You think you’ve done everything right. Wrapped it up, packed it away, stacked it carefully. Months pass. Then one day you open the unit. The couch smells musty. The table leg is scratched. The finish on the dresser feels tacky.
It’s frustrating. Not because you didn’t try—but because you didn’t know what you didn’t know.
This isn’t a checklist. It’s more like a walkthrough. The kind you’d get from someone who’s been burned by bad storage decisions and just wants to help you avoid the same. If you’re wondering how to store furniture in a storage unit, these lessons apply to nearly every furnishing you might want to protect.
Start Before You Store
Look at each piece. Really look. Not as decoration but as a thing that’s going to sit somewhere cold and still for a long time. Dust it off. Wipe it down. Vacuum the cushions. Get the crumbs out. Even if it doesn’t look dirty. Dirt turns to grit in storage. Grit becomes damage.
Wood needs a layer—something light like polish or wax. Not for shine. For protection. Let everything dry completely. Water doesn’t disappear. It hides. Wood furniture, especially living room furniture, can suffer from moisture damage if not cleaned and dried completely before storing.
If something’s already loose, tighten it. If something’s cracked, note it. What’s small now gets worse later.
Take It Apart (Mostly)
Some things aren’t meant to be moved in one piece. Take the legs off. Pull drawers out. Take cushions off. Bag the screws. Tape the bag to the frame or keep it all in one labeled box. You’ll forget otherwise. Disassembling larger furniture items makes them easier to transport and reduces the risk of damage. Store screws and small hardware in labeled bags to keep them organized and easily accessible.
If it’s antique or fragile, maybe don’t mess with it. Sometimes intact is safer.
Record a short video of how it came apart. You’ll thank yourself.
Wrap Like You Mean It
What you wrap with matters. Breathable is good—old sheets, blankets, cloths. Avoid plastic unless you like mildew. Bubble wrap works for glass or sharp corners. Tape should never touch the furniture. To wrap furniture safely, use drop cloths, packing paper, or moving blankets, and avoid sealing it in plastic wrap or plastic sheets that can trap moisture.
Don’t overdo it. You want coverage, not suffocation. For wood, a light olive oil and vinegar rub works. Keeps it from drying out.
Leather needs conditioning. Not just before wrapping—regularly, if you’re storing long-term. Leather items benefit from consistent conditioning, especially in long term storage.
Wrap legs separately. Cover the arms. Use corner protectors if you have them. Or even if you don’t—make some out of cardboard.
Stack Without Crushing
This isn’t Tetris. Stack heavy on the bottom. Light on top. Keep things off the floor. Use pallets, cinder blocks, anything that raises furniture above concrete. Concrete holds moisture. Elevating furniture off the floor with wooden pallets helps prevent damage from trapped moisture.
Don’t cram. Leave space. Air matters. So does access. If you need something mid-storage, you’ll regret not leaving a path.
Nest items if you must—chairs seat to seat, tables upside-down. Fill gaps with pillows or blankets. Not for space, but for safety.
Watch the Air
Humidity ruins things slowly. Warps wood. Feeds mold. A climate-controlled unit helps. If that’s not an option, use silica packs. Or a small dehumidifier. Climate controlled storage units help mitigate temperature fluctuations that can warp or crack wooden and metal furniture.
You can monitor humidity with a cheap hygrometer. They work. Keep the unit sealed. But open it sometimes to air out, especially in humid climates.
Avoid direct sun. It fades fabrics. Even through half-closed doors.
Pests show up where there’s food or quiet corners. Use cedar blocks. Lavender sachets. Something natural. No crumbs allowed.
The Mistakes People Make
Plastic wrap. Overstacking. No insurance. No labels. Forgetting what’s in the back. These aren’t tragic mistakes. But they add up. When storing upholstered furniture, avoid plastic wrap, which can trap moisture and lead to mildew.
The biggest one? Rushing. Storing is easy to delay until the last minute. Then it becomes shoving instead of planning.
Don’t do that.
Quiet Reminder
Furniture doesn’t ask for much. Just a clean start, a little care, and somewhere stable to rest. You’ve probably kept it through moves and changes. One more step now saves you the trouble later. Use mattress covers to protect mattresses in self storage units. Store furniture like dining room tables and bed frames upright to save space and avoid damage.
And if something still goes wrong? Well. At least it wasn’t because you didn’t care. To keep your belongings safe, visit the nearest facility and ask about supplies for long term storage, such as moving blankets, labeled bags, and bubble wrap for glass elements.
