SMART STORAGE TIPS. FURNITURE Place your furniture on a pallet, cardboard, or plastic sheet on the floor. Keep all upholstered items up off the floor. Stand sofas and mattresses on end. Disassemble beds, tables and other furniture. Wrap the legs of tables, beds and chairs in paper to prevent scratching. Place tables on their tops with legs up on a padded surface. Cover all furniture with dust covers like bed linens or commercially available sheets. Stack boxes on top of dressers, use the drawers for smaller delicate items. Stack lightweight chairs seat-to-seat. APPLIANCES Ensure your refrigerator or freezer is thoroughly dry and store with the door slightly ajar. Use the space inside the appliances to store small boxes. Ensure that stoves and cooking equipment are thoroughly cleaned before storage. BICYCLES, TOOLS, OTHER METAL ITEMS Wipe unpainted metal surfaces with a rag containing a few drops of machine oil to prevent rusting. Deflate tires on bikes. Long-handled tools such as rakes, shovels, and hoes should be cleaned, lightly oiled and bundled. BOOKS, FILES, RECORDS, DOCUMENTS Pack books flat to protect their spines. Place boxes on pallets or skids to prevent moisture absorption from the concrete floors. Fill any empty pockets with packing material such as bubble padding, or other packing material. Avoid packing books and fragile items together. Do not overload your boxes or cartons. DISHES, GLASSWARE, DELICATE ITEMS Line the bottom and top of all boxes containing glassware with a thick layer of packing material. Wrap all items individually - don't scrimp on time or material. Place heavier items, like plates and bowls, at the bottom of boxes and light items, like glasses and cups, at the top. Fill all empty pockets with packing material. Nest cups, bowls; stand plates, saucers and platters on edge. Ensure all boxes containing dishes and glassware are labeled "fragile" and are placed at the top of heavier boxed items. ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT All electrical items should be thoroughly cleaned and dry before storage. If the equipment has sealed door(s), store with door(s) ajar. If items have removable batteries, remove the batteries and store separately. LAMPS, ART PRINTS Disassemble whenever possible, and wrap the bases of lamps in padded material. Place smaller lamps in boxes and pack delicate lampshades separately. Avoid using newsprint to wrap lampshades – or any other goods that may be stained by ink. Wrap large prints in thick packing material and store in a sealed bag. Pack smaller prints on edge, in sealed boxes.
