Proper care of your mascot must include appropriate mascot storage to ensure that your mascot stays in tip-top condition and will last for many years. Mascots get ruined when stored in wet basements, musty storage bins, or crammed into office storage closets. Here are the main mascot storage mistakes to avoid.

Spacious storage facility

Your mascot and all of its component parts are more fragile than it might look when out in the public. If you put your mascot into cramped storage spaces, then it could be broken or damaged.
Mascot costumes are only marginally safer when stored in the canvas bag that was used to transport the costumes to events. The bag could be crushed by heavier items and the mascot can be mashed out of shape, which can lead to a costly repair. Ideally, store your mascot in a hard container with ample space, or in a mascot storage facility with enough room to fit the entire costume. If possible, hang the mascot so that it can stay dry and wrinkle-free. Avoid cramped spaces like boxes, closets or the trunk of a car.

Dry storage spaces

After an event, your mascot might be damp from perspiration or rain. That is why good mascot maintenance requires that all mascots be hung up to dry after each event to prevent the formation of bacteria, mold or mildew. When in storage, mascots must not come into contact with water because it will lead to the same results.
Your garage or basement are excellent storage areas for many things, likely not for your mascot because of humidity or possibility of water damage. If there is a mold, mildew or humidity problem in your basement, or you live in a humid climate, or the area you live in is prone to floods, then your mascot must not be stored in the basement or the garage.
With the potential for high humidity in garages and basements, these are not suitable mascot storage areas. A mascot that is moldy is also unsafe, smelly and almost impossible to salvage. Storage areas for your mascot must be dry and climate controlled to ensure that they are kept clean and free from water damage.

Ventilated storage areas

In addition to having spacious, dry and clean storage areas, any storage facility for mascots must also allow for full ventilation. All parts of the costume, from the head and body, to feet and hands, must be stored with enough space to allow the air to circulate within the mascot parts.
Any storage area for mascots, including office closets or the mascot travel cases, that does not allow for fully circulating air could potentially damage your mascot. Just as dry air and clean conditions matter, the storage facility for your mascot must allow for sufficient air circulation to keep your mascot fresh and dry.

Secured storage areas

Your mascot is an investment that you need to protect like any other asset. Mascots can be stolen from events, but also from non-secure storage areas. Mascot storage requires at least lock and key protection and ideally the added security of onsite video surveillance. Those are conditions that are often just not feasible in an office. To minimize the possibility of theft, your best mascot storage solution is to take advantage of Hogtown Mascots’ storage facility. Their facility is climate controlled, reliable and equipped with CCTV for added security.
Do you need more information about mascot storage? Contact Hogtown Mascots today.