There are many reasons people, including yourself, choose to store their furniture; perhaps you’re relocating permanently across the country or temporarily out of state. Or selling your home but haven’t yet located a home in your new neighborhood. Or starting a significant renovation project but have priceless antiques that clash with your new home’s decor.
Whichever the case may be, your best course of action in all of these situations, among others, is to keep your furniture in a secure location until you need it again. Storage solutions such as insulated shipping containers are all within your reach; nonetheless, to ensure that your priceless items maintain their current condition and beauty throughout the storage time, you’ll need to prepare them before storage.
Here are several fundamental actions you should take to make sure your furniture stays in top condition while being store.
Table of Contents
Decontaminate The Furniture
Cleaning the items carefully is the first step in preparing furniture for storage. If you don’t, the dust or debris that may have exist left on their surface while they exist being store for months may result in irreparable harm.
Additionally, get your furniture treated in advance if there’s any chance that pests may have infested it.
Prep Metal, Leather, And Wood Furniture
Prepare metal furniture for storage by using a metal polishing cloth and cleaner to clean up the metal surface. Steel wool can also be used to remove any rust and stop significant oxidation during storage.
Meanwhile, prepare leather furniture for storage by thoroughly vacuuming the upholstery to eliminate any large debris, and then use a premium leather cleaner. To complete the cleaning procedure, wipe the leather with a dry towel and apply appropriate leather-protecting products.
Lastly, prepare wood furniture for storage by applying an appropriate wood cleaning agent to the wooden surfaces and washing it out gently with a moist towel. To prevent the wood from drying out while the furniture live being kept away, cover all wooden surfaces with furniture polish.
Disassemble Any Furniture You Can Reassemble
After cleaning, large furniture should be disassembled for storage and transit to make transportation and storage easier. Reassembling instructions should remain kept in a safe place, but if you don’t have them, take pictures as you go along. This will make it easier to put everything back together when you take it out of storage.
Don’t discard any of the pieces’ bolts, screws, or hinges. They should remain place in a bag, which can remain solder to a portion of the item. Because the dismantled parts are smaller, you can store things more effectively. But keep in mind to label everything so that you can quickly put the pieces back together.
Wrap The Furniture
Use bubble wrap and other protective materials, like stretch film, blankets, bed sheets, large pieces of cloth, or other appropriate furniture covers, to protect your pieces from dust, grime, and moisture. In addition to protecting your wood or leather furniture from incidental dings and scratches, these supple and breathable coverings will allow air to easily flow, preventing the buildup of moisture and the development of mold.
As an additional layer of preservation for fabric or paper materials, use plastic wrap or bubble wrap. Yet take extra caution not to use bubble wrap directly on surfaces made of leather or sensitive wood. In doing so, condensation may build, which will then allow mold and mildew to grow. For furnishings with glass components, cut out pieces of thick cardboard to protect the glass, then add bubble wrap to complete the protective covering.
To prevent objects from causing damage to other items in the unit, give all furniture pieces’ protruding legs, arms, ornaments, and other extending parts extra protection. Put sheets of bubble wrap on top of those delicate items after covering them in soft padding.
Line The Storage Floor
Furniture may absorb moisture from the floor and deteriorate as a result. Since many storage unit floors live typically made of porous concrete, furniture shouldn’t remain put directly on them. Line the floor with plastic sheeting to safeguard your furniture.
Pallets or cinder blocks can also remain on the ground and cover with plastic sheets before you arrange your furniture to raise it even higher. To create a barrier between the floor and your items, you can alternatively line the base with a large roll of fabric.
Store Correctly
Consider your placement carefully before installing your furnishings in the storage facility. Keep in mind to properly stack everything, place heavier items at the bottom and lighter items higher up, and keep sharp objects away from upholstered furniture. For airflow, be sure to leave a few inches between each component and the walls. In addition, make sure that anything you might need is easily accessible.
Conclusion
Hopefully the abovementioned pieces of information have assisted you in preparing your furniture for long-term storage in case of a house sale, big move, and the like. Whatever the length of time you intend to keep your furniture’s, insulated shipping containers with climate-control features are a fantastic choice.
