How to prepare your furniture for long term storage

The time has come to change your furniture. However, your old one is still in pretty good shape so it would be a shame to throw it away. For this reason, you can store your furniture for some time. Whether it is your priceless family heirloom or some inexpensive piece of furniture, you will want to protect it well. You can only achieve this if you prepare your furniture for long term storage correctly. As furniture can last for many years, it would a shame to damage it due to the lack of proper care. For this reason, either learn how to pack or look for professional packing services. 

See if the furniture is worth storing 

Sometimes, a couple of pieces of furniture are not worth storing. You will be just wasting your money and time when it is better to throw them away. For this reason, before you prepare your furniture for long term storage, do an inventory. See if the pieces should go to the storage. The easiest way to make a choice is to answer the following questions, 

• Is the furniture still functional and comfortable? 
• How about their overall condition? 
• Are those pieces antique, vintage or a collector’s pieces? 
• Was it expensive? 
• Is it of high quality? 
• Are you sentimentally attached to some pieces? 

If your answer is “yes” to more than two questions, then you should store that piece of furniture. 

Find an appropriate place to store your furniture 

There are several places where you can store your furniture. 

Attics and basements can be one of the places for storing. You do not have to pay the rent for the storage unit. In addition to this, your furniture will be close to you, so you can take the one you need without arranging transport. However, make sure you have enough space and that offer the protection from moisture and humidity. 

Garage and sheds are the next option, the best one for metal and plastic pieces. However, wood and leather items should not be stored in the garage or shed since they are very vulnerable to moisture and temperature change. 

Storage units are the last option and the most secure one. You should find a good company, such as movers Hilliard Ohio to see what they offer. Most companies now have climate-controlled units, which are perfect for fragile and vulnerable pieces. 

Prepare your furniture for long term storage 

Now that you know where to store and how to make a decision about storing, it is time to prepare your furniture for long term storage. The first thing you should do is to clean the items. Dust and dirt can seriously damage your items if you do not clean them properly. Take a towel or rug and water. After the good wash, make sure all the pieces are dried before going to the next step. In addition to this, use the appropriate fabric and leather cleaners so you can achieve your goal. Lastly, when your pieces are completely dry and moisture free, apply a coat of furniture polish. For the wooden items, use paste wax to protect the wood from drying out. On the other hand, use fabric protector or leather one for the upholstery.  

Disassemble large items 

Now that your furniture is clean, you need to disassemble large furniture. This means, all the beds, tables, cabinets and shelves need to be disassembled. First, take drawers out, remove legs, mattresses, headboards, footboards, and so on. It would be smart to do finish disassembling one item before starting the new one. This way, you will not mix up screws and bolts, thus causing the complete confusion. In addition to this, have several small plastic bags near you. This way you can put the screws and bolts immediately into the bag. Do not forget to write down where it came from since this will help you once you need to put the furniture back together. 

Prepare your furniture for long term storage by packing them correctly 

Since your aim is to protect your furniture, you can achieve this by packing them properly. Buy as many cardboard boxes as you need for all of your items. Then, you need to cover all the furniture pieces as a way to protect them from dust, dirt, and fading. You can use old sheets, blankets, plastic sheeting, and so on. For wooden pieces, you should use padded covers or moving blankets. Place cardboard pieces over the glass parts and then wrap it. Since you need to secure the wrapping material so it will not fall off, use moving tape. In addition to these covers, you need to place additional padding around corners and edges to avoid scratches.  

Store your furniture safely 

Lastly, you need to know how to store your furniture. Pay attention to the following details. 

• Line the floor – Do not put your furniture directly on the floor, but rather line the floor with plastic sheeting.  
• Raise the furniture – by raising the pieces from the floor, it will protect them from moisture. In addition to this, this is extremely important when you want to store wood furniture. You can use wooden pallets or cinder blocks for this purpose. 
• Organize the storage unit properly – put larger and heavier items on the bottom while the smaller one should go on the top. Make sure everything is secured. 
• Leave space between – try not to overstaff your storage unit, but rather leave the space between so you can walk inside freely without knocking things over. 
• Avoid pests – Check if your storage unit has pest control, and do not leave any perishable things inside.  

How to prepare your furniture for long term storage 

There you have it, all the important tips to follow when you want to prepare your furniture for long term storage. Remember, if you prepare them properly, your furniture will last for more years to come.