When travelling you have to guard against loss and breakage. Loss of goods. Loss of keys!
Keep photos and numbers of all keys.
What could go wrong?
1 Books and papers deteriorate.
2 Clothes get holes from moths.
3 White clothes turn yellow.
4 Mould appears on walls.
5 Shoe heels disintegrate.
6 Handbags go mouldy.
7 Fabric disintegrates. Handbag linings disintegrate. Cushions disintegrate.
Storage
Caveat Emptor. Buyer beware. Goods in storage can deteriorate.
Tropics
So can goods in the tropics.
Mould
Move beds away from walls. Move bookshelves away from walls.
UK
Or in cold countries and rainy countries like England, with condensation.
Remedies
Prevention is better than cure. Cheaper. Less time consuming. Less stress.
Prevention
1 You can take books back to temperate climates every 6 months and rotate them if you live part of the year in the tropics.
Books can be restored but it is costly.
You can also buy photo albums with acid-free paper.
2 You can buy moth spray. Or bags of white pellets. Or wood discs with holes. Or bags of lavender to put in drawers and on hangers. They last about 3 months. If you have pets or babies crawling on the floor you might want to avoid the crumbly white pellets and opt for the wooden pieces instead.
3 Washing. Or dyeing.
4 Mould
First check no leaks from outside. No rising damp. If its condensation,you can paint with anti mould paint. Use tubs with sachets of water absorbent pellets. Or dehumidifying machines, which need to be emptied as they collect water. You may need one for each room but you can move them around with yourself. Open the windows!
Vacuum clean carpets before they go into storage or before you leave a property empty. Ask the agent or relative checking on an empty house to spray moth repellent and carpet beetle killer.
Move boxes on floors to prevent termites. (We had termites under a box on the floor in the Beaumont in Singapore.)
5 Keep your receipt for possible exchange, but the shop won't take them back after 6 months or a year. Don't leave your shoes in the cupboard. Wear them and enjoy them. Second hand shoes have less life left in them.
6 You could have them professionally cleaned if expensive. If cheap, either throw them away or wash them off.
7 Sometimes the lining goes but you can save the outside of a garment or accessory. Other times it is the other way around. At very least, you may be able to save the buckles or zips. Some companies offer you money for items in any condition.
Cure
If you cannot find moth balls and insect repellent in your supermarket, you can find them online on Amazon.
Useful Websites
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