Furniture

• If you can, it’s a good idea to hire a professional to clean and prepare furniture for storage. This is especially true if you’ll be storing the furniture for a long time — they’ll know how to preserve it properly so it will look good as new once you take it out.
• Place the furniture on plastic or wooden pallets to prevent moisture from getting trapped beneath them.
• Store sofas, chairs, dressers, and other large furniture the way they would normally stand to prevent them from becoming damaged.
• If you will be storing items on top of your furniture, separate them with a blanket, bubble wrap, or another form of protection to prevent the items from getting scratched or torn.

Electric Appliances

• Make sure they are clean and dry before storing them to prevent rotting, rusting or mold.
• Place a thin blanket or sheet over them to avoid dust collection.
• Do not store anything on top of your appliances.
• Keep all appliances assembled to avoid losing parts.

Vehicles

• Keep some gas in the tank to prevent internal rusting.
• Use a cover to keep dust out and to provide an extra layer of protection.
• Disconnect the battery to reduce the risk of it leaking.
• Clean it thoroughly, inside and out.
• Use car jacks to lift the car and relieve pressure from the tires, which can flatten over time.

Antiques, Collectors’ Items, and Other Valuables

• It is recommended that you store antiques and valuable items in a storage unit with temperature and humidity control to help preserve the items.
• Use a blanket, cushion, or any other form of protection to keep them from direct contact with the ground.
• Don’t lean paintings or other items against the wall.
• Use bubble wrap, thick blankets or boxes to cover items that you do not wish to be scratched or damaged.
• Disassemble large, fragile items and store them in protected boxes.
• Buy insurance for expensive items that will protect them against damage or theft.