| 1. Protect your back! Pack in small boxes to avoid lifting too much weight. Consider purchasing a small hand truck. |
|
Pack books and hand tools only in small cartons. |
|
Pack clothing and most other items in medium cartons. |
|
Use large and extra large cartons only if you really need the extra box space -- or the stuff is really light. |
| |
| 2. Protect stuff from scratching. Wrap everything -- even pots, pans and hand tools. |
|
You
can use newspaper to wrap hand tools or dish washer safe dishes.
Dishes (and your hands) will get dirty with newspaper ink, but you can
wash them. |
|
Use unprinted newsprint for anything you'd prefer not to wash. |
|
Use bubble pack for the really fragile items. |
| |
| 3. Protect fragile stuff from impact. |
| |
Use new boxes. New boxes are stronger than used boxes. |
| |
Use heavy duty boxes for heavy or large items. |
| |
Use extra padding or bubble if the items are fragile. |
| |
If the stuff is REALLY
fragile, double box it. Pack it in it's own separate box. Then
pack this box into a larger moving carton with plenty of clearance
between the inner box and outer box. |
| |
| 4. Protect fragile stuff from shaking...... If it shakes; it breaks. |
| |
Be sure the boxes are completely full before sealing them. |
| |
Be sure the corners are filled with padding. |
| |
Be sure the padding (BUT NOT THE CONTENTS) is mounded a fraction of an inch above the top of the box. |
| |
Shake the box before taping the top shut. |
| |
Add padding where ever necessary. |
| |
| 5. Protect fragile stuff from crushing. |
| |
Use
strong, new boxes for packing. Used boxes tend to be soft. If you stack
used boxes in a truck, the lower boxes will tend to collapse. |
| |
Never
pack heavy stuff and fragile stuff in the same box. Always remember,
boxes may be turned upside down during a move. So, heavy stuff packed
in the bottom of a box can crush light, fragile stuff packed on top. |
| |
| 6. We don't recommend used moving boxes. |
| |
There are several problems with used moving boxes.
People use them because they are cheap. In San Diego, our prices for
new boxes are generally less than what movers charge for used boxes. |
| |
Used
boxes are not sanitary. Ordinary, healthy people carry an amazing
amount of mites and bacteria on their clothes and skin. These things can get transferred through used moving boxes. Roaches are also a concern. |
| |
Used boxes are not strong. Used boxes are weaker than new boxes. Never put fragile goods in used boxes. |
| |
Old
labels remaining on used boxes can be misleading. Don't expect movers
to heed "Fragile" labels on used boxes. They don't know when the labels
were applied. |
| |
Tape doesn't stick as well to used boxes. |
| |
Because of their condition, it takes more time to assemble used boxes. |
|
Liquor
boxes and copy paper boxes are an exception to most of the objections
above. They are designed for extra strength so they work OK for one
reuse. |