Furniture Removal: Guidelines on Preparing Common Materials for Storage
If you are downsizing your residential premises, you should consider putting away your bulky furniture into a storage facility. You can obtain the pieces later when you decide to upgrade again, sell the pieces or give them away. Moreover, this is also an ideal solution if you are moving and do not have enough resources to carry everything with you at once. Unfortunately, furniture removal means that you will not be able to provide daily care to the surfaces. This can make them vulnerable to damage, and their value and general aesthetics could be compromised. Here are simple guidelines on preparing furniture made from common materials for storage.
Leather
Leather furniture is expensive, so you should consider engaging a professional cleaner for the preparation process. However, you can perform the tasks with a few cleaning resources, some products and manual work. Clean the leather surfaces with specially-manufactured agents and a clean cloth. Place the piece in a well-ventilated room and allow it to dry completely. Moisture is one of the primary threats to leather because the material is ideal for microbial growths like mildew. Consequently, you should be very diligent in ensuring that there is no water in crevices. On the other hand, if the leather material dries out due to heat in the storage space, the material will crack, so apply leather conditioner. Finally, cover the furniture with a soft layer of fabric to protect from dust and allow proper 'breathing'.
Wood
Like leather, wood is vulnerable to damage from moisture during storage. Generally, humidity promotes fungal growth and accumulation of the liquid will eventually cause the timber to rot. You should wipe down the surfaces of the wood to remove the dust before preparation. Apply furniture polish in form of a spray or with a cloth to prevent penetration of moisture. Alternatively, you can wax the surfaces, if this is the treatment that you normally use on the pieces. Do not wrap the surfaces with shrink wrap because this will suffocate the pores on the wood. This will also encourage moisture build-up under the layer. Instead, cover with blankets for ideal protection and air circulation.
Metal
Metal furniture and even furniture parts can be easily neglected because the material is resilient. However, the surfaces are prone to tarnishing and corrosion which interferes with the visual appeal. Therefore, you should limit the oxidation reaction between air, water and the metal. Wipe down the metal surfaces and apply generous amounts of oil evenly to seal out potential contaminants.
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