Let’s be real for a second. That recliner in your living room? It’s not just a chair. It’s the spot. It’s where you fall asleep watching sports. It’s where you eat takeout when you don’t want to sit at the table. It’s got that perfect little dip in the cushion that fits your back just right.
So when life happens and you have to put that thing in storage, you can’t just wing it.
I’ve seen people do this. They literally drag the thing out to the garage, throw a bedsheet over it, and call it a day. Then, three months later, they pull it out and it smells like a wet dog and the recliner mechanism is stuck. Don’t be that person.
We’re going to walk through this step-by-step. I’ve moved enough furniture in my life to know exactly where things go wrong. So pay attention to these little details. They matter.
Step one: Actually look at the thing
Before you do anything else, just stand there and look at your recliner. Flip it over. Look at the bottom. Look at the hinges. Look at the little lever on the side. Why? Because every recliner is different. Some have backs that pop right off. Some are one solid brick of wood and foam. You need to know what you’re dealing with before you start yanking on stuff.
If there’s a release latch behind the backrest, use it. Take the back off. It makes carrying the thing a million times easier. I’m not kidding. A recliner with the back removed is basically just a heavy ottoman with arms. If you don’t see a release, don’t force it. You’ll break the locking mechanism and then you’re really in trouble.
Now, the gross part. You have to clean it
I know you don’t want to hear this. Nobody wants to clean their furniture before they put it away. But trust me on this. That chair has crumbs in places you don’t even want to think about. Pet hair. Dust. Dead skin cells. I know, it’s gross.
Get your vacuum out. Use the little attachment with the brush on the end. Go over every inch. The arms, the back, the seat, the front of the footrest, the sides. Run your hand along the crevices where the seat meets the back and feel all that stuff that’s trapped in there. Vacuum it all out.
Now, spot clean any stains. If you have a fabric recliner, use a fabric cleaner. If it’s leather, use a leather cleaner. Do not mix them up. Leather cleaner on fabric will leave a weird residue and fabric cleaner on leather will dry it out and crack it.
Here’s the most important part of this whole step.
Let it dry completely.
I mean completely. Like, give it a whole day. Put it in a room with a fan blowing on it. You need every bit of moisture to evaporate. If you wrap up a damp recliner and put it in a dark storage unit, mold will start growing within a week. I’ve seen it happen. You open the unit and there’s this fuzzy green stuff on the back. It’s ruined. All because somebody got impatient.
Wrapping it up right
Okay, your recliner is clean and dry. Now you have to cover it. This is where people mess up constantly.
Do not use plastic.
I said it again because it’s that important. Plastic traps moisture. That’s science. You cover your chair with a plastic tarp and seal it up, all that trapped humidity has nowhere to go. It condenses on the inside and your chair gets damp. Then it gets musty. Then it gets ruined.
Go buy a canvas drop cloth. They’re cheap. They’re breathable. They let air move through while keeping dust off. You can also use old bed sheets. Those work great too.
Wrap the chair up. Tuck the edges underneath the feet. If you have moving blankets, wrap those around the arms and the back first, then put the sheet over everything. Use packing tape to hold it all in place, but don’t let the tape touch the actual fabric of the chair. Tape leaves sticky residue that’s a nightmare to get off.
Getting it into the unit without breaking your back
This is the heavy part. Literally.
Recliners are awkward. They’re not heavy like a fridge, but they’re heavy and weirdly shaped. The weight is all in the bottom. The top is light and floppy. So when you try to carry it, it wants to tip over.
Get a furniture dolly. Rent one from the hardware store or buy one. They’re like twenty bucks. Tilt that recliner onto the dolly, strap it down, and wheel it around. You’ll save your back and you won’t bump into walls.
When you get to your storage unit, don’t just shove it in the door. Walk it all the way to the back wall. Place it against the wall so it’s not in the way.
Put something under it. A wooden pallet. A piece of plywood. Thick cardboard if that’s all you have. Concrete floors are cold and they sweat. Moisture comes up from the ground. If your recliner sits directly on that concrete for a long time, the bottom will soak up that moisture and it will rot the fabric and the wood frame.
How to position it inside
Keep it upright. Store it exactly how you sit in it. Do not store it with the footrest out. Do not lean it all the way back. Why? Because the springs and the hinges are under tension when it’s reclined. Leaving it like that for months stretches those springs out. When you finally pull it out, the footrest won’t pop back up like it used to. It’ll be loose and floppy.
Keep it upright and locked into its normal position.
Leather is a different beast
If your recliner is leather, you need to treat it differently. Leather is skin. It dries out. It cracks.
Before you cover it, rub a leather conditioner into it. Not leather cleaner. Conditioner. It puts moisture and oils back into the leather. Let it soak in overnight. Then wipe off the excess. Your leather will stay soft and flexible while it’s in storage.
Also, make sure your storage unit isn’t letting direct sunlight hit your chair. Sunlight fades leather and dries it out faster than anything.
The little things people forget
Here’s some stuff nobody tells you.
Pull the footrest out and clean underneath it. Then spray a little bit of lubricant on the metal hinges and the spring mechanism. Just a quick spritz of WD-40 or some grease. This prevents rust from forming while it’s sitting still for months.
Put a little box of baking soda near the chair. Not on it, but beside it. Baking soda absorbs odors. It’ll keep your chair from picking up that weird storage unit smell. You can also throw a few dryer sheets in there. Makes everything smell fresh when you come back.
Short term versus long term
If you’re just storing it for a month, you can relax a little. Just clean it, cover it, and put it upright. You don’t need to go crazy.
But if you’re putting it away for six months or a year, you need to be thorough. Check on it every couple of months if you can. Just open the unit, make sure the covers are still on, and that nothing has shifted. If you smell something musty, you caught it early and you can fix it.
Why your garage isn’t the answer
I hear people say, “I’ll just put it in the garage.” But your garage is a mess. It’s hot in the summer, freezing in the winter, and damp when it rains. Mice love recliners. They chew through the fabric and make nests in the padding. I’m serious. I’ve seen it.
If you have the option, find a clean, dry space that’s meant for storage. Somewhere that’s secure and keeps the weather out. That’s where Stop & Stor Storage comes in. We’ve got units that are clean, accessible, and keep your stuff protected. You can easily pull your vehicle right up to the door and wheel that heavy chair straight in. No hassle. No fighting with tiny hallways.
Taking it back out
When you’re ready to get your recliner out, the process is easy. Pull it out of the unit, unwrap it, and let it air out for a few hours in a well-ventilated room. Vacuum off any dust that settled on the cover. Give the metal parts a little test. Recline it a few times to work the lubricant back into the hinges.
If you followed these steps, your chair will feel exactly the same as it did the day you put it away. No weird smells. No stuck mechanisms. No mold. Just your favorite chair, ready to use again.
Let’s wrap this up
Storing a recliner isn’t rocket science. It’s just common sense and a little bit of effort. Clean it. Dry it. Cover it right. Keep it upright. Elevate it off the floor. That’s really all there is to it.
Don’t cut corners. Don’t use plastic. And for goodness sake, don’t put it away dirty. You’ll thank yourself later when you pull it out and it still looks and smells great.
Take your time with it. Your back and your favorite chair will both appreciate it. And if you need a place to put it, you know where to find us. We’ve got the space ready for you at Stop & Stor Storage.
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