CLEAN, PROTECT AND STORE COUCHES
Couches are expensive and there’s always going to be an aftermarket for your old couch and 3-piece suites. Whether it’s for your older kids who are already saving for a mortgage and would like to use your old couch until they get on their feet, or you may have a further need for it or if you’re making arrangements to sell, instead of having it uplifted, you’ll find it far more convenient to have it in professional storage rather than hoarding much-needed space in your home until it’s sold.
Whatever the reason, when you need to keep couches in a professional Container Storage Unit, you’ll want to make sure you’ve taken protective measures to keep couches and suites in the same condition as they went into Storage to ensure they maintain quality for longer and are protected from damage.
PREPARING COUCHES, SOFAS AND CHAIRS FOR STORAGE
Inspecting for loose items
Before you part with any couches, sofas, or chairs, you’ll want to check the insides not just for the potential of finding loose change, or if you’re luckier loose notes but more so for important documents that may have slipped between the cushions. Personal bank statements and other confidential documents can slip inside couches easily.
Some models make it easier to inspect for loose items by either removable cushions, including the seating and back cushions, whereas newer models can sometimes have zippers underneath the couch so you can get inside and remove loose items. Older couches are usually stapled underneath, requiring the staples to be removed and then replaced when access inside the couch is complete.
Cleaning Couches
Depending on the material, such as fabric or leather couches the cleaning will be different. For example, on a fabric couch you can give it a good and deep clean using the fabric attachment on a steam cleaner. On leather couches, you can’t use a steam cleaner as the high temperatures would damage the leather.
For fabrics, steam cleaning is far easier but if you don’t have access to one, simply use a suitable detergent for the fabric. In a lot of cases, washing up liquid is fine. Don’t forget to vacuum the couch first in order to remove any dirt or debris as you don’t want this being rubbed into the couch when cleaning.
For leather couches, these are best cleaned with a cloth that’s been dampened in soft water. If you live in an area with hard water which is common south of the border, it’s best to leave the water out overnight to dechlorinate or use filtered or distilled water. A simple way to tell if you have hard water is if you find limescale a problem on your electrical appliances. If your iron and kettle need frequently treated with a limescale remover, chances are, your water will need dechlorinated before using it. In Scotland this isn’t usually an issue.
The damp cloth is only to loosen dust and grime. Once that’s done, you can apply a leather cleaner to the couch, leave it to work for however long the instructions say, then wipe it off with a clean dry cloth.
As a last step with leather, it’s a good idea to apply a leather conditioner once you’ve used the leather cleaner and cleaned it off as this helps to maintain the leathers firmness which helps prevent it from wrinkling and keeps it soft.
It’s also a good idea to use your vacuum cleaners brush attachment to hoover up between the cushions as a lot of crumbs and dust can accumulate over time.
Preparing your Couches for Transport
The last part before your couches are put into a container storage unit is to prep it for transportation. Due to the size, it can be tricky to move couches out of narrow doorways, so it helps to take measurements and plan how you’re going to get it out of your home for transport.
Unless you have double opening doors like French Doors, it’s likely you’ll have to remove the feet from the couches and the cushions. Which will reduce its size and aid with maneuvering through narrow doors.
Once you have the feet and cushions removed, it’s a good idea to wrap the couch in bubble wrap. In particular, the edges as those are the most high-risk areas for damage which is caused by getting caught on door frames.
The bubble wrap is to protect to couch during transportation. Once your couch or suite is in Storage, you’ll want to keep it in the pristine condition from the cleaning. You can wrap it with plastic sheeting to prevent dust from accumulating.
At Top Box Self Storage, all our containers are large enough to accommodate couches and 3-piece suites without stacking items on top of them or leaning heavy items up against them, both of which could cause damage to your couch in storage.
Should you need advice about storing couches in our Storage Containers, call us on 01506 883912 or 07742 542790.
