Do You Need a Helping Hand to Learn The Most Effective DIY Hacks?

With Du-store you are never alone while experimenting with ‘doing it yourself’ tricks. Further you will come across some easy and most effective DIY hacks.

A useless comb can be very helpful:

Have you ever thought of using a comb which you don’t use anymore to drill nails with a hammer?
You get 2 impressive benefits-
1)    You will prevent bruising your fingers
2)    The nail will be hammered faster
3)    It is very convenient
Bonus tip- Sandpapering the hammer’s end will provide a better grip while hammering the nails to be fixed properly at the right spot.

How magnets can help a great way?

This one is the favorite of many yet not well-spread. Do you hold nails in your mouth while hammering or similar task? Do you feel the exertion when you forget where you placed the nails or bolts? All such trivia can be avoided with a magnet.

Your two hands may not be just enough to handle small tools and hardware. A magnet does the work of a third hand. Just place the magnet at the hammer’s bottom and voila! You don’t have to now put nails or other small bolts in your mouth nor place it somewhere and lose them followed by hours of search.

Getting messy with the paint? Try an elastic band

This is one of the most-sought after DIY hacks. Putting an elastic band around the paint tin’s open side, provides a handy tool for wiping your brush.
Benefits-
•    It prevents unwanted dripping of paint outside the tine or on the corners.
•    It keeps the paint tin nice and clean.

Continue Reading

Troubled With Damaged Photos? Check Out Some Storage Hacks

Do you know why your treasured photos get damaged? The most viable reason is the lack of proper storage methods. A shoebox or any other ordinary box isn’t an appropriate storage house for your photos.

The precious the photo, the more vulnerable it is:
Photos are primarily delicate. The older and more precious they are, the easily they get damaged when not stored carefully.

Safe Storage Hacks:
Archival sleeves:

Stocking up your photos and albums with archival sleeves protects your photos from elements like heat, light, bug infestations, water flow and fingerprints which have damaging effects on photos.

Acid-free photo storage boxes:

Stock up your albums in an acid-resistant photo storage box to make your photos chemical resistant.
Tip- Store your photos in the box after packing them in archival sleeves. It will secure your photos and albums against all harsh elements.

Precautionary measures to remember:
• Using photographic paper or a mounting board can prove to be lethal sometimes due to their acidic content. It can cause long-term damage to delicate films and photographs.
• Prior to storing photos in an acid-free box, don’t forget to remove items like paper clips, manila envelopes and anything which gives odor.
• Troubled over long-term finger marks on photos? Wear cotton gloves during photograph handling.

When nothing works, rely on us:
Some photos need special storage facilities. Dustore provides storage facilities for storing all types of photographs. Our storage facilities consist of climatic control functions which protects not just photos but other delicate items like oil paintings from any kind of damage.

An event for all the photo-fanatics!
If you are in Dubai, you cannot miss the Everyday Middle East - Photography Exhibition. There you can experience a two-way exchange of finest photographs and arts.

Continue Reading

Concerned About Your Items Getting Deformed? Switch To Temperature Controlled Units

People are often concerned about their items getting deformed if not preserved under appropriate conditions. Dustore acts as a savior for such people. Dustore provides reliable temperature controlled self storage services in Dubai.




Why is there a need of temperature controlled units?
Many would opine that majority of items can be stored in non-temperature controlled units. However, certain electronic items, oil-based paintings as well as antiques require temperature controlled storage facilities. Otherwise, the items will get spoilt over a period of time.

Below is a list of items which require temperature controlled units for their proper storage:

• Furnishings

You don’t want your beautiful furnishings and upholstery to lose their sheen, do you? Imagine you bought a brand new sofa. You decided to use this after 2 months and therefore decided to store it in your store house. However, don’t be surprised if you find something like this-

The right side reflects the sofa before 2 months and the left side after 2 months. Now this spoilage can be prevented by storing such items in temperature controlled units.

Easy solution: Whether it is concerned with personal storage or self-storage in Dubai, Dustore is at your service to provide robust storage services comprising of temperature and climate controlled facilities.
Similarly you can preserve the following items under the safest temperature controlled units.

• Antiques

We have special climate control equipments which prevent spoilage of antiques and paintings due to moisture and humidity.

• Paintings

• Vintage cars

We have advanced temperature controlled equipments like anti-freezing tools, self-diagnosis and thermo-control units which sustain these cars in all-healthy condition.

• Photographs

Below are 4 easy tips for proper storage of items:
1. Ensure that items remain dry.
2. Keep  your items elevated (Dustore has elevated pallets installed at all its locations ensuring optimal safety of your items)
3. Keep a regular check on your items

And when all else fails, you can always rely on Dustore’s reliable temperature-controlled storage vaults.

Continue Reading

Nix The Plates and Use the Pizza Box Instead

Binging on pizza this week? Ditch the plates. The pizza comes with its own plates.

Surprised? Read on to explore how?

Don’t dispose of the pizza box before using it!

Pizza! Oh, we can write a poem on our love for pizza. The crushed red pepper toppings. And the cheese. So much cheese. And the cola that it goes perfectly with.

Drooling, aren’t you? Only recently, we discovered that it is not only pizza that is useful, but the pizza box too.

Repurposing the pizza box

huffingtonpost.com

Above shown box is just a part of large pizza box. Confused? Observe the image below:

Top of the box
You can tear off the top of pizza box turning them into 4 serving plates. This idea eliminates the need for dishes.

Bottom of the box
And the bottom of the pizza box can be folded and is instantly transformed into a handy storage container. It is amazingly eater-friendly and fridge-friendly!

Key takeaways:
1.    This is great during birthdays and picnics. You don’t have to arrange for plates for everyone. The pizza comes with its own plate.
2.     Employees can order a large size pizza and slip in the leftover slices into the pizza box container to take home.

This discovery enhances your love for pizza even more, doesn’t it?

Continue Reading

Organizing The Playroom? Read this first!

Love your playroom but worried about the mess?

Here is how you can de-clutter your playroom with some easy and fun hacks.

How LEGO minifigures can spread cuteness around your house

LEGO minigfigures can help keep your loose wires and electronic cords in place. They are perfect for managing cables and wires. Surprised? Here’s how you can do it-

Put a particularly ferocious looking LEGO minifigure on your desk. Position it so that the mini-figure seems to be grabbing the cord in its tiny hands. There is a little space between it’s fingers to put your cable. Don’t worry, the wire won’t slip out of the LEGO mini-figure. Pretty clever, eh?

You can use a LEGO mini-figure for cord management in other places too. The side of your bed-side table for example. Or the corner of your book-shelf. Get as creative as you can. Whenever you put a loose wire, use a cute LEGO mini-figure to keep it in it’s place.

Make carton boxes a part of your playroom

Why go for carton boxes when you can give your child a mini-tablet?

A carton box gives your child something that a mini-tablet cannot: inspiration and the chance to be creative.

The simplest toys are often the best toys for your child. Give them a carton box with some holes along with color names written besides each hole. This is one of the best ways your child can learn to differentiate colors in a playful way. It is a classic example of playing and learning thus making the playroom a source of “creative learning!”

A tennis ball can be fun too!
Thinking of throwing away a worn-out tennis ball? Halt, it might be just as useful!

Did you know that used tennis balls can be as useful as the new ones? Of course the new ones let you play tennis or cricket. However, the used ones can be used more creatively. Confused? Look through the pictures below and you’ll understand.

You see? The 1st one shows how you can use it as a key holder. You just need to cut the ball half-way through the centre. Make the eyes with sketch pens. Insert an unused key or an unused bottle opener into the mouth (This is to support the hanging keys as shown above).

Voila! You have a DIY tennis ball key holder. Similarly you can explore your creativity and make use of a tennis ball as envelope-holder, towel holder or a stand to keep your pen.

Such creative touch points are a great way to expose the minds of children to creativity.

Picture label everything
Playroom can get messy really fast! That is what playroom is intended for.
However, it does not mean that kids can get away with it. You have to start teaching your kids to organize from a very young age.
You can start by labeling boxes according to what goes inside them? But how can that be helpful when they can barely read? We bring an easier solution:

Picture labels are the best way to ensure that toys end up in their correct place at the end of playtime. Use colored papers for quick identification as shown below:

Bonus Tips to keep the playroom organized
•    Children love to spend time on the floor especially during play dates. Hence, keep floor cushions handy. They’re great options for children and are indeed spacious.
•    Keep the playroom spacious- Now playroom is a place to play around. And what facilitates the freedom of playfulness is “abundant space.” Hence, don’t let the play table take a lot of space. Keep a small play table which can be easily moved by the children. This will leave a wider area enabling children to creatively enjoy at their fullest! 
•    When you kids outgrow their toys or are simply bored, it is always a good idea to recycle redundant toys or upcycle them to create innovative and useful products.

Continue Reading

How Much Storage Space Do You Really Need?

A lot of our customers have this question when they come to us for storage. To find the answer to this question, you should ask yourself another question first:

How many items you are going to put in storage?

Once you are sure of that, refer to our table to get an idea of how much storage space you will need.

Size (in metres)	Residential Storage	Business Storage
5x5	1 closet, 10 boxes, small furniture	35 file boxes, inventory
5x10	Enough furniture for one small studio apartment	Furniture and equipment for 1-2 small office cabins
5x15	Furniture and equipment of a 1 bedroom apartment	Furnishing for 1 office space
10 x10	Furniture and equipment of a 2 bedroom apartment	Furnishing, equipment for 2 offices. And a few boxes.
10x15	Furniture and equipment of a 3 bedroom apartment	Furnishing, equipment for 3 offices. And a few boxes.
10x25	Furniture and equipment of a 4 bedroom apartment	Furnishing, equipment for 4 offices. And a few boxes.
10x35	Furniture and equipment of a 5 bedroom apartment	Furnishing, equipment for 5 offices. And a few boxes.

All the above measurements given above are approximate. Please contact us and we can inform you about the exact storage space we have available at a location near you.

We can also offer a well-experienced storage consultant to advice you how much storage space you will need and if you require a particular kind of storage.

Continue Reading

The Guide to Caring for Leather Shoes

Which would you buy: a cheap pair of shoes or a pair of leather shoes?

A cheap pair of shoes lasts for a few months. But a pair of leather shoes will last you long and look great for as long as they last.

Leather shoes are organic objects that need regular cleaning and care to keep them as lustrous as they were when you bought them at the store. If regularly cleaned and conditioned, leather shoes can easily last you several years.

Caring for leather shoes is vital if you want them to maintain their luster year after year. Without proper conditioning or care, leather will dry out and crack.

Caring for leather shoes is more than coating them with shoe polish. There are steps you should follow to keep your leather shoes looking their best for long:

1. Clean
2. Condition
3. Shine
4. Waterproof
5. Store

1.    Clean

Prepare for cleaning by spreading a newspaper on the surface you are going to be cleaning your leather shoes. Make sure that it is a well-ventilated area and wear gloves.

Once you have all the preparations in place, remove dirt from the shoes with a saddle sop or a soft shoe brush. Make sure to get the dirt out from the cracks in the shoes as well.

You can also use a shoe cleaning for cleaning the shoes. For a home solution, you can use a mix of equal amounts of water and vinegar.

After you finish removing the dirt, let the shoes dry for a few minutes and then shine the shoes with a soft cotton cloth. You can use an old T-shirt or a shoe shine cloth

Once you have finished doing that, let your shoes dry for a day. Then it is time for conditioning your leather shoes.

2.    Condition

Conditioning will soften and moisturize your leather shoes and will prevent them from drying and cracking.

We recommend you use natural conditioners as they are absorbed into the leather unlike synthetic conditioners that just sit on the surface.

Put a dab of leather conditioner on a towel and run it on your shoes 20-30 times till the entire shoe has been covered with the conditioner. Wipe any extra conditioner off the shoes as the leather surface will absorb only what is can.

After conditioning, let the shoes rest for at least an hour before you move on to polishing.

3.    Shine

Shoes polish can be found easily in stores but be aware the shoe polish contains toxic chemicals that can be absorbed through skin or inhaled. Always wear gloves while polishing your shoes. Polish in a well-ventilated area. Keep shoe polish away from reach of children and pets. Throw away any cloth that you have used to polish your shoes.

A good alternative to commonly available shoe polish are natural oils such as olive oil or walnut oil. Work a small amount into your shoe and polish with a soft cotton cloth.

If you want to go ahead and polish your shoes with shoes polish, make sure you get the correct share of shoes polish. It should be closest to the natural colour of your leather shoes. Opt for shoe polish creams as they last longer than shoe polish liquids and is not as messy to work with as shoe polish paste.

Apply the shoe polish with a soft cloth and allow it to dry thoroughly. When the shoe polish has dried, buff the leather shoes with a brush to make them shine.

4. Waterproof

Waterproofing leather shoes is the most essential part of caring for your leather shoes but is often ignored by most people.

Choose your waterproofing product depending how much time your leather shoes spends in wet and messy conditions. If you wear your shoes outdoors and they get wet very often, use a beeswax product to waterproof them. If they spend very little time in the outdoors, you could use a protective spray.

Protective sprays are almost invisible and protect your shoes against moderate amount of wet and dirt.
Beeswax products form a protective layer on the surface of the shoes. They alter the appearance of the leather but do a great job of protecting your leather against the climate.

5.    Store

When you are not wearing your shoes, store them with shoe trees. A quality shoe tree is an investment that will last you the life of your leather shoes. Shoe trees maintain the shoe's original shape and prevent creases and shrinkage.

For shoe trees, we recommend you use unfinished cedar as it absorbs moisture and keeps your shoe free of odour.

If you are not going to be using your leather shoes for many months, we highly recommend you put them in storage.

Climate-controlled storage units are best for leather shoes as hot temperatures and dry weather can crack the leather. If you decide to store your beautiful leather shoes in a storage unit, you can find your closest storage unit here.

Continue Reading

3 Simple Ways to Get Super-Organized In the Kitchen

This simple hack can keep those bulky pots and pans out of the way and organized and save you lots of space in the kitchen. Simply run a tension rod across a shelf and use shower hooks to store saucepands inside. The pans also stay very accessible as they are not piled on top of each other.

There is nothing more beautiful than fresh vegetables in spring and fall. Display those beautiful vegetables lovingly by installing baskets on the walls. Fit them with screwdrivers on an empty wall and see the wall light up with vivid red, greens and yellows.

We told you how to get your pots organized. But in most homes, pots and pans are not the problem, the pot lids are. They slide away, get in the way or are replaced. You can get them organized by installing bars inside cabinet doors and hanging the lids on them. This is also a good way to use space which otherwise goes unused. Before you install the bars, check if your cabinet doors are strong enough to support 4-5 lids.

An organized kitchen is key to an organized house. If you find you have a lot of appliances and utensils that you do not use regularly, you can store them at Du-store facility.

Images from: thekitchn.com

Continue Reading

How the Storage Industry is a Game Changer for Hotels

In the hotel business, supply is of utmost importance. Food items, toiletries, upholstery and cleaning material are needed fairly frequently by hotels. Hence their regular supply is essential to the running of the hotel industry.

While these items are needed on a regular basis, they are not bought on a regular basis. They are bought in bulk and then stored in storage units under the right condition and then withdrawn from the unit as required.

Dustore rents out space to a lot of hotels in Dubai. Hotel supplies arrive in bulk at our storage units and they have to be stored in proper temperature and humidity conditions.

Our storage units that store foods like curd and cheese are maintained at precisely cool temperatures. Moisture has to be kept out of the storage unit at all times as even a little moisture can lead to infestation of microbes. We also believe that price and purpose can be optimized if the right type and size of storage container is used.

Here are a few food safety tips that we highly recommend to our hotel industry clients:

- Keep the FIFO rule in mind. FIFO stands for First In, First Out. It means that when new shipment arrives, it is always put behind the old shipment to make sure that the older item gets used first. This preserves the quality and safety of food.

- Put a date on the food products in storage. This reminds the user how old the product is and whether it is past its expiry date or not.

- Food products should not be stored on the floor. It should be stored at least 6-12 inches from the floor. This is to ensure that dust and water does not soak through the food containers.

- Meat products have the potential to leak through. Hence they should be stored below other food products to prevent contamination.

- Food should not be overstocked in storage. If food is overstocked, the cooling unit gets burdened to maintain the right temperature and might stop working altogether.

Contact us to know more about how we can help you with you storage.

Continue Reading

5 Unconventional Ways you can use Mason Jars to Decrease Clutter

What if we said there is a simple solution to keeping small clutter under control and making it look pretty at the same time. To answer to all your small clutter worries is a simple mason jars. With their vintage feel and glass designs masons jars can store your little odds and ends and keep them from creating clutter. Here is how you can use mason jars for effective storage:

The indispensible sewing kit

Keep your sewing supplies in one place with this Mason jar that keeps all the little bits together.

Stack it up with cupcake liners
Now those cupcake liners will not be flying all over the place when you keep them stacked on top of each other in a broad mason jar!

Storing toiletries

Mason jars are excellent for storing toiletries. Get creative and have a separate mason jar for each person who uses the bathroom.

Twine holder

Keep all the twine neatly in one place with this beautiful twine holder than you can make with a simple mason jar.

Pretty desktop storage

Put some mason jars on your work desk and use them to store pens, pencils, pins, bookends and other odds and ends and keep your workspace clutter-free.

If your house is still cluttered and you have more stuff than you know what to do with, you can always consider storing them at Dustore, your personal storage space in Dubai. We use racking systems that are ideal for personal storage and makes sure your stored stuff is more accessible.

Continue Reading