08 Sep Essential Packing & Moving Supplies
There is a lot that goes into moving but packing your items is one of the most crucial ways of ensuring everything remains organised. This involves finding the right supplies, packing items, labelling boxes and then unpacking once you move into your new home. Whether it’s your tableware, your clothing or fragile, sentimental items, the right packing and moving supplies will make a significant difference to the way in which your items are transported.
However, what essential packing and moving supplies will you need to ensure that the move is a success?
Boxes
You’re going to have many different items to pack and they all require the right size box. When the time comes to move, you’ll realise that every item has it’s own shape and size and trying to squeeze them into any shape box just won’t be practical or safe. You’ll need different sized boxes using small boxes for heavy items and large boxes for light items such as pillows and towels while special boxes that are specific for hanging and transporting clothes are essential. There are also boxes designed for kitchen items such as dishes and glasses and they have extra protection while there are boxes for mattresses and even picture frames. Every moving company will be able to provide you with packing supplies or advice that can help you choose the right boxes. While a cardboard box might seem rather insignificant, it is, in fact, one of the most important aspects of moving. You need to ensure that the boxes are solid, sturdy and designed for the items they are transporting. Choosing the right box for the right items will ensure your items are transported safely and securely. They will be tightly packed, ensuring they don’t move around during transportation, ensuring they can be unpacked with ease at your destination.
Padding Items
Every home has fragile items and that requires the right padding and here you’ll have three options. It could be a precious vase that has been handed down through generations or a large ornament, not forgetting your glassware or kitchen ware.
You can opt to use old-fashioned newspaper that you can crumple into a ball and pack between items. Newspaper is a very useful padding item when moving. You can insert it inside glasses, wrap glasses and fragile items in it and place it in between items when packing them.
There is also packing peanuts that create an effective protective barrier. These are commonly made of polystyrene an other materials but they are soft and can help to absorb an impact. They are small enough to fill gaps around items and fill complete boxes when packing certain items. Bubble wrap is tried and trusted and again, this can be wrapped around items with each bubble of air providing a protective barrier and cushion that will protect your items. t
Choosing the right padding is all down to the items your moving. Glasses can be wrapped in bubble wrap while things such as vases and even ornaments can be surrounded by packing peanuts. The choice is yours but making sure you opt for the right padding option will ensure your items arrive in one piece at their destination. If items are not so precious and you need to keep costs down then old newspaper will do the job. For those more expensive, fragile items, you might want to consider using either packing peanuts or bubble wrap.
Packing Tape
Packing tape is an absolute must once you have finished packing your boxes and have everything in place. While you might think that leaving boxes open is secure enough, this is not the case. You’ll need to close them correctly to ensure that they can be handled correctly but also so they can be stacked during the loading of the moving vehicle.
The tape must be strong and applied correctly to ensure the box does not open during transport. Make sure you seal the box at every potential opening and even reinforce the bottom of the box to ensure that it is sturdier when being carried. Once sealed, ensure you label the box immediately to avoid you having to reopen it to see what it contains.
Box Cutters, Mattress Covers and Stretchwrap
Box cutters are going to make opening the boxes easier once you arrive at your new home and need to unpack. Using a knife or a sharp object could cause damage to the items inside but a box cutter is specifically used for cutting open boxes and makes the process simple.
Mattresses are extremely cumbersome and difficult to pack but Mattress covers will ensure that they are protected during transport. You should make sure that your mattress is securely packed because this will ensure that it remains free from dirt and grime but can also be handled correctly. Finally, stretch wrap will also prevent items from getting scratched or damaged. This can be wrapped around each item, ensuring that they don’t get marked or scratched when handled or packed alongside other items.
Getting Rid Of Packing Supplies
For items such as stretch wrap, tape and boxes, make sure you dispose of them in the right way by recycling them. Moving can cause a large amount of waste and it’s imperative that you make sure you dispose of everything in an environmentally friendly way.
You’re going to have a lot of waste so dispose of it as quickly as possible. For box cutters and mattress protectors, they can be kept and used again in the future should you decide to move property again.
Moving is an intricate process but making sure you pack your items correctly will ensure you don’t receive any nasty surprises when it comes to unpacking. With so much to transport, you’ll need to make sure that everything is protected and packed correctly, making the entire process faster, slicker and easier for all.