Moving is a very stressful job

Moving is a very stressful job that can only be more stressful when things don’t go the way you planned. Nothing is more annoying to open up a box to find all of your breakable valuables smashed inside.

Before you start stacking your breakable items any which way to get the moving job done, take a moment to look over this list of ways to carefully pack and move your belongings safely.

Use strips of cloth to pack glass and other items. Chances are that when you are packing your things that you will come across washcloths or towels that you can use to pack your items. Old clothes that no longer fit anymore or are not wanted can be used whole or cut into strips to wrap around your drinking glasses, dishware, or prized possessions. They can also be used to cushion the edges of tables and other furniture.

Old newspapers will help to cushion breakables.If you can’t find or don’t have enough cloth to cover all of your items, then you can use old newspapers and magazine pages to wrap your small items with. Wrap hollow items on the outside and stuff the inside with more newspaper to help keep the structure of the item sound when it is being moved about. You may be surprised at how well old newspapers work when you have nothing else to use.

Do not overstuff the containers you are using.It can be tempting to want to put everything together in a container if you think it will fit, but this can be one of the ways that you put your items at the most risk of breaking. Evenly distribute items in their containers to keep the items from breaking one another. Stuff newspapers or cloth in between items to fill up the space so your things cannot shift around so much.

Use professional containers to pack your valuables.Getting boxes at the supermarket or using old ones that you have had lying around can put your items at risk. You do not want to use an old box that can fall apart or that will not support the weight of your materials. Getting containers from a moving company is a reliable way to safely pack your things together in an appropriate way that will give you less risk of failure.

Stack containers holding breakables appropriately.You might think that certain containers can be stacked regardless of what is contained within them, but you should only stack lightweight breakable items on top of heavier boxes. Do not place them too far from the floor of the vehicle in case they should fall over.

Alert anyone helping you to move that there are breakables in certain containers.A great way to do this is by writing on the boxes clearly on top of the containers. Mark the room that you would like the container to go into when it arrives at its destination, too. You won’t have movers or others asking you where things go and they will know just by looking at a label how to handle the container.

Ship breakables separately if possible.If you can move some things on your own, one of the best ways to move things that you don’t want broken is to move them yourself. If you only have a few containers to move that are full of the things that could be broken, then put them in your vehicle separately and not in a moving truck. This way you will know that your items are well taken care of and will be your own responsibility.