Making sure nothing gets damaged is one of the most stressful parts of a move. It’s easy to think that solid items like tables and couches could not possibly break, but it’s important not to overlook protecting furniture when moving.

What You Need to Wrap and Protect Furniture

Before you get started, make sure you have these key materials. You can usually purchase these items from your local moving company, Uhaul, or hardware store:

• Moving blankets
• Rolls of shrink wrap
• Many rolls of packing tape
• Basic tool kit
• Mattress bags

Protecting Tables and Chairs

To move a dining room or kitchen table, remove any leaves from the table top and wrap them separately.

The legs are the part of large furniture that damage the most! Avoid this by unscrewing and removing the legs. Make sure to keep all the screws safe in a plastic bag taped to the bottom of the table. If the legs fit well  together, wrap them in one blanket. If they are carved wood or have any detailing on them, wrap them separately for good measure.

To move chairs, set them on top of a moving blanket and fold the sides up onto the seat of the chair. Then fold the top over the chair back and the bottom up, securing the whole thing with tape.

Wrapping Upholstered Furniture

To move upholstered furniture, it is important to protect them from rip, tears, and stains. Use large pads or moving blankets to fully wrap a chair or couch. If the legs are detachable, you should detach them and wrap them safely into the chair so they stay together. Use packing tape to secure the pads around the chair or couch. If you hire professional movers, they will do this for you and supply all the pads needed to get all your furniture from point A to point B safely.

To pack a mattress you should wrap it in a plastic mattress bag if possible, and close the openings with packing tape. The plastic will keep bugs and dirt off of your mattress while it’s in transport and protect it from tears. Again, movers should have special bags for all your mattresses when they arrive to load the truck.

Protecting the Bedroom Furniture

Deconstruct wooden bed frames as much as possible, with the panels individually wrapped. Metal bed frames should be taken apart unless they are soldered together. If this is the case, wrap the frame in moving blankets so it doesn’t scratch or dent anything it comes in touch with in the truck or storage unit.

Wrap dressers with their drawers inside to avoid internal damage. Firmly secure all the drawers in place with moving blankets and tape. If its not too heavy, you can leave clothes folded in the dresser. Filling it will keep it from bumping around.

Protecting Furniture is Important!

If you are protecting furniture when moving, make sure to spend the time to do it right. It is easy to overlook, but not protecting the furniture is the cause of stress after the move. If you want to avoid broken parts and scratched table tops, spend some careful and quality time wrapping and padding your furniture.

When you hire Olympia Moving & Storage, you don’t need to worry about any of this. Wrapping and protecting furniture is part of every one of our moves. We provide all the pads, plastic wrap, and tape. We also have partial and full packing options available to add on to your move.

If you’re ready to hire a moving company, give us a call toll-free at 800.222.4744 or fill out our form online for a free estimate.