If you recently rented a storage unit to use for storing some of your upholstered furniture, you may need to take a few steps before you place your things in the unit, especially if your unit is not temperature controlled. Taking the right steps will help protect your furniture while it is being stored in a self-storage unit.

Clean The Items Thoroughly

The first thing you will need to do is clean your furniture, and you must do this thoroughly. When you do this, you should begin by removing the cushions from your chairs and couches, if they can be removed. Next, vacuum the chairs, couches, and cushions as good as possible and make sure there is nothing stuck inside the items. After doing this, you can place the cushions back on the items.

Once you have vacuumed the furniture items, you can clean them. You can clean them yourself by renting a furniture-cleaning machine. These machines have attachments that can help you reach all the areas of the items, and they have suction to help you remove most of the water. If you do not want to rent a machine, you could mix a mild cleaning detergent with water and scrub the furniture items with a rag. The goal is to try to remove all the stains and spills from the furniture.

If your furniture contains wood on it, wash the wood with a mild detergent and apply furniture polish or wax to the wood parts.

Mold and mildew tend to grow easier when a piece of furniture has food spills or debris on it. By cleaning your furniture really well, you will reduce the chances of mold and mildew forming on the items when they are in storage. Once you are finished cleaning your furniture, let it thoroughly dry before bringing it to your storage unit.

Prepare The Unit

The next step you will need to take is preparing the storage unit for your things, and there are several things involved with this. The first is bringing the right supplies to the storage shed, and one important thing to bring are wooden pallets (or something similar). You can place the pallets on the floor inside your unit as a way of keeping your furniture off the ground. Furniture on the floor in the unit may be more likely to attract pests and rodents, and it might be more likely to get damaged from water too.

The next thing to consider is spraying a pesticide around the unit. This is a great step to take to fight off bugs and rodents. You may also want to place mouse traps around the unit to help keep rodents away. If you do this, you should wait until you have placed the furniture in the unit before setting up the traps.

In addition, you should try to avoid placing any items in the storage unit that might attract rodents and bugs. This includes food, scented candles, and potpourri.

Store Your Things

When you have completed the first two steps, your unit will be ready for your furniture. As you place the items in the unit, do not place them on their sides, especially couches and chairs. Storing couches and chairs in their normal positions reduces the possibility of damage. When you place a couch on its side, it may experience too much pressure on it, which could lead to damage.  

Once you have loaded the items into your storage shed, cover them with sheets, blankets, or fabric furniture covers to keep them protected.

If you need to rent a storage shed for any purpose, you can do so by contacting a storage unit facility in your area. They can help you select the right type and size of unit for your needs.

For more information, contact a company like All American Self Storage.