. Store treasured photos in acid-free archival boxes or albums to help preserve them for years to come.
Books
Books stored in cardboard boxes can develop mold, warped pages, or insect damage over time. They’re best kept upright on sturdy shelves or in acid-free containers in a cool, dry room.
Related: Say What? People are Freezing their thrifted books
Electronics
Old computers, cameras, gaming systems, and other electronics can suffer from humidity, dust, and temperature fluctuations while sitting in cardboard boxes. Store electronics in climate-controlled areas using plastic containers or their original packaging whenever possible.
Valuable or Fragile Items
Jewelry, collectibles, glassware, and antiques deserve more protection than a cardboard box can provide. Since cardboard weakens as it ages, there’s always the risk of the bottom giving way or fragile items being damaged during storage.
Holiday Decorations
Fragile ornaments, lights, and seasonal decorations can be damaged by moisture or crushed if stacked inside aging cardboard boxes. Plastic storage bins with secure lids provide much better protection year after year.
Vinyl Records
Vinyl records are sensitive to both moisture and heat, which can lead to warped records and moldy album covers. Store them upright in a cool, dry location using containers designed specifically for record storage.
Craft Supplies
Paper, fabric, ribbon, yarn, and other crafting materials can quickly become damaged by moisture or pests inside cardboard boxes. Clear plastic containers also make supplies much easier to organize and find when inspiration strikes.
Household Chemicals
Cleaning products, paint, pesticides, and other chemicals should never be tucked away inside cardboard boxes. Store them upright on sturdy shelving where leaks are easy to spot, and products can remain properly ventilated.
