A dust sheet is a large piece of cloth put over furniture to protect it from dust. The name has stretched to cover polythene sheets sold for the same job, and the difference matters in storage: a cotton sheet lets air through, while a polythene one keeps out dust and drips but also holds in any moisture underneath.
At Wigwam
Our Box Shop sells a 3m x 5m polythene dust cover for £5.49. It's sized for beds, sofas, wardrobes and stacks of boxes, and made to keep off dust, dirt and moisture. That means moisture from outside, such as a drip: polythene also holds in any moisture already underneath, so use it only over things that are clean and completely dry. Our guide to climate control lists a dust sheet among the few pounds of packing that handle the real UK storage risks, alongside breathable furniture wrap and silica gel.
Cloth or polythene?
Use each for what it does well:
- Polythene is good over hard, clean, dry items, and over a stack of boxes, where a drip or dust is the risk. Drape it loosely rather than wrapping it tight, so air can still move underneath.
- Cotton suits wood, upholstery and anything that could hold moisture. The Canadian Conservation Institute warns against plastic garment bags for textiles "because there is no air circulation (which can encourage moisture to build up)", and recommends loose cotton muslin covers instead.
Whatever you use, cover things only once they're clean and completely dry, and keep them off the floor with a gap at the walls. A sheet over a damp sofa keeps the damp in.
Related terms: Breathable cover · Sofa cover · Mattress bag · Removal blanket
Related questions: Can I stand a sofa on its end in storage? · Who is responsible if mould appears in my storage unit?