How to Prepare Your Furniture For Storage.
Preparing your furniture for storage can be time consuming. It is a good idea to start a few days before you will actually be transporting them. Remove casters and legs and place them with their hardware in well marked bags that will travel with the piece of furniture. Wrap your furniture with bubble wrap or blankets and secure them with tape, being very careful not to tape directly on wood or painted finishes.Beds - Dismantle headboards and bed frames. Tie or tape all lengthy pieces together so that none will be misplaced in shipping. Beds and box springs should be cleaned, vacuumed and then covered with mattress bags to keep them fresh and clean. Affordable Storage Centre has reasonably priced mattress bags that you can easily slip on your beds.
Lamps - Remove the bulb and harp from the base and roll up the cord. Lamps with large bases should be individually wrapped in furniture pads or padded blankets. Bases should be packed upright with the boxes marked “This End Up.” Smaller lamps may be individually wrapped and placed in boxes or dresser drawers. Lamp shades should be packed separately in boxes or in the bottom of a wardrobe box. It is very important that they be wrapped with non-print newsprint instead of regular newspaper, as the ink on newspaper will stain the shades.
Tables - Wherever possible, remove the legs from all tables and stand them on edge with protection underneath. If the legs won’t come off, place tables on their tops with the legs up being careful to protect the finish with pads and blankets. Padding should be applied right at the start to avoid damage during the move. Affordable’s rolled corrugated cardboard is perfect for wrapping table legs and table tops.
Sofas and Chairs – Wood bases, arms and legs should be protected with furniture pads or other padding. Armless chairs are best stacked together with a furniture pad between them. Tie them together with strips of cloth or material that will not rub or damage them. Brush upholstery and remove stains and food crumbs. Place a wooden pallet, or a cardboard or plastic sheet on the floor before putting your furniture or boxes in storage. To save space you can stand flat sided sofas on end. Puffy armed sofas or delicate sofas should be stored horizontally as the weight of the sofa may damage the arms and structure. Covering furniture with a cotton dust cover or sheet protects your sofa from dust and staining while in storage.
Dressers and Small Tables – Night tables, coffee tables and the like can be used as miniature storage containers. First remove small fragile items that can rattle around and break inside the drawers. Then fill the drawers with soft, light items, such as linens, towels, or cloths. Tape or tie the drawers so that they will not open during the move. Then protect the table or dresser with a blanket or bubble wrap. Remember to take castors off dressers or tables for the move. Put them in a zip lock bag and tape them to the furniture or put them in a drawer.