Furniture is the item that is most commonly stored in a self storage facility. Whether it is during a move, a renovation, or during a downsize, furniture items such as sofas, dining room chairs and tables, beds, office furniture, and wardrobes often need to be kept in a safe place until you’re ready to deal with them.

Storing your furniture in a storage unit so that it remains in pristine condition requires more than just dumping it haphazardly into your unit, and hoping for the best when you decide to take it out. Preparation of your furniture is needed to prevent it from being scratched, eaten by pests, or becoming warped. To make sure that it comes out in the same condition that it was when you packed it requires preparation and planning.

How to Prepare Your Furniture for Storage

  1. Make sure that all your furniture items are clean and dry. Never store furniture when it is dirty. It will develop bad odours while it is locked away, and these are impossible to get rid of. There is a chance of these bad smells affecting the units adjoining yours.
    Clean it a few days before packing to make sure everything is completely dry to avoid the build-up of mold or mildew. These will damage your furniture and stain any upholstery permanently.
  2. Upholstered chairs and sofas need to be vacuumed, and any stains spot cleaned. Have your furniture professionally cleaned or use an upholstery cleaner to do it yourself. Make sure that there are no crumbs or bits of food hidden anywhere under the cushions as these will act as a magnet for unwanted pests.
  3. Glass surfaces should be cleaned with a window cleaner. Plastic furniture should be wiped down with a mixture of soap and warm water.
  4. Treat any steel handles, hinges, and fixtures for rust if necessary. Rust can stain any upholstery so should be cleaned away before packing up your items.
  5. Apply furniture polish or wood cleaner to your wooden items to ensure that they are clean and dust free before they are packed away.
  6. Clean any leather upholstery with a leather conditioner to prevent it from drying out and cracking.
  7. Polish any metal sections using a soft cloth and a metal cleaner. This will remove any existing rust or oxidation and help prevent the build-up of tarnish.

Once everything is properly cleaned and dry, you are ready for the next steps.

Disassemble Any Furniture That You Can

The reason for taking any furniture items apart you can is that you will be able to save space when packing them into your unit. Remember you pay for your unit per square foot so any space saved is worth it.

Furniture such as desks, chairs, and tables as well as bookshelves can be taken apart. Unscrew legs from tables and chairs. Remove drawers so they can be stacked separately. Bag the screws, Allen keys, and other small items together. Label these bags and tape them to the corresponding piece of furniture. Tape legs together and store them alongside furniture items. This will keep the bits and pieces together and make your life easier when you need to reassemble it.

Wrap Furniture for Storage

Use old sheets, blankets, and table clothes to wrap wooden items for protection. The wood will be able to breathe. It will also protect your furniture from scratches and dents, and keep it dust free. Don’t use thick plastic as it will tend to trap any moisture that is present, cause condensation, and lead to wood warping and swelling.

Preparing Glass Items

Make sure you give extra attention to breakables such as glass tabletops, mirrors, and pictures. Wrap each piece with wrapping paper before covering it in bubble wrap. Place them into a cardboard box if you can get one large enough. If you have a valuable art collection it will be worth your while investing in special packaging.

Don’t tape anything directly onto the glass as this will leave a sticky residue that is difficult to remove.

How to Organize Your Furniture in a Storage Unit

  • Make sure your storage unit is clean, swept, and ready for your furniture. Place a tarpaulin on the floor or use wooden pallets to raise your furniture off the floor. There is always the danger of moisture being present in the cement of the floor and seeping into your furniture. Moisture is what will cause damage to any wooden furniture.
  • Organise your storage unit by packing the largest pieces first. Follow these with the smaller pieces. Use pillows to cushion your furniture. Otherwise, leave at least two inches between each piece so that there is no danger of them being scratched or dented if they are pushed into each other.
  • Leave an aisle down the middle to be able to access any part of the unit.
  • The more you try and cram into your storage space, the more risk there is of knocking stuff over, scratching pieces, and causing other damage.
  • If you need access to some of the items whilst they are in storage, remember to pack them at the front of your unit.

How Stop & Store Fareham Can Assist with the Safekeeping of Your Furniture

Renting one of our clean and dry self storage units will ensure that your furniture remains safe and organised.

  • Our security is second to none with 24/7 monitored CCTV surveillance, and controlled access, and our facility is well maintained.
  • One of the most important ways to ensure that your furniture will be safe during storage is to choose a unit that is the right size. If you are unsure or need help estimating, please consult our handy Space Calculator so that you pick the perfect size for the amount of stuff you have.
  • Our office hours are 7 days a week, from 8 am to 8 pm.
  • Please check our website for what our customers have to say about us.

We are conveniently located in the Fareham Shopping Centre, in the heart of the town. You will have easy access to load and unload your goods.

Tel: 01329 556174. We look forward to hearing from you.

https://www.stopandstore.co.uk/