How to Get Rid of Old Furniture in an Apartment
Introduction
It’s hard to believe that you can live in a place for months without knowing what to do with your old furniture. But it happens all the time. It’s like we put off dealing with it until we have so much of it, or we get bored and fed up with looking at it, but then when the time comes, there are no good options left. In this article, I will discuss how to get rid of old furniture in an apartment. So let us get started.
A Detailed Stepwsie Guide on How to Get Rid of Old Furniture in an Apartment
1. Get Rid of Unneeded Clothing and Fabric:
Remove any clothing and fabrics from the furniture and place them in a large garbage bag (or more than one). If you have items that do not fit into a garbage bag, collect them all together and pick the larger objects up.
2. Remove Items From Drawers:
Take out any drawers from the furniture piece and remove loose belongings such as old food, money (Both real or fake), extra clothing, jewelry, keys, or anything else that might be stowed away. Place these objects into a small box for easy transport. Put on some rubber gloves if this grosses you out!
3. Clean The Furniture:
Wipe down the entire surface of the furniture. Pay special attention to any grooves in hard-to-reach areas and wipe these areas with a cloth or paper towel moistened with water. Use all possible cleaners such as dish soap, warm water, bleach, and an old toothbrush for really tough grime. You must pay attention to cleaning inside drawers.
4. Dispose Of Unneeded Furniture:
This step can be done along with Step 3 – For this phase, remove the hardware from the furniture piece (i.e., handles, clasps, or anything else that might detach). This will make it easier to transport your new/old/donated item out of your apartment. You can leave the hardware on the floor of your apartment if you think it might be helpful for a future project.
5. Paint The Furniture:
If desired, you can paint the furniture piece to give it a fresh new look. Just make sure that all surfaces are clean and free from any dirt or grime before applying new paint.
6. Reassemble The Furniture:
Reattach the hardware to your re-painted piece of furniture. Line up grooves if applicable and secure clasps, handles, or other fasteners in place. Don’t be afraid to get down on the floor and do it yourself if you are unsure!
7. Find A New Home For Your Newly Transformed Furniture Piece:
Doing all these steps is not only good for your apartment but excellent for Mother Earth! It’s a great way to keep items out of landfills and reduce waste in our environment. So please find a new home for your newly transformed piece, such as gifting it to a friend or donating to charity so another person can enjoy your handiwork.
Precautions While Getting Rid of Old Furniture in an Apartment
Before starting your project, ensure that the items are free of any appliances or valuable household items. Search through all drawers and wardrobes for essential documents, cash, jewelry, etc. Mark these things with “FOUND” stickers before discarding them to save yourself time sorting through garbage later on.
Also, mark anything you need to take to Goodwill or Salvation Army because it is still in good condition, but you may not have room for it in your new place (i.e., appliances). If an item does not fit into the storage area provided by the landlord or apartment Building complex and you do not want it anymore (it’s broken, missing pieces of furniture or unwanted furniture, ugly), then throw it away if it is a typical trash day in your area. Don’t throw it away if it is not trash day, or you will get in trouble with the landlord.
How to Clean Old Furniture?
Step 1:
Gather up all your old unwanted furniture and take them outside. Be sure to bring any breakable pieces and glass inside at night to protect them from damage by wind and rain if you live in a windy or rainy area.
Step 2:
Clean the pieces off with a hose. There is no need for soap or water because they will end up smelling like mildew when they dry without their protective sealant. Allow the furniture to soak in hot water for stubborn dirt before spraying it down with the hose.
Never put furniture items in the dishwasher; that could cause discoloration or weakening of certain types of wood such as pine, which you don’t want when you’re painting them to make them look new again.
Step 3:
Sand off minor nicks and scratches with fine sandpaper. If you have large, deep gouges in the wood, fill them up with wood filler. Allow it to dry according to package instructions before sanding smooth.
Step 4:
Prime the piece of furniture. Let that dry overnight or for several hours while you go back to using your regular bed instead of sleeping on a pile of blankets on the floor so you don’t waste precious time when you could be doing other things like playing video games or watching TV.
Step 5:
Apply at least two coats of paint according to package instructions letting each skin dry overnight before applying the next one. Be sure to use the color evenly over each piece, including between any decorative carvings or designs. You will probably need to do at least three coats of paint on the most significant works, such as armoires and large dressers. Again, be sure to let each coat dry before applying the next one for the best results. If you want an antique look, don’t apply more than two coats of paint.
Step 6:
Put all your old furniture items back into your apartment Complex where it belongs, so you have room in the living room for guests to sit down when they visit instead of hanging out in their seats because there’s nowhere else to go.
Which Wood is Good For Making Furniture?
There are three significant types of wood.
Pine – The least expensive and most readily available is pine. It has a yellowish tint, depending on how light or dark the stain you put on it. Pine’s most significant advantage is its low cost but since they make up most of what’s sold in wooden furniture stores, that means they’re not very impressive either. Many people don’t like pine because it seems too bright and unfinished to work within a living room or dining room. In addition, pine will warp fairly easily if water gets anywhere near it.
Cedar – If you want something that looks great without spending a fortune, cedar is your best bet. One problem: It isn’t all that easy to find, and when you do find it, it’s expensive. If you can afford cedar, you’ll be rewarded with a deep red color that darkens over time. The nice thing about cedar is its distinct aroma which helps make up for the lack of pine fragrance!
Oak – Oak can be found in almost any wooden furniture store but costs more than other woods because the quality oak wood needed to make furniture takes longer to mature than most other trees. This means that it usually has tight grain patterns, giving it a distinctive look. Oak also doesn’t have the yellow tint that pine does. Instead, it comes in various shades of brown or reddish-brown depending on how much stain or varnish is applied.
Conclusion
I hope this article has been beneficial for learning how to get rid of old furniture in an apartment. Ensure all the precautions are correct. Thank you and have a nice day!
You may also check it: How to Clean Apartment Balcony Without Hose
