How To Keep Your Valuables Safe and Maintained

One of the biggest ways you can save money and protect your investments is to keep your belongings safe and maintained. Not only will this minimize the number of repairs or replacements you need to purchase, it can keep your valuable art and technology investments from being ruined or stolen.

Invest in Good Locks

One of the easiest ways to keep your belongings safe is to invest in good locks and personal safes. Whether you are securing your home from break-ins or locking your bike up at work, having the right physical security is usually enough to deter most would-be-thieves. You can find specialty locks for items you take with you on the go, like steering wheel models for your vehicle or locking money pouches worn under your clothes. Websites like Bike News can help you find item specific tips and tricks for those items which are harder to secure.

Keep Everything Clean

Keeping your items, especially expensive ones, clean can help keep them in good shape for longer. Some types of dirt and grime can cause damage just by staying in contact for a prolonged period of time. For example, the natural oils in your skin can damage pearls and soak into wood items over time to stain them. When it comes to items with moving parts, like bike chains and jewelry box hinges, making sure to properly clean the built up grime can put less stress on the joints and keep the movement smooth.

Watch the Visibility

The more visible your items are from outside of your home or other storage place, the more tempting they are to potential thieves. Paintings, ornate rugs and antiques can fade over time from exposure to natural sunlight or heat sources, so keeping them away from your windows and radiators can both prevent theft and protect the finish of valuable items.

It is recommended that you do not store a bike in too secluded of a public place or in too crowded of one for the same reason, it is harder to see it being taken. Before you lock up your bike, make sure that it is in a spot clearly seen by surveillance cameras, on a private balcony or even inside of your home or workplace. You can also find locking bike covers to protect the parts from erosion and the bike from theft.

Know How To Wash

Not everything can be cleaned by the same method and using the wrong one on your items could destroy your investment or leave permanent marks. This is why you do not take an abrasive brush to your flat-screen television or use vinegar to clean your metal items, but an abrasive brush and vinegar are an ideal combination for your bathtub. It is a good idea to do a little research and read owner’s manuals to determine how to best clean your items to protect them instead of wear them down and when to take them to a professional.

Have an Inventory

Having a written inventory of the items in your home and apartment is important for insurance reasons. This list will need to include different items and information depending on who your insurer is, but some of the basics include electronics, jewelry, artwork and collectables. It is a good idea to start with the most recent purchases and work your way to the oldest ones because you will need to include date of purchase, age of item and a value in your list. It is also a good idea to take pictures of your home, both inside and out, when you make changes or big purchases. This can help you file a claim or police report if needed. Have multiple backups and keep them in a safe and on the cloud.

The best ways to keep your items safe and well maintained include having a written and picture inventory, invest in good locks and keep them clean the right way. You should make sure that the items are protected from the elements by keeping them out of the way of direct sunlight and by using products like bike covers.