When putting furniture in storage, it’s essential you protect it from the elements. If you are serious about keeping your furniture for years to come, then you will want to make sure the storage environment is safe, clean and secure. You want a storage facility that protects your belongings from the weather that keeps them safe and secure.
Clean Your Furniture
If you are putting your furniture into storage and it needs cleaning, then we have put together some tips for you.
For plastic or wooden furniture that you are placing into storage, use a wet baby wipe. This will clean all visible dust off. You can also use it to wipe any dirt or marks off of the furniture too.
When you are cleaning fabric items like sofas and seat cushions before putting them in storage, we would recommend a fabric or upholstery cleaner. Once you have used the cleaner ensure that everything is completely dry before you start packing it. It’s also a good idea to vacuum the internal pouches. This is because they can gather things like sweet wrappers, coins, crumbs and dust over time.
If your furniture has any metal sections, we recommend that these are cleaned too. This can be done with a polishing cloth and some metal cleaner. Cleaning your metal in this way, will help to remove any existing oxidisation. In turn, this will reduce and delay the build-up of tarnish.
Take Furniture Apart
Taking your large furniture apart will make it easier to get into the van to get it to the storage unit. It will also make it easier to fit into the storage unit. Moving the furniture will be easier too, and damage less likely. By having smaller items to carry you will reduce the likelihood of breaking or scratching your beloved furniture.
It is important that you remember to keep all screws, nuts, bolts, runners, Allen keys, handles and other small items in a bag. Label the bag clearly with what is in it and the item of furniture it is from. If possible, then attach these bags to the item of furniture it belongs to. This will make it easier when you take the furniture back out of storage.
Wrap Your Furniture
It is very important that you do not place your furniture in secure storage without protection. Things like dust sheets and plastic wraps can be used to cover your pieces of furniture and protect them from dust or the elements. It’s important to remember that you aren’t just protecting your furniture when it’s in storage. You need to wrap your furniture to ensure it is protected for the move to and from the storage unit too.
If you have any antique furniture or large wooden furniture that you want to place in storage, we recommend dust sheets instead of plastic wrap to cover and protect it. The benefit of dust sheets is that they will allow the furniture to breathe. This will reduce the risk of any potential damage to your furniture while it is in secure storage.
Protect Glass Furniture
While it may be tempting, never stick packing tape directly to the glass. This is because it can result in a nasty residue that could take a lot of time to clean off when the furniture comes out of storage.
If you have smaller glass picture frames or glass ornaments and vases, these can be wrapped and then placed in strong boxes for extra security. We recommend that you use double-walled cardboard boxes. This is because they will be strong enough to hold and protect your belongings. The boxes will also be strong enough to be stacked.
Never Overpack Furniture
Take the time to think about what you need to place into storage if it comes apart and how big it is. This will help you decide how much storage space you need for your furniture. Don’t forget to calculate in the packaging materials to keep the furniture safe and protected too. A good way to pack your furniture is to start with the largest pieces and then the smaller items. By doing it this way, you can store the smaller items under legs or inside cupboards to save space.
Think about access to the furniture in the storage unit too. We recommend leaving a pathway or aisle through the centre of the storage unit. This will allow you to gain access to any items you need without having to fully empty the storage unit before putting it all back again when you have what you need. It’s a good idea to keep the storage space clean, clear and uncluttered too. This will avoid the risk of trip hazards in the storage space.