The first step to making sure your furniture is well-preserved while in storage is to select a reputable storage rental company near Capitola. It should have clean, leak-free storage units, as water damage can be disastrous for furniture. After you rent the right size of storage space for your furniture, lay some thick plastic sheeting on the floor of the unit, and then start loading up the moving truck.

Clean and repair the furniture.

Slide each piece away from the wall, and wipe it down thoroughly. There could be mildew in areas where you don’t often clean, and one moldy piece of furniture in a storage rental will contaminate the rest of it. If any of your furniture needs repairs, this is a good time to take care of it.

Take your furniture apart.

There’s no point in throwing out your back and testing the goodwill of your friends by trying to move a huge credenza as is. Instead, take off everything that can be removed. Slide out drawers and take out shelves. On some pieces, you might even be able to remove doors and legs. Disassembling your furniture lightens the load, and it might be easier to grip while moving it. Be sure to label each disassembled piece so you can put it back together again later. You can use adhesive labels for this. Put nuts, bolts, and screws into a plastic bag, and tape the bag to the furniture. Use a separate bag for each piece of furniture.

Protect your furniture in transit.

It’s inevitable that furniture will shift around inside a moving van. Wrap each item with padding, such as blankets. Do not stack furniture inside the moving van—if it topples over, it will sustain damage, and it will likely damage other pieces of furniture.

Load the storage unit.

When you arrive at your self-storage unit, position the largest, heaviest pieces of furniture toward the back. As you bring pieces in, try to leave space for one or two walking paths. This way, you’ll be able to access the items in the back of the unit if you’ve stored lighter boxes of possessions on top of the furniture.

The opportunity to spend some time with out-of-town relatives is one of the wonderful parts of the holiday season. Make the most of your time with your houseguests by eliminating the possibility of cramped conditions. There are affordable storage options available in Capitola, CA, and you can choose from self-storage rentals in a range of sizes to suit your needs .

If your home is relatively roomy and uncluttered, rent a small self-storage unit. Or perhaps you’ve been using your guest bedroom as a catchall place to put random items. Don’t let your houseguest trip over odds and ends—make him or her feel welcome by clearing out the clutter and stowing it away in temporary storage. Consider how your guest plans to arrive at your home. If he or she is driving, it would be courteous to offer space in your garage for your guest’s car. This means it’s time to gather together your yard tools, bikes, and miscellaneous junk, and store them safely until your houseguest leaves.

No matter what distance you’re traveling during your move, there are a few tricks you can use to make the process easier. First, give yourself more time to plan your move than you think you’ll need. Next, explore your storage options in Capitola, CA, deal with unnecessary clutter, and stock up on packing and moving supplies.

Reserving a Self-Storage Rental

A disorganized move is stressful and inefficient. An effective way to keep your family organized is to rent a temporary storage unit, especially if you’re a military family. Military families move often, and they don’t necessarily take all of their belongings with them each time they move. If you or your spouse is headed for an overseas deployment, start checking out the rates for self-storage. Talking to a storage rental company is also a smart idea if you’re a college student. You might not want to move all of the contents of your dorm room back home each summer. Rent a storage unit near your campus to streamline your move when the new school year starts.

Dealing with Clutter

The day of the move is the wrong time to deal with clutter. As soon as you decide to move, start sorting through your possessions. Get rid of items that you can discard, recycle, sell, or give away. Inevitably, there will be some items with sentimental value that you might not need any longer. If you can’t decide what to do with these items, you can put them into storage, and deal with them after you’ve settled into your new home.

Stocking up on Moving Supplies

It’s a waste of time to run out to the store for packing supplies in the middle of your move. Stock up on more supplies than you think you’ll need. Get plenty of:

• Boxes of all sizes
• Tape
• Scissors
• Markers
• Packing peanuts

Delegating Tasks

Your move will go smoothly if you delegate tasks to each family member. For example, adults and older children can wrap and pack the breakable items. Younger kids can help by packing their own clothes and stuffed animals into plastic bins. When everyone pitches in, the move will go faster than you think.

If you have ever needed to move or ship a fragile item, you probably used bubble wrap to ensure it arrived unscathed. This common packing material is loved for its unique structure—flat on one side with small, air-filled bubbles on the other, resulting in an insulating and cushioning material that protects goods during transit.

Bubble Wrap has an interesting origin story. Engineers invented this material in 1957, intending it as a new form of wallpaper. When that idea didn’t take off, they considered marketing it as greenhouse insulation. However, in the late 1960s, IBM recognized the true potential of bubble wrap and started shipping its computers in this protective packaging material.

Today, the bubble wrap you know and love is indispensable for packing, shipping, and storing fragile items. Its wide availability, affordability, and versatility make bubble wrap a staple in homes, businesses, and storage facilities. If you need a refresher on how to pack with bubble wrap, you’ve come to the right place.

When to Use Bubble Wrap

Bubble wrap is ideal for protecting items prone to breakage, scratching, or damage, including:

• Plates and bowls: China and ceramics can easily chip or crack. Wrapping each piece individually prevents such damage.
• Glasses and stemware: These delicate items benefit from a cushioning wrap to protect their fragile rims, bases, and stems.
• Vases: Whether made from ceramic, porcelain, or glass, bubble wrap protects vases from impacts.
• Electronics: Laptops, televisions, cell phones, and other gadgets often require extra protection to prevent damage during transport.
• Glass shelves and tabletops: These thin, delicate surfaces scratch easily. Bubble wrap provides a protective barrier.
• Mirrors, paintings, and picture frames: To prevent these items from cracking, protect them with bubble wrap while moving.
• Furniture: Cover vulnerable protruding parts and glass elements with bubble wrap.
• Other fragile items: From collectibles to home decorations, any valuable or delicate belonging can be safely packed using bubble wrap.

Sizes of Bubble Wrap

Bubble wrap comes in different sizes, which impacts the level of protection it provides:

• 1/16-inch bubble wrap is perfect for small, lightweight items like jewelry or tabletop figurines. The small bubbles offer just enough cushion without adding bulk.
• 1/8-inch bubble wrap is intended for slightly larger but still relatively lightweight items, offering a balance of protection and compactness.
• 3/16-inch bubble wrap is the most common bubble wrap size. Its versatility makes it good for small to medium-sized items needing a bit more cushioning.
• 5/16-inch bubble wrap is designed to cover medium-to-large items and protect against drops.
• 1/2-inch bubble wrap is the largest size available, ideal for covering hefty items and filling voids inside boxes.

Estimating Your Bubble Wrap Needs

When preparing for a move or packing items for storage, it’s important to gauge the amount of bubble wrap you’ll need. Consider the number and size of items you’re packing, and remember that it’s always better to have too much than not enough. In general, a 10-meter roll of bubble wrap should be enough to pack up one room.

How to Use Bubble Wrap for Packing

Here are some useful tips for packing different breakables correctly:

• How to pack dishes with bubble wrap: Start from one corner of a 5/16-inch bubble wrap sheet and cover each plate or bowl diagonally, overlapping the edges and tucking them in. Secure with tape.
• How to pack glasses with bubble wrap: Cover each piece individually in 1/8- or 3/16-inch bubble wrap, ensuring the wrap extends into the glass’s opening and completely covers the stem. Secure with tape.
• How to pack flat-screen TVs with bubble wrap: Cover the entire surface with 5/16- or 1/2-inch bubble wrap, paying close attention to the corners, which are particularly vulnerable. Secure with tape.

Additional Bubble Wrap Tips

Keep these tricks in mind to get the most out of your bubble wrap:

• Wrap items individually to ensure ample cushioning between each breakable and the box.
• Double-wrap especially fragile or valuable items.
• For maximum cushioning effect, wrap your items with the bubbles facing inward.
• Cover sharp edges or protrusions with cardboard protectors in addition to bubble wrap.
• Secure the bubble wrap with high-quality packing tape to prevent it from coming undone during transit or storage.
• Don’t rely solely on bubble wrap to protect your items. Before sealing each box, fill the void with additional materials like packing peanuts, crumpled newspaper, or 1/2-inch bubble wrap to prevent shifting.

The Importance of Quality Storage

Clearly, bubble wrap is an invaluable tool for protecting your items during a move or while in storage. Of course, the effectiveness of your packing job also depends on the quality of your storage unit. JD Mini Storage in Capitola, CA, provides clean, dry, secure units to help safeguard your belongings. Contact us today at 831-440-7325 for storage unit availability, pricing, and answers to any questions you have.