Want your precious family heirloom and exotic furniture in pristine shape when retrieving them from storage? You just need to be a little more careful and organised when storing them.
A few simple, no-brainer tips can help protect
and preserve your furniture during both short-term and longer-term storage,
whether you’re moving cities, you’ve got little ones that flew the coup, or you’re
stashing away precious family keepsakes.
Clean Up Thoroughly
Dirty furniture
is often accompanied by all sorts of problems, from offensive odours spreading
across the room to mould, mildew, and pest infestation.
Make sure you
clean up your furniture thoroughly before storing them away. Wipe plastic
furniture and fabric items like couches and cushions with a damp cloth and
mildly soapy water. Wooden furniture and metal items should be cleaned with
wood cleaners and metal cleaners to protect their sheen.
Decouple Everything
Another tip that
can help ease the packing process is dismantling all your furniture down to the
last divisible unit. This makes it easier to load and unload them from the truck and minimises the risk of scratching or breaking them.
Label Everything
Place parts of
the same furniture together and label them accordingly. Things can really get messy
here. You need to pay a little more attention when sorting the pieces. Put the
screws, bolts, and smaller components of each furniture piece in a separate bag
and store them together with the rest of the furniture.
Use
Proper Wrapping Materials
Wrapping your furniture properly is essential,
especially in long-term storage. It’s the best way to protect them from dirt,
moisture, and other elements.
Use bedsheets, blankets, plastic wraps, etc.
to cover your furniture completely. Avoid using thick plastic covers or materials
with poor breathability to prevent moisture from getting trapped inside. And if
the storage unit is not climate controlled, cover the floor adequately before
putting your furniture to protect them from floor moisture.
Look out
for Breakables
Frail items like glass tabletops, mirrors, and antiques require special attention. Wrap them up in multiple layers of breathable material to give them as much protection as possible. You can wrap them first with packing paper, and then bubble wrap, then place them in a sturdy, properly-labelled cardboard box.
Organise
your Furniture Strategically
Don’t just throw
things randomly in your storage unit. Use a strategy to map out where to place
every item. Avoid stacking up furniture to prevent warping, cracks, and other
damages. And don’t cram the space – a good spacing tip is to leave at least a 5 cm pocket of space between each item.
These
simple tips can come in handy whenever you’re storing furniture. They can help
you avoid costly damages while also preserving the sheen and prestige of your
stored furniture for as long as needed.