You might have watched some sitcoms where people have their furniture – especially couches – wrapped up in a plastic cover. While it is most commonly seen in comedy, people do it in real life, too. So, why do people wrap their couches in plastic?
Wrapping your couch in plastic protects it from all types of damage. That includes tears, spills, and wearing off, making the couch look new for a longer time. You trade comfort and appearance for that extra protection, though.
Many more reasons are possible. For instance, it protects the furniture from pets, as they don’t like the feel of the plastic and stop scratching the piece. But, the best thing you can use plastic wraps on your furniture for is to protect it when moving.
Why Do People Wrap Their Couches in Plastic?
It might seem silly, but people still wrap their couches and other furniture in plastic and use it as such. Although it looks weird, feels weird, and makes so much noise, people have their reasons. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why people wrap their furniture in plastic.
1. Protect it from damage
When you buy a new piece of furniture, you want it to stay in pristine condition for as long as possible. Well, some people take it a step further and wrap it up in plastic covers to protect it from all kinds of damage.
No matter how careful you are, furniture has succumbed to wear-and-tear over the years – especially stuff you use all the time like the couch or an armchair. Wrapping it up in plastic protects it from damage, including spills, stains, tears, and wearing out.
Sure, it makes it look dumb and uncomfortable, but it’s not dumb if it works, right?
2. Protect it from pets
If you ever had a cat, you know that they sharpen their claws dozens of times a day. I bought at least ten scratching posts and other stuff that’s supposed to help, but my kitty still chooses the couch, tearing it apart along with my heart when I see my new couch getting shredded.
Other people have similar issues, so they found another solution – cats hate the feel of plastic under their claws. So, when you wrap your couch in plastic, it discourages your pet from touching it, protecting it from its razor-sharp claws. Again, it’s not an ideal solution, but it works.
3. Helps in storage or when moving
Let’s say you moved to a smaller apartment that can’t fit all your furniture. Still, you don’t want to throw it away and need to store it somehow. You can’t just leave it in a storage unit, as dust, moisture, and other influences will quickly destroy it. That’s why people use plastic wraps to protect their furniture when stored.
The same thing goes for moving. If you don’t want your goods to be damaged in transport, you need to protect them somehow. Instead of boxing everything up and taking three times more space, you can easily wrap everything in plastic wrap, and you’re good to go (yes, bubble wrap is also a plastic wrap).
On a side note, make sure not to use too thick one-piece plastic in storage. It can trap moisture underneath and have a counter-effect, trapping your furniture in conditions you wanted to protect it from.
4. Protection when painting the household
Your walls and ceilings will need a fresh paint job now and then. So, if you don’t feel like taking all the furniture out but still want to protect it, wrap it up in plastic and avoid splatter and paint damage.
How Do You Cover Furniture with Plastic?
There’s a couple of ways you can cover your furniture in plastic. The first way is not to remove the protective plastic wrapping when you buy a new piece.
However, if you do remove it initially but want to cover your furniture in plastic later, the simple solution would be to buy a big roll of plastic wrap. You can use the classic kitchen cling wrap, but it would take a lot of time to wrap it around your couch or any other furniture piece.
Instead, you should choose a stretch film wrap that comes in larger rolls and is deliberately designed to wrap things in it for protection. The last time I needed it, I used the International Plastics Co. 18-inch Stretch Film, and it worked to perfection – no tears, ultimate protection.
However, it would look horrible if you wrapped it around your couch, intending to use the couch like that. If you want protection that looks better, you can find one-piece furniture covers on Amazon or any other online or furniture store. They are designed to protect your furniture from pets, paint, and any other damage you might encounter.
Can You Use Plastic Wrap for Moving?
Not only can you use plastic wrap for moving, one could argue it’s the best choice to protect your furniture while moving. It’s light and thin but tear-resistant and strong. Also, you don’t need tape to get it on, as it doesn’t stick or leave marks on your furniture but sticks to itself firmly using nothing but friction.
It’s also quite inexpensive and, if you choose the right wrap, it’s highly recyclable. Plastic wrap is the most versatile and safest option between cardboard boxes, plastic bins, blankets/cloths, etc.
So, how do you wrap your furniture in plastic wrap properly when moving to ensure safety?
First, I highly suggest you clean and dry the furniture before wrapping it up. Plastic is waterproof, and if your pieces are not dry, it’ll trap moisture inside, causing mold. To avoid this completely, wrap leather or wood with a layer of paper before wrapping the plastic.
Next, have somebody hold the piece in place as you go all the way around and wrap the item entirely. Doing it in one piece of plastic wrap provides ultimate protection. If you feel like you need more protective padding like foam or something else, put it on the item before the plastic wrap. It will firmly hold the padding in place and further enhance protection.
Be careful around corners, especially if they are sharp – you don’t want a tear to happen and cause damage to your stuff, so it’s best to apply a few layers around there. Finally, make sure you wrap the piece both vertically and horizontally to provide ultimate protection. That’s it, happy moving!
