How to Disassemble a Bed for Your House Move

If there is one thing people are not ready to get rid of easily when they move homes, it’s their beds. Why? Well, subconsciously, people feel more comfortable in their own beds.

That’s why many would find vacation beds uncomfortable and blame the mattress or the pillow. In fact, however, the bed you sleep in every night becomes even more comfortable over time due to the shape changes it experiences under your weight and way of sleeping.

Unfortunately, however, when moving homes, beds are among the most challenging items to move due to their size and weight. And naturally, you will have to disassemble the bed before moving it anywhere.

We gathered a list of steps you must follow to do the task easily and without too much hassle.

Clear the Working Space

That should come without saying. You need to have space to be able to disassemble your bed. A great idea will be first to clear the rest of your baggage, declutter your home and leave as much space as you can to dismantle the furniture.

That’s where decluttering your home can be really beneficial. Doing so will not only aid in improving your mental health and earning some extra money, but it will free up quite a bit of space. So ensure to sell, donate or throw away as many useless things as you can by going through all the shelves filled with things you haven’t used for ages.

Finally, when preparing to disassemble your bed, move all boxes, chairs and everything else that can be damaged to another room. When dismantling the bed, you will need enough space to manoeuvre and safely put the separate parts. So make your best effort for the room to be as empty as possible.

Read the Manufacturer’s Instructions

Before you start disassembling your bed, make sure you read the manufacturer’s instructions. And since we don’t live in a fairytale world, it’s time to face the reality in which you have thrown away the instructions long ago.

The next best thing is to use technology. Take out your phone and use Google Lens to determine the bed’s brand. After that, either check if the brand has the instructions online or email them to ask for a copy.

Finally, if all else fails, you can check if there isn’t a guy on YouTube who has done it before. If you manage to find the instructions for your bed – follow them closely. If not, just follow the basic logic you can find online. Usually, manufacturers avoid overcomplicating their designs, so it would probably be the same. 

Remove the Mattress and Bedding

This is fairly obvious, but just in case – remove your bedding and mattress before disassembling. This will make the entire process much easier and protect the mattress and bedding from getting damaged and dirty.

Moreover, when you remove the bedding, consider if you want to keep them for your new apartment.

If you decide to change the style altogether, you can use the old sheets to protect the woodwork of your bed frame. Remember that it might get scratched during the move if you don’t protect the wood.

Once you remove the mattress, don’t forget to clean the entire bed frame. Use wet wipes and soft clothes to ensure the wood won’t get scratched.

If you notice any scratches, you will need to fix them with a wood polisher. This, however, should be done after assembling the bed in your new home, as it will need some time to dry out.

Wrap the Mattress Properly

You must be extra careful with your mattress when it comes time to wrap it to avoid accidentally damaging it.

Mattresses are usually highly-expensive, and tearing up yours will form a significant dent in your budget. So, if you want to keep your mattress safe, it’s a good idea to wrap it up in plastic foil and add some bubble wrap on the edges.

Before you start wrapping, though, it’s a good idea to have it cleaned. Hiring professional cleaners is probably the best idea. Still, if you are adamant about cleaning it yourself, you should use a steam cleaner.

After you are finished, leave the mattress for at least three days so all the moisture can evaporate. After that, cover the mattress with a sheet or a blanket and wrap it up with stretch foil or plastic wrapper. This way, you will protect it from dirt and moisture.

Identify and Label the Parts 

When you finish the mattress, it’s time to disassemble the bed frame. Usually, that’s not as complicated as other tasks on your list, but you must do it carefully. It’s advisable to take many photos after each step so that when it’s time to reassemble the bed, you will know which part goes where.

Make sure to label each part of the bed as you dismantle it. This will help you both with organising the packaging and also the reassembling. The best way to mark the elements is by sticking a piece of masking tape or a sticker.

Place Screws, Nuts, Bolts and Other Small Parts in Ziplock Bags

Naturally, when you are disassembling your bed, you will have a lot of screws, Nuts, Bolts and other small parts. To keep track of each one, creating an inventory list is best. For example, if you have 10 3mm bolts, mark them in your inventory list and where they are from.

This way, when it’s time to reassemble the bed, you will know which bolt or screw goes where.

Finally, when you finish your inventory, put them in ziplock bags. It would be helpful if you could put the different types of parts in separate smaller zip bags so that when you use them again, you won’t waste time separating them.

Still, even if all of them are in separate begs, put all the small begs in one big ziplock bag. It’s good to have all your bed parts in one place.

Use the Correct Tools

This goes without saying, but you need the correct tools to disassemble your bed without breaking it. Using the wrong tools may damage the small parts or even break the entire bed. So, prepare the right size screwdriver, pliers and a wrench.

Ask Your Movers If They Offer Furniture Disassembly

Regardless of your expertise, disassembling your bed will always take time, so you must ensure you’ve given yourself at least a couple of hours. Still, finding someone else to do this tedious task for you will be far better.

So, if you’ve decided to use a professional man and van company, ask them if they offer furniture disassembly. Usually, these companies have a vast experience with such tasks so they will do it faster, safer and easier.

In conclusion

Disassembling and transporting your bed to your new home can significantly stress the whole moving process.

However, following these tips can make the entire process much faster, safer and easier, especially if your removals company does all that for you.