What’s the best way to protect furniture whilst in self storage? Make sure you take the time to store it correctly.
With these top storage tips, you’ll be able to protect all your furniture, whether they are priceless family heirlooms, excess furniture waiting to be gifted to family or brought back to your home after your extension.
- Investigate the storage options available to you.
Do you keep your furniture for the long term or do you sell it and buy new when the time comes to move into your new home? In lots of cases, opting to store furniture makes sense if you’re in the middle of a move or going through a life event.
When storing furniture, protection from the elements is paramount. Consider all of your options before choosing a storage space. If you’re serious about maintaining this furniture in storage over the longer term, you’ll want to make sure your storage environment is perfect. Storing in cheaper external shipping containers that are susceptible to damp or condensation will probably not be the right choice – a purpose built indoor storage facility is probably a much more sensible decision.
- Clean everything thoroughly.
Protect furniture in storage by ensuring everything is clean. Unclean furniture can have offensive odours which may travel to nearby units or into your other furniture, cleaning will also reduce the chance of dust in your storage space.
Some tips for cleaning furniture before putting into storage:
> With wooden or plastic furniture, use a baby wet wipe to clean visible dust and marks.
> Clean fabric items like sofas and seat cushions with fabric or upholstery cleaner. Check that everything is completely dry before you start packing it up and make sure you vacuum the internal pouches that gather items like coins, crumbs and wrappers over time.
> Polish any metal sections with a polishing cloth and metal cleaner. This step will help remove any existing oxidation and delay the build-up of tarnish.
- Take everything apart.
Before moving items from each room, take apart everything you can — this includes desks, bookshelves, wardrobes and more. This extra step will make your packing up the removal van and self storage unit far easier. And it will also reduce the likelihood of breaking or scratching anything.
Put all screws, bolts, allen keys, and other small items in a labelled food bag, and tape to the furniture piece to which it belongs.
- Wrap furniture for long-term storage.
Make sure everything is well covered and protected, wrap picture frames in bubblewrap, mattresses and sofas in protective covers, fragile items in strong boxes.
Try not to put furniture into your self storage unit which is unprotected. Use dust sheets or plastic wrap to cover the pieces and protect them from dust, elements whilst moving and to protect in transit and in store. Antique furniture and wooden items are better protected with dust sheets as it allows it to breathe.
- Protect glass items.
Mirrors, Pictures and Glass tabletops require some extra precautions. Use bubblewrap and corner protectors. Don’t stick tape directly to the glass, as it will leave a nasty residue for you to clean later.
Smaller glass picture frames can be placed in boxes for some extra security. Use doubled walled boxes so they are strong enough to be stacked.
- Don’t ever try to store food or perishable items.
Whether you’re storing furniture long term or for a few months, never leave anything perishable in your storage room that may attract bugs or unwanted mould.
- Don’t cram too much inside.
The best way to store furniture in a storage unit is by not overdoing it – whilst we may all be secret Tetris enthusiasts! A sure-fire way to break something valuable is by cramming too much stuff into your self storage unit. Take time to think about what you might need – leave those items to last and store near the doors. Pack furniture methodically by starting with the largest pieces and placing boxes and small items under legs or in cupboards.
Always try to leave a central aisle to access the rear of the storage room. Try to keep your storage space clean and decluttered in order to protect furniture and fragile items. If you try to cram in more and more stuff, you risk breaking things or causing damage.
Storing furniture in a storage unit doesn’t need to be complicated or stressful. At Go Store Self Storage our friendly team are always on hand to help advise which unit will be most appropriate for your storage needs.