How to Move Furniture on Hardwood Floors Without Scratching

Sweep the floor. Dirt is an abrasive substance. When you move furniture, the furniture will trap dirt particles in its path, drag them across your floor, and scratch the surface. Sweeping prevents this.

Walk the route you intend to take with the furniture. Remove any obstacles in your way. Removing obstacles beforehand is much simpler than trying to push small furnishings and other objects out of the way with a large piece of furniture in tow.

Remove everything that makes the furniture heavier. For example, removing books from a bookcase or drawers from an armoire reduces the furniture’s weight. Lighter items are less likely to scratch your hardwood floor.

Ask a friend or family member for help. Lift the furniture and carry it to its destination. While not all furniture pieces are light enough to carry, lifting and carrying the furniture prevents it from touching the hardwood floor and potentially scratching it.

Lift the furniture up on one side. Ask a family member or friend to place furniture glides under the legs of the furniture. Slide the furniture across the floor to its destination. Furniture glides are padded and prevent the item from leaving scratches behind as it moves across the floor.

Tilt the piece backward. Ask a helper to push the flat bottom end of a hand truck underneath the tilted furniture. Let the furniture piece down gently. Secure the item to the hand truck with the hand truck’s straps. Roll the hand truck to the furniture’s destination.