When you rent a moving truck, you’re in control of the packing job right down to everything but the kitchen sink, which we presume you’ll leave behind. And it’s amazing how many different household items demand a custom packing technique, both for arriving unscathed and for taking the least space in the truck.

So this is about the different techniques for packing different items so that everything arrives safe and sound and there are no surprises when you open up all those boxes on arrival in your new home.

Here goes.

How to Pack Large Items:

• If you disassemble the bed frames, tie the separate components together with duct tape and label them so reassembly comes easiest.
• Fill dresser drawers, desk drawers, any drawers with soft, lightweight things like linens, bedding, clothing etc. to minimize volume used inside the truck. Cover furniture corners with foam secured with duct tape. Wrap furniture in blankets or furniture pads secured with rope or duct tape.
• For tables, remove their legs and tie the legs together. Bag their nuts and bolts and tape the bag to the underside of the table top.
• After emptying and defrosting the freezer and refrigerator, clean and add some baking soda to prevent residual odor. Protect these large appliances with furniture pads once they’re in the truck. Remove all the refrigerator shelves and drawers pack them securely in appropriately labeled boxes.
• For the washing machine, fill it with towels, sheets etc. so tightly that the agitator can’t move. Protect it and the dryer with moving pads after loading into the truck.
• If you’ve saved the original packaging box and materials that came with your computers, TVs, small appliances and electronics, that was a real smart thing to do. If not — many people just don’t have the room to store those empty boxes - you can buy boxes specifically made for shipping electronic items.

 How to Pack Small Items

• For books, lay them flat in small boxes that you can keep under 30 bounds. Alternate how you place the book bindings.
• For items that you hang, like clothing and draperies, use wardrobe boxes.
• For fragile items, use bubble wrap and be sure to mark the boxes FRAGILE THIS SIDE UP.
• For CDs and DVDs, pack them upright on their edges, never flat.
• Stack pots and pans in boxes and surround them with crumpled paper.
• Wrap each piece of dishware and glassware individually in paper, bubble wrap or foam. Stand glassware upright and stand dishes on their edges, never stacked. Fill in any empty spots with more paper, foam peanuts or bubble wrap.
• Whatever you need the soonest after arrival, load it onto the truck last so it will be first to unload.
• And of course, boldly label all boxes as to their contents and which room they belong in.

How to Pack Odd-Shaped and Difficult Items:

• For chair arms and legs, wrap them in bubble wrap secured with duct tape.
• Bor bicycles, loosen the handlebars and turn them parallel to the bike body. Wrap bike chains with foam in order to protect other items from grease.
• For pictures, mirrors and glass shelving, wrap in foam or cover with cardboard secured by duct tape, and load them standing upright and facing the inside walls of the rental moving truck.
• For patio furniture, take it apart, tie the parts together with duct tape, and put the nuts and bolts in a bag taped to the respective furniture piece.
• For carpeting and area rugs, roll them up and tie with duct tape or rope.
• For plants, water them the day before packing. On moving day, put them in plastic bags and in boxes. They should probably be among the last things you load on the rental moving truck.
• For garden tools, empty all their fluids and wrap them in newsprint or bubble wrap.
• See elsewhere in this blog for packing up your pets.

Use these packing tips for making your adverture with a money-saving, do-it-yourself moving truck rental as good as it gets.

From the Blog-O-Sphere

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