How to prepare furniture for storage

Do you want to store your furniture in a unit? Maybe you want to buy new furniture but the old one is still good enough. Or maybe, you are moving to a different state or even overseas. Long distance movers Baltimore can help with organizing your relocation. If you need to move out of your current home, you should find a place to store your furniture. However, you cannot just put your furniture inside and call it a day. If you want to use your furniture again, you need to protect it well. For this reason, you should prepare furniture for storage. If you do not know how to do it, do not worry. You can find all the important tips and tricks to prepare furniture for storage in this article.  

Investigate storage options and find a storage unit for you 

When you need to find your Baltimore storage unit, you have to be careful. The average cost of a storage unit depends on size, rental period, special features and so on. For this reason, you need to have reliable sources for finding storage units. 

• Ask your friends and family – if someone you know is renting a storage unit and they are satisfied, you can rent one from the same storage facility too.
• Search on the Internet – not exactly the most reliable source, but it is a good start. Type in storage units near me, or climate-controlled units depending on your needs. 
• Visit official websites of storage facilities – the best way to check the services and prices of storage units is by visiting the official websites. 
• Local Facebook groups and local newspapers – storage facilities advertise their units in local newspapers while you can ask in your FB group for recommendations. 

Prepare your furniture for storage by renting the best one 

Before you sign the rental agreement, you should check several things first. When you are searching online for storage solutions, pay attention to reviews. You can visit either Consumers Advocate or Yelp. See if people are generally satisfied with the general state of storage units. If the overall grade is lower than 3-stars, then search for another storage facility. In addition to this, it would be wise to visit storage units before you rent one. This especially applies if you plan to store your furniture for a longer period of time. If this is the case, then opt for a climate-controlled unit. This unit will ensure your furniture will stay safe from the extreme temperature changes and moisture. Wooden furniture, instruments, antiques, art collection, sofas with delicate fabrics will benefit the most from this type of unit. 

Prepare furniture for storage by cleaning it thoroughly 

You should never put your furniture in a storage unit without cleaning it first. Mold and dust can damage your pieces. For this reason, cleaning is an important step when you need to prepare furniture for storage. Here are the most important tips for cleaning the furniture.  

• Use a mild soap and water to clean wooden and plastic furniture. In addition to this, for wooden pieces, you can use a special wood cleaner. This will add another protective layer.  
• If you plan to store your sofa or any other piece of furniture that has fabric, use a fabric or upholstery cleaner. Make sure everything is completely dry. Any residual moisture can cause damage.  
• Metal sections should be polished with a cloth and metal cleaner. You can remove oxidation and even delay the build-up of tarnish. 

Take everything apart 

When you need to prepare furniture for storage, you should take everything apart. This means disassemble anything you can. It is much easier to pack your furniture when it is in pieces. In addition to this, you can save money if you disassemble your furniture. The reason is quite simple. You can rent a smaller unit when you take everything apart. For this reason, if you plan to store desks, bookshelves, chairs, tables, and similar items, make sure to disassemble. However, you should be careful with this task. If you do not how to do it, then read a manual or ask for professional assistance. Put all small bolts and screws in labeled bags that you should put next to the furniture pieces. 

Wrap your furniture 

You have to wrap your furniture in order to protect it properly. This includes the floor of your storage unit as well. You should put thick plastic sheeting on the floor as a way to protect storage against flooding. This will prevent moisture from the floor to seep into your items. This step is not necessary if you rent a climate-controlled unit. However, if you opt for one that does not have this option, then do not skip this part. In addition to this, you need to protect your furniture as well. Use blankets, old sheets, plastic wrapping or even bubble wrapping to protect your furniture from dust and moisture. However, make sure your furniture is completely dry. Otherwise, when you use plastic wrapping, you will seal moisture inside which can create condensation and eventual swelling. 

Other important tips  

Here are some other tips when you need to prepare furniture for storage. 

• Protect glass parts – first clean those items and then cover it in bubble wrapping or put it inside the box. Moving boxes can come here in handy. 
• Raise furniture off the floor – use pallets or cinder blocks. This will add an extra layer of protection.  
• Make sure not to leave food behind – if you are storing kitchen cabinets, make sure not to leave food inside as this will attract pests and insects. 
• Do not put too many pieces inside – if you cram too many pieces inside, one might fall due to bad organization, thus causing damage. 

All the tips and tricks to prepare furniture for storage 

As you can see, these would be all the important steps to follow. Make sure to prepare furniture for storage well.