It is not a good idea to clean your furniture before you move.
No matter how much care is taken by the movers, furnishings can still be dirtied during the move. For instance, on very hot days, the movers’ bodies and hands will sweat or if it’s raining, their hands will get wet. In either case, soil can be transferred from their hands or clothing onto the furniture, especially onto light colored fabrics on overstuffed sofas, lounges, chairs or ottomans.
How to protect your furniture from dirt
So, the first protection from this kind of dirt is to wrap overstuffed furnishings in plastic wrap which will protect them from sweat and yet will still permit the movers to get a good grip of the furniture piece when they carry it. Use a few layers to get better protection.
Also, you may want to tightly pad each piece for additional protection. The pads can go right over the plastic wrap and be secured with tape. Be sure to start by centering the furniture piece on top of a pad and then lift all of the sides of the pad up around it and secure them in place with tightly wound tape to hold them up. Then pad the top of the furniture piece securing the upper pad(s) with tape to the lower bottom-covering pad so that when it’s being carried, none of the pads comes loose.
Remember, do not let the tape come into contact with the piece, only with the pads and the other tape windings. Rental truck blankets many times have some soil on them so be careful to inspect them before putting them around your furniture.
The best way to protect any furniture from getting dirty is to shrink wrap it in clear plastic wrap and/or to pad it with moving blankets.
It’s also best not to place things on bare dirt or grass or gravel near the truck which can dirty or stain or cling to things, especially to furniture legs (which will then dirty the carpets in the new residence). Put plastic drop cloths on the ground near the truck to set things on to help avoid dirt problems.
How to protect your furniture from rain
In the rain, full padding normally adequately protects the furniture from getting wet.
But this is only true so long as the furniture is not being moved in a total downpour and it’s just being carried right out the door and up onto the truck. During a total downpour, stop all outside moving activities or you may be sorry later. Things get drenched and movers’ clothes get drenched which can adversely affect their health and the things they carry. Besides, big downpours rarely last very long before dwindling down, so wait for that to happen.
Plastic bags or covers can also be used in the rain to protect goods. Boxes can take a small amount of rain but don’t let them get too wet or they’ll get soggy. Check your truck for leaks in the roof during the rain. Plastic cover things in leaky areas or move them away from the moisture that can accumulate on the ceiling, walls or floor of a leaky truck.
Once your move has been fully accomplished, you may then want to have some of your furniture cleaned or you might want to drop a few things off to professional cleaners during your move.
See also: How to pack and move chairs
