Whether you’re relocating across the country or just around town, moving everything you own can be difficult. While moving day can be tough, the fact that some items are simply difficult to pack can make the process even more of a challenge.
The last thing you want is for your prized possessions to be damaged in the process. If you want your belongings to make the trip unscathed, you’ll need to prepare carefully — and we’re here to help. Here are some simple tips for packing and preparing your fragile and difficult items before, during and after the move.
• If your move is a relatively short one, you can safely transport your suits, dresses and other clothes on their hangers. Hanging hooks in vehicles are custom made for this purpose, and more items can be laid out on the back seat for safe transport.
• If your move is a longer one, specialty wardrobe boxes can protect your clothes as they travel. Ask your moving company about these boxes or stop by your nearest Simply Self Storage location for all kinds of packing supplies. Trust us, a wardrobe box will ensure your clothes arrive at their destination intact, clean, and unwrinkled.
• Shoes can be a real moving challenge, since they can easily get crushed or misshapen along the way. Protect your shoes from damage with specialty storage racks and bags. If needed, you can also stuff your shoes with packing paper and wrap them before putting them in smaller bins, suitcases, or boxes — you don’t want to stack too many on top of one another.
• Special care is needed if you want your favorite houseplants to arrive alive. Water the plants the day before the move to give the moisture time to settle, then carefully place the pots in boxes and surround them with newspaper for extra protection. Be sure to unpack those plants quickly when you arrive to prevent the soil from drying out and the leaves from getting damaged.
• Surround glassware and other breakable items with air cushions, packing peanuts and other packing materials. To save money, you can collect the packaging materials from your online purchases in the days and weeks before the move.
• Secure power cords with twist ties and rubber bands to prevent snagging and damage during the move. Coil the cords and secure them carefully with twist ties, then wrap the item in a rubber band to keep everything secure during the move.
• Remove the toner or ink cartridges from printers to prevent leaks during transport. The powder inside toner cartridges and the liquid contained in ink cartridges will shift during the move, and the resulting leaks could easily ruin your expensive computer equipment.
• Remove batteries from battery-powered equipment and store them separately. Batteries can leak in the heat or freeze in the cold, causing damage to the associated equipment if the problem is not detected in time.
If you’ll be moving your household to storage for a while the same tips apply.
Moving day can be a challenge, and not every item is easy to pack and transport. Taking special care with electronics, computer equipment, clothes, shoes and other items can prevent them from being damaged and help you get off to a great start in your new home.
The post I’m Fragile! 8 Tips for Packing Delicate and Difficult Items first appeared on Organization & Storage Tips | Simply Self Storage Blog.