Alright so you have a crib taking up half your living room and a dresser that your kid has outgrown and you are staring at this stuff wondering what the hell to do with it.
I have been there. Three times actually. And I have screwed it up every single way you can possibly screw it up.
First time I just left everything in the nursery and shut the door. We moved rooms around and suddenly that room became an office and I just kind of shoved the crib against the wall and stacked boxes on it. That was stupid. The boxes scratched the wood and when I finally pulled it out a year later the whole thing looked like garbage.
Second time I put everything in a shed in my backyard. Do not do that. Just do not. The humidity destroyed the finish on my changing table and the mattress smelled like mildew even though I thought I wrapped it well enough.
Third time I actually tried to do it right. Rented a storage unit. Cleaned everything. Wrapped everything. Thought I was so smart. Then I lost the hardware. All of it. Spent three hours at Home Depot trying to match screws and bolts and it was a nightmare.
So I am writing this because I want you to learn from my mess. I want you to do it better than I did.
First Thing Figure Out If You Even Need This Crap
Be honest with yourself.
- If the crib was cheap and wobbly and you hated assembling it the first time, get rid of it. Do not store cheap furniture. It is not worth the space or the effort.
- If the dresser has water stains and broken drawers, let it go. Sell it on Facebook Marketplace for twenty bucks and call it a day.
But if you have solid wood furniture. Good quality stuff. Or something from your grandmother. Or something you spent way too much money on and you cannot stomach getting rid of it. Okay. Then keep it. But only if you are actually going to use it again.
Are you having another baby? Are you saving it for a sibling? Are you keeping it for sentimental reasons? If yes, then let us do this right. If you are just keeping it because you feel guilty throwing it away, stop. Just stop. Do not make your life harder than it needs to be.
The Cleaning Part Sucks But You Cannot Skip It
I hate cleaning. I do. But you cannot put dirty furniture into storage.
Baby furniture is disgusting. I do not care how clean you think it is. There is crusty stuff on those crib rails. There is dried up milk in the corners of the dresser drawers. There is a layer of dust and baby lotion and who knows what else all over everything.
If you pack that grime in, it gets worse over time. It dries up and hardens and stains the finish. I learned this when I pulled my crib out and saw these weird white spots everywhere. It was dried up baby drool and it had basically bonded with the wood finish. I had to sand it down to get rid of it.
So get a bucket of water. Add a tiny bit of dish soap. Get a sponge and a microfiber cloth. Wipe down every single surface. Every rail. Every drawer. Every edge. Then wipe it dry with a clean towel. Do not leave moisture sitting on the wood.
If the furniture has been sitting in your house for years and has that sticky buildup from dust and humidity, use a little vinegar in your water. It cuts through the grime. Just do not overdo it because vinegar can be harsh on some finishes.
Taking It Apart Is A Pain But You Have To Do It
Okay I know you hate taking furniture apart. I hate it too. But you have to.
If you leave a crib fully assembled, the weight of the whole thing is pressing down on those joints. Over months and months, that pressure can make the screws loosen or the wood warp. I have seen cribs come out of storage completely crooked because they sat there too long.
So grab your Allen wrench and take it apart. Yes it sucks. Yes you will probably lose the Allen wrench halfway through. But do it anyway.
The Hardware Thing I Still Mess Up Sometimes
Oh man this part gets me every time.
The screws. The bolts. The little metal brackets. They all look identical but they are not. And if you toss them all into one bag, you will regret it.
I now use Ziploc bags and a sharpie. I write on the bag exactly what the screws are for. “Crib left side.” “Crib right side.” “Changing table top.” “Dresser drawer slides.” Whatever. Just be specific.
Then I tape that bag to the piece of furniture it belongs to. Tape it underneath the crib rail. Tape it inside the dresser drawer. Tape it to the back of the changing table. That way the hardware stays with the furniture. No hunting. No guessing. No trips to the hardware store.
Another trick. Take a photo of the assembled furniture before you take it apart. Include the hardware in the photo. You will forget how it goes together. We all forget. Having a picture on your phone saves your sanity when you have to put it back together two years later.
Wrapping It The Right Way
Do not use newspaper. I cannot say this loud enough. Do not use newspaper.
The ink transfers onto the wood. It leaves black and gray smudges that are impossible to get off. I ruined a white dresser this way. My wife was so mad at me.
Buy moving blankets. The cheap ones at Walmart or Harbor Freight are fine. They cost like five bucks. Wrap each piece separately. Focus on the corners because that is where the damage happens.
If you use plastic wrap, do not seal it too tight. Leave some room for air to circulate. Wood needs to breathe. If you vacuum seal it, you are trapping moisture. That leads to mold. I live in the South and I learned this the hard way. Mold on furniture is the worst. It gets into the wood and you cannot get it out.
I like to use a combination of moving blankets and then a loose layer of plastic over the top. That protects from dust but still lets the wood breathe.
Where To Put This Stuff
This is the big one.
Your garage is a terrible place to store furniture. I know people do it. I did it. But it is bad.
Garages get hot in the summer and freezing in the winter. That temperature swing causes wood to expand and contract. Over time it weakens the joints and cracks the finish. My crib developed a crack on one of the rails from sitting in my garage for two years.
Attics are worse. Attics get even hotter than garages. I tried storing furniture in my attic once and the heat actually caused the glue in the joints to break down. The whole thing fell apart when I pulled it down. Basements can work if they are dry. But a lot of basements are damp. If yours is damp, do not put furniture down there unless you want it to grow mold. The best option is a climate controlled storage unit. Stable temperature. Stable humidity. The furniture stays exactly how you left it.
We have units like that. They are clean and secure. People store all kinds of stuff with us and we keep it safe. It is worth the monthly cost to know your furniture is not getting ruined.
Keep Stuff Off The Floor
Concrete floors pull moisture from the ground. That moisture seeps up into whatever is sitting on top of it.
If you put your furniture directly on a concrete floor, the bottom of the dresser or crib will absorb that moisture and start to rot. It is slow but it happens.
Put a tarp down first. Or a sheet of plastic. Or put the furniture on top of wooden pallets. Anything to create a barrier between the wood and the concrete. You want air circulating underneath.
The Mattress Situation
Crib mattresses are gross. That is just a fact.
They absorb sweat and drool and pee and formula and everything else that comes out of a baby. If you put that mattress away without cleaning it, it will smell when you pull it out. I do not care if it sat in storage for a year. That smell will still be there.
So clean it. Vacuum both sides. Spot clean any stains with mild soap and water. Let it dry outside in the sun for a few hours. The sun kills bacteria and helps get rid of smells.
Once it is completely dry, put it in a mattress bag. You can buy them at storage places or online. Store it flat. Do not store it on its side. Storing it on its side can shift the springs or foam and you will end up with a lumpy mattress.
Upholstered Stuff Is A Pain
Rocking chairs. Gliders. Any fabric furniture. That stuff is the worst to store.
Fabric holds moisture. It holds odors. And mice love it. If the cushions come off, wash them. Follow the care instructions. Let them dry completely. I mean completely. If there is any moisture left, it will mold.
When you wrap them, use breathable fabric. Do not use plastic. Plastic traps moisture and you will get mildew.
Toss a couple of dryer sheets in with the cushions. It keeps them smelling fresh. And it deters pests. I do not know why it works but it does.
Pest Prevention Is Real
Okay I do not want to freak you out but you have to think about bugs and mice. They love dark quiet spaces. They love fabric. They love cardboard. Do not store food anywhere near your furniture. That attracts rodents. Keep the area clean and dry. I put cedar blocks in the drawers of my dressers. Cedar repels moths and other bugs naturally. It smells good too. Do not use mothballs. They are toxic and the smell permeates the wood.
Label Everything
I know I said this already but it is so important. Label every box and every wrapped piece. Write on it with a sharpie. Big letters. “Crib RAILS.” “Dresser DRAWERS.” “Changing table TOP.” When you have stuff in storage and you are standing there looking at a pile of boxes, you will thank past you for labeling everything clearly.
Getting It Back Out
The day you pull this furniture out should be a happy day. Inspect everything when you get it home. Check for cracks. Check for wobbles. Check for mold. Tighten all the screws. Make sure the crib is safe. Give everything a good wipe down. It will probably be dusty even if you wrapped it. Then set up that nursery and enjoy it. You did the work to preserve that furniture and now it is ready for the next baby.
Here Is The Thing
Storing baby furniture is just a lot of work. There is no way around it. You have to clean it. You have to take it apart. You have to wrap it carefully. You have to find a good space for it.
But it is worth it when you pull that crib out two years later and it looks brand new. That is the payoff.
So take your time. Do it right. Do not make the same mistakes I made.
And if you need a safe place to keep that furniture, come see us. We have storage units that keep your stuff safe and clean. No humidity. No bugs. No temperature swings. Just good clean storage that protects your furniture.
Now go clean that crib. And good luck with the hardware. You will need it.
0 Comments