How to cover furniture for self-storage

Are you planning a move? Perhaps you’re going to be moving house or changing business premises soon and starting to think about what you need to take (and how you’ll get it to the new place safely).

Although you’ll need to move everything out of the place you’re leaving, you don’t necessarily have to take everything with you on moving day – you could put items you won’t need straight away into storage until a later date.

Whether you’re moving home or business premises, putting furniture in self-storage could help to make the moving process easier by:

• having the ability to move items out gradually rather than all at once
• reducing the amount of items you need to move on the day (potentially saving time and money on removals services)
• protecting items which aren’t currently in use and storing them safely until you need them.

How to prepare furniture for storage

1. Gently dust and clean each item using a soft cloth and an appropriate anti-bacterial cleaning product for the type of furniture (e.g. wood, metal or glass), then leave to air dry completely to prevent any moisture from becoming trapped and causing mould or mildew later on.
2. If possible, disassemble any large/heavy furniture (such as chests of drawers or beds) and label the parts (such as legs or slats) carefully, storing them together to make reassembly easier later on.
3. For any furniture you can’t disassemble, consider how you could use empty cupboards and drawers to store other things for ease of transport (and to maximise space in the storage unit).
4. Protect items with appropriate packing materials to prevent damage in transit.

You can do this by:

• Cover upholstered furniture (such as sofas and beds) with drop cloths or sheets to protect the fabric from dust/tears. Fabric coverings are generally better than plastic sheets as they allow air to circulate.
•  Use old towels or blankets to cover wooden furniture and make sure to wrap the legs in bubble wrap to prevent nicks and chips.
• Protect glass surfaces (such as desk tops) from scratches by covering them with packing paper and taping the edges down.
• Wrap fragile items (such as lamps) in bubble wrap to prevent breakage in case of them being knocked or dropped.

5. Consider how you’ll position the items during transit and when you unload them into the storage unit; you may need to lay down a protective covering such as old carpet, blankets, sheets or towels underneath furniture to prevent it from coming into contact with hard surfaces.

Find out more about self-storage options for furniture

When it comes to choosing a storage company for your furniture, please browse our website or contact us for information about self-storage options across our four North West locations. We’ll be happy to advise you about furniture storage and the right type/size of storage unit for your needs, whether you’re a personal or business customer.