When you buy leather furniture, you’re paying top prices for a luxurious item that you hope will last for many years. So it makes sense to take good care of it, as this will keep it looking its best.
There may come a time when you want to put your leather furniture into storage. For example, you might be in between properties, or you might be letting your house or flat while you travel. Conditions in a shut-up or empty house are not ideal for leather furniture because of fluctuations in temperature and humidity. So even if you’re not letting your property, you should look into storing your leather sofa and chairs if you will be leaving your house empty.
And you might just want your leather furniture stored safely out of the way while you throw a party. This will open up space for dancing in your house, and protect your furniture from spilled food and drink, cigarette burns and general party wear and tear.
1. Climate controlled storage is best for leather chairs
As we’ve mentioned above, leather sofas and chairs do best in spaces where humidity and temperature remain constant. So pick a storage unit that is climate controlled. Not all storage units have air con or humidity control, so check with your storage company when you enquire.
2. Clean your leather sofa before storing it
Before you store soft furnishings, it pays to clean them. This will ensure you don’t bring pests and mould into your storage unit. Leather is a natural material and can be affected by both of these, unfortunately. Clean leather furniture with a commercial leather cleaner and then condition it. Follow manufacturer's instructions or get advice from a professional cleaner. Or Furniture Village has some detailed instructions for cleaning leather sofas.
3. Store your leather furniture covered
It’s good practice to store a leather three-piece suit in breathable wrappings. The cover needs to be breathable to avoid condensation collecting on leather surfaces. A cover will give your furniture a bit of extra protection during transport and storage. Your furniture may have come with storage covers, or you might be able to get away with using a couple of old double duvet covers or sheets. Do make sure the covers are clean, though.
4. Take time to check on your stored leather furniture
This might not apply if you are only storing your leather furniture for a couple of days. But if you are going to store long-term then take the time to inspect your armchairs and sofa from time to time. By the way, we’ve got some hacks to help if you are using self-storage for a longer period.
5. Insure the domestic goods in your self-storage unit
For complete peace of mind, you should insure the contents of your self-storage unit. This will make it easy to replace your leather furniture in the unlikely event of a fire or flood. At Store and Insure we can help with cover for domestic goods. We can give you an instant quote. And your goods are even covered on the way to and from your unit.
How much is self-storage insurance?
The price of your self-storage insurance will depend on the value of your stored goods and how long you want to store them for. We can arrange cover from 57p per week per £1,000 sums insured. To find out more, get a quote a from Store and Insure.
