Packing and moving can be stressful...
Here are some helpful tips and advice to make your life easier
Helpful Tips...
- Label and/or code every box! It'll streamline your unpacking if you identify and unpack room by room.
- Start early with a couple of boxes each day. It helps to pack a room at a time.
- Distribute with heavy items—no box should be over 50 lbs.
- Use smaller boxes for heavier items (like books) for better manageability.
- Heavy items go in first.
- Cover clothing with plastic against moisture or dust.
- Do not store combustibles, including paint and thinners.
Before you start...
You might want to create an informal schedule of what things to pack. Most importantly, plan for a box of "Open First/Pack Last" essentials like:
- Utility knife—essential for the rest of the job!
- Dishes, flatware, especially glasses.
- Pillows, bedding, towels.
- Cleaning products, paper towels (which you can also use as packing material).
- Medication and essential toiletries (soap, toilet paper, shampoo).
- First-aid kit.
- Address book or PDA.
- An alarm clock or clock radio.
- A small lamp or flashlight.
- Cellular or plug-in phone (for emergencies).
- Important papers (bank statements, prescriptions) or computer files.
Packing Supplies - We have a complete assortment of Packing Supplies available at each facility.
If doing your own packing, here's a checklist of supplies you'll need:
- Boxes, boxes, boxes! We have various sizes available.
- For clothing, best to purchase large garment boxes. They have sturdy crossbars across the top so you can hang your suits, dresses, coats, etc.
- Clear plastic bags are great for small stuff and you can easily identify their contents.
- Packing tape—you can't have too much. Don't forget to tape the box bottoms.
- Masking tape is excellent for labeling or securing covers around larger items.
- Twine for tying up boxes and framed items.
- Labels help you and the movers unload boxes to the right room. Use colored labels to instantly identify each box. And don't forget the markers.
- Foam peanuts and bubble wrap.
- Small tools, like a hammer or screwdriver, for disassembly.
- And a notepad to record and color-code what you packed. Keep this with your important documents.
How should I pack?
Appliances:
Refrigerators and/or freezers should be thoroughly dry and stored with doors slightly ajar. Some goods can be stored inside large appliances and boxes can be stacked on top of stoves, refrigerators and freezers. Make sure that stoves and cooking equipment are cleaned before they are stored.
Bicycles and other metal items:
To retard rust, wipe all metal surfaces with a rag containing a few drops of machine oil.
Books and documents:
Pack books flat to protect their spines. Use packing to fill out empty pockets in the boxes. Do not pack fragile items in the same box with books and do not overload.
Bedding, clothing, curtains, drapes and linens:
Clothing, curtains and drapes should be stored on hangers. Wardrobe boxes may be purchased in our office. If the items are too large for a box or cannot be hung, such items should be carefully folded and stored in dresser drawers, cedar chests or wardrobe style cardboard cartons along with bedding and linens. Food crumbs or stains should be removed before storing. Avoid storing anything that may attract pests.
Dishes and glassware:
Place a layer of packing inside the bottom and at the top of boxes containing glassware. Ideally these items should be stored in a specifically designed dish pack box (available in the office). All glass items should be individually wrapped: nest cups and bowls and stand plates, saucers and platters on edge. Wrapped glasses should be placed near the top of cartons. Again, fill all pockets with packing materials. Label all boxes containing glassware, and do not place heavy items on boxes containing glassware.
Furniture:
Place a pallet, corrugated cardboard mat, or plastic sheet on the floor and stand sofas and mattresses on end. Disassemble beds and tables and wrap table legs in paper. If a table will not disassemble, place padding on the floor and place the table on its top with the legs pointing up. Use dresser tops for stacking cartons and dresser drawers for linens or small, delicate items. Keep upholstery off the floor. Most lightweight chairs can be stacked "seat to seat" or placed upside down on tables which cannot be disassembled. Finally, place a light cotton (e.g., a bed sheet) dust cover on your furniture or several types of dust covers can be purchased.
Holiday decorations:
Save the original cartons that contained delicate ornaments and pad the ornaments with packing paper or newsprint. Wrap strings of lights around a piece of cardboard before placing in a carton lined with packing paper.
Lamps:
Wrap large lamps and place them in boxes and pack delicate lamp shades separately. Do not use newsprint to wrap lamp shades or any other goods that may be damaged by ink stains. Do not store heavy items on cartons containing lamp shades.
Mirrors, windows and screens:
These items should be stored on edge, not flat.