Moving is a time consuming and stressful activity. For many people, moving furniture can be one of the most difficult tasks of the moving process. Most people have a difficult time figuring out how to pack furniture because they have to protect it from moisture, dirt, and damage. Fortunately, there is an easy and economical way to prepare your furniture for moving day.

Moving furniture requires careful care because many furniture pieces are too large to fit in a box. Covering your furniture with plastic bags is a great way to protect your furniture while saving you money. The following list outlines a number of helpful tips that you can use when packing your furniture using plastic bags:

The first thing you should do is take an inventory of the furniture you have and how much time it will take to disassemble pieces. Make sure you have plastic bags along with tape, labels, and a permanent marker.

Because it will be time consuming, prepare the furniture pieces that require disassembly first.

1) For each furniture piece, begin disassembling the removal parts. Put items such as table legs in a plastic bag. On a label write what piece of furniture the items belong to and what tools are needed to reassemble the furniture. Put the label in the plastic bag.

2) Put any nuts, screws, and bolts into a smaller plastic beg. On a label, write what piece of furniture the items belong to and put the label in the bag. Put the smaller bag into the bigger plastic bag holding the table legs.

3) Tape the bags to the underside of pieces. Make sure you don't secure them to areas that could be damaged when the tape is removed. Do this for each piece of furniture.

4) Remove cushions and pillows and place them in clear, plastic bags. Seal the bags and make sure there are no holes. You do not want any moisture or dirt getting in the bag.

5) Slide the piece of furniture inside the large heavy duty plastic bag so that the furniture is completely covered.

Chairs, Sofas, and Mattresses: These items can be wrapped with recycled plastic or recycled bubble wrap. Wrap casters and wheels with plastic bags and tape them so they cannot move. Wrap arms and legs to prevent scratches.

Cupboards and Tables: These items should be wrapped in plastic and covered with plastic bags. For all pieces of furniture, make sure corners are properly wrapped and taped to prevent damage. Bubble wrap is a good choice. Any furniture susceptible to scratches should have protective padding such as plastic bubble wrap.

Mirrors and Hanging Fixtures: These items should be wrapped in plastic bubble wrap and placed inside large plastic bags. The bag should be sealed. Mark 'fragile' on the outside to prevent mishandling

Bureaus, Desks and Dressers: You can fill each drawer with properly wrapped breakables that have plenty of padding. Secure the drawers with tape. Wrap each piece with recycled plastic bubble wrap and cover with a plastic bag. Make sure the bag is tied off.

When using plastic bags for covering furniture and plastic padding for protection, you will drastically reduce the chance of furniture damage. Plastic bags come in many sizes and are available from plastic bag retailers. If you are unable to acquire the bags in your area, there are many online retailers. Moving companies and storage companies may be able to assist you with obtaining plastic bags.

Moving furniture does not have to be a dreaded task. With the right planning and the right covering such as plastic bags, your moving experience will be smoother and easier.