Important tips for properly storing your musical instruments

Important tips for properly storing your musical instruments

Locker Self Storage Sydney

Whether you are a professional musician, collector or recreational player, it’s always important to keep your instruments safe and secure when they aren’t being used. While home storage may be useful for certain belongings, when it comes to musical instruments, especially ones of personal or monetary value, professional storage offers a high level of security and protection from pests, dust, water damage and contrasting temperatures.

Here’s a few tips to take into consideration when storing your instruments to ensure that they are kept in excellent condition for when you need them next, whether it be in a month or a year.

Give them a clean

Musical Storage Western Sydney

Before you store an instrument for an extended period of time, its vital to clean them to avoid any build-up of existing dirt or the formation of new problems.

Every different requires a different cleaning approach to ensure that no damage is done throughout storage.

When you are dealing with wooden instruments, cleaning them with a wax paste is ideal as oil or alcohol based pastes can cause the wood to dry out over time and change shape and lose aesthetic value. Metal instruments can be cleaned with a soft brush and a brass polish that offers a solid base for protection.

When cleaning an instrument, take it apart and clean each piece individually to ensure that joints are properly looked after to avoid jamming or splitting. In regards to pianos, focus primarily on the keys. Don’t be afraid to get right in there.

Keep them covered

Musical Instrument Self Storage Sydney

No matter the instrument, keep it covered. Ideally you want to keep smaller instruments in hardcover cases, for example a pelican case is perfect for an electric guitar, keeping it safe from impact and from water damage.

In regards to wooden instruments, again they need a bit of extra care. As they are more susceptible to humidity damage, its recommended to keep them in a polyurethane bag then to place them in their case. This will help control their climate and avoid any moisture to compromise or misshape the wood.

While it’s not possible to hardcover all instruments, it’s still important to keep them secure. When you are dealing with larger instruments such as organs or pianos, covering them in a padded cloth, such as a removal blanket followed by a waterproof tarp is ideal.

If an instrument can be taken apart, such as a brass instrument or a drum kit, store them like that. Making sure each part of the instrument or kit is well padded and protected.

Control the Climate

Locker Self Storage Sydney

While this is not always possible to control the climate at home in the basement or garage, it is always possible at professional storage locations, like Palmers. For this reason we recommend the use of our facilities.

Climate controlled storage areas are vital for the longevity of brass and wooden instruments and can make a huge difference if you plan to store your instruments for a long period of time.

Keeping your instruments, in a dry, cool storage unit, like the ones we provide, ensures that dust and mould are not in contact with your instruments and that external factors do not affect them in any way.

Keeping them off the ground on a wooden pallet is a recommended final step in instrument storage which allows more air flow and offers a further line of defence from damages.



If you want to keep your valuable musical instruments safe for a long period of time, allowing them to appreciate in value and avoid damages, give Palmers Storage a call now. We will happily guide you through our wide range of storage solutions and provide you with a solution that suits your individual needs.