Furniture Storage Tips

Remodeling your home? Downsizing for a while? Whatever your reason for storing furniture, you must remember that it does not need to be a hassle. Regardless if you are storing your furniture for a short period or a long period, here are tips to keep your furniture safe and sound in storage.

Clean and prepare

Prep your furniture for storage like a pro! Here's how to thoroughly clean and dry each piece before it heads to its temporary home.

Upholstery: Vacuum to remove dirt or debris and use an upholstery cleaner to lift odours. Make sure it is completely dry before storing.

Leather: Vacuum, then use a good quality leather cleaner.

Wood: First, dust, and then you can use a wood cleaner or a mild solution of soap and water.

Glass: Dust before using glass cleaner to remove any marks

Remember, you need time for everything to dry before wrapping furniture for storage. Moisture is not your friend. You should start your cleaning 24 to 48 hours before you want to start wrapping your furniture for storage.


Disassemble

Dismantling all your furniture down to the last divisible unit can make it easier to transport and store it. It becomes easier to load and unload it from the truck and it minimises the risk of scratching or breaking it.

When you’re disassembling your furniture, ensure you keep copies or photos of assembly instructions, and keep sealed ZipLock bags with any screws and specific tools secured to the furniture for future reassembling.


Label

Label all of your boxes so you know what is inside. Also, group parts of the same furniture together and label them accordingly.


Covering and Protecting

While every step matters, furniture wrapping is the ultimate shield for storing your belongings. Without properly wrapping furniture, your items may be ruined by dirt, moisture, and other factors, such as temperature fluctuations and impact.

The following items will be useful for the transportation and storage of your furniture.

• Packing wrap
• Moving blankets
• Bubble wrap
• Packing tape
• Dollys
• Lifting straps
• Tie-downs
• Double-corrugated storage boxes.
• Labels
• Markers

Avoid using thick plastic covers or materials with poor breathability to prevent moisture from getting trapped inside. If the storage unit is not climate-controlled, cover the floor adequately before putting your furniture to protect it from floor moisture.

Breakables like mirrors, antiques, and glass tables should be wrapped in multiple layers of breathable material to give them as much protection as possible. You can pack them in a combination of packing paper and bubble wrap, then place them in a sturdy box.


Store Your Furniture Intelligently

Strategically map out where you are going to place everything before you start to avoid stacking up furniture where damage may occur. And don’t cram the space—a good spacing tip is to leave at least a 5 cm pocket of space between each item.



Lastly, when in doubt, contact a professional! Call your local Storage King on 1800 100 700 (AU) or 0800 220 210 (NZ) to learn about our huge range of moving and packing materials.