Cardboard boxes have been a staple for home storage and moving days for decades. They are affordable, easy to source, and sustainable. However, they may not be the best option for long-term storage if you want to keep your belongings truly safe.
Storage experts are warning homeowners to avoid using cardboard for certain items, suggesting more durable alternatives prevent damage from moisture, pests, and other hazards.
Here’s why relying on cardboard can be a critical storage mistake – and what you should consider using instead to keep your belongings secure over time.
Things you should never store in cardboard
Max Wilson, storage expert and co-founder of Pocket Storage begins, ‘While cardboard might seem like a quick and easy solution, it's a poor choice for long-term storage. Investing in quality storage containers will save you from damaged belongings, pest infestations, and organizational headaches down the line.’
These are the six items you’re definitely storing in the wrong place if you’re using cardboard, and what to do with them.
1. Food
Switching from cardboard to glass is one of the best food storage ideas to reduce food waste, Nicole Carpenter, president of Black Pest Prevention, begins.
She says, ‘Never store any food, including pet food, in cardboard. Cardboard boxes attract pests like rodents, cockroaches, and silverfish, which can chew through the material, create a nest inside, and contaminate your belongings.
‘Instead, I recommend using airtight plastic or metal containers with secure lids to keep food safe from pests, moisture, and dust.’
When decanting food, use freezer-safe labels, available at Walmart, which are moisture resistant, to mark what it is and the expiration date.
This food container is on wheels, making it easier to move heavy amounts of pet food around your kitchen. The included scoop makes it simple to serve the perfect amount every time, too.
Dishwasher, oven, and microwave safe, these glass food storage containers are air-tight and leak-proof, making them perfect for storing food without the risk of food contamination.
Using clear storage boxes when organizing food in your fridge or pantry stops you from forgetting about items so nothing is left to expire.
2. Electronics
From organizing cables to storing old consoles, phones, and TVs, always avoid cardboard.
Nicole continues, ‘Electronics absorb moisture and attract pests that chew on wiring – it’s just bad news all around. Keeping valuables in cardboard is like rolling out the welcome mat for pest infestation.’
Instead, use hard plastic containers with suitable bubble cushion padding, available in bulk at Walmart, to keep electronics safe and secure, especially if you are moving them.
The Sterilite storage bins are extra strong, to help protect your devices from damage while in long-term storage.
3. Important documents
Cardboard is also detrimental to organizing paperwork at home.
David Hurless, director of operations at Stor-It warns, ‘One I think you should never store in cardboard boxes are important documents and paper items. Should water damage occur, this material will provide little or no protection since it absorbs moisture and could cause mold.’
For most paperwork, plastic file folders, available at Walmart, will suffice. For important personal documents such as passports and medical documents, however, consider a water-proof and fire-proof lock box, available at BestBuy, to keep them secure in the event of an emergency.
Filing cabinets don't have to look straight out of a corporate office. This woven hyacinth filing basket keeps all your important documents neatly organized without sticking out like a sore thumb.
4. Holiday decor
To store Christmas decorations properly, skip cardboard and invest in dedicated organizers instead.
Max Wilson says, ‘Cardboard attracts pests and absorbs moisture, and its flimsy structure offers little protection from crushing or breaking your ornaments. Opt for plastic bins or specialized ornament containers, available at Amazon, to safeguard your holiday decorations.’
This upright rolling Christmas tree bag, from Balsam Hill makes storing a tree safely easy. Added wheels also makes it easier to drag your large centerpiece out of storage.
5. Clothing
When arranging long-term clothes storage, be it for sentimental outfits or off-season garments, avoid cardboard at all costs David Hurless urges.
He shares, ‘Clothing is another thing I try to refrain from storing in cardboard boxes. This is less about the safety of the clothing, and more so for the organizational aspect of it. When winter comes around, I like to pack away my winter clothing to make some space in my closet. Keeping these items in a clear plastic container allows me to see what I have to unpack when the season arrives. This speeds this up, because I am not having to unpack an entire box before I know what I am dealing with.’
Storing fabric in plastic containers can also help to prevent mold growth if you are storing them in damp or humid spots like a basement or attic.
Keep clothes and fabrics smelling fresh in storage with scented sachets. These handmade sachets contain real cedar shavings that can also help to deter pests.
Under bed storage is a great way to expand on your existing closet space, be it for storing your off-season items, or offering a place for you bulkier pieces that need folding, but take up too much space in dresser drawers. These bags on wheels makes them easy to pull out quickly and access as needed.
Keep your clothing in vacuum storage bags to keep them safe from pests, odors, and moisture while in long-term storage.
6. Seeds
Using cardboard is a common seed storage mistake that can ruin your planting season warns Steven Corcoran, CEO of Lawn Love.
He says, ‘If you harvest your own seeds at the end of the growing seasons and then store them until the next planting season rolls around, keeping them in the right environment is crucial.
'One particular aspect of that which is vital is keeping the seeds completely dry. Cardboard is a material that is prone to absorbing moisture, which, as a result, can cause the growth of mold or make the inside of closed boxes become a bit humid. That can disrupt your seeds and make them incapable of being planted.’
This handy seed organizer comes with 64 individual seed containers and labels for you to securely stash your collection, protecting them from pests and moisture.
Meet the experts
FAQs
How can you store cardboard without attracting bugs?
If you need to store cardboard and want to prevent pests, you have two options. One is to wrap them in plastic wrap, or store them inside a plastic tote. Alternatively, use scent deterrents such as cedarwood blocks to dissuade bugs and insects. This will not, however, keep your cardboard safe from moisture.
Nicole Carpenter concludes, ‘No matter what you keep and how you store it, always put items in dry and well-ventilated space.’ There are several spaces you shouldn’t use for home storage, even if you use plastic, that could result in broken items or a cluttered home.
