How to protect breakables when moving

Imagine the situation: the moving day has finally arrived and you’re ready to head on to your new home. You’re carrying your boxes to the truck without a care in the world. Suddenly, one sharp turn or wrong step later and a box full of favorite figurines are spilled on the floor. Or one of your beautiful mirrors has tipped over in the truck and shattered. Unfortunately, this can happen to everyone. Combined with the help of California professional movers, good packing is key. If you want to have a smooth, damage-free move, you need to do your best to protect breakables when moving. If you do everything right, all of your delicate items will arrive at your new home in mint, unbroken condition. Luckily, we have a few packing tips we’d be happy to share with you. After all, the safety of your items matters the most.

You can protect breakables when moving by using proper materials

Before you can make sure that your fragile items are well protected, you must identify them. It goes without saying that certain types of items require more care and attention compared to others. The most common breakables are electronics, dishes and glassware, and decorative items such as figurines, paintings, and mirrors. Before you start packing, it is a good idea to make a list of fragile items. Go through your home room by room and note down any sensitive items you might have. If you have available space, move them all into a different room and separate them from other household items. Once you do this, you’ll have a better idea of how many supplies you need. Commercial movers California recommend buying nothing but top-quality packing materials, as they greatly impact the success of your move. To make sure everything is safe and sound, you will need the following:

• Strong packing tape for sealing your boxes. Avoid regular adhesive tape as it is far too weak to hold a box together.
• Packing paper for preventing scratches during transport. You don’t necessarily have to buy packing paper specifically, as even old newspapers will do fine.
• Bubble wrap, is your bread and butter if you want to protect breakables when moving, ss it offers extra padding to your items and helps absorb blows or jostles.
• Scissors and box cutters for trimming your materials to size.
• Labels and permanent markers for easier identification of your boxes and their content.
• New and strong cardboard boxes, or original product packaging if you have it. Don’t cut corners by getting worn out and used boxes, as they can easily tear open.

Packing electronic devices for the move

When it comes to preparing electronics for a move, the best option is to use its original packaging. This is because it is custom-tailored to perfectly fit the item you’ve purchased. Even when packing smaller items, it is better to re-package them, rather than placing several items in a larger box. If you don’t have the original boxes on hand, you’ll have to be a bit crafty if you want your items to be safe. When packing flat-screen TVs for example, you’ll need to find a box made specifically for that shape. This is a move recommended by most professional California packers. Another good idea is to begin by going through the owner’s manual, and see if there are any special packing or moving instructions in there.

What you want to do next, is remove batteries from devices that have them. Batteries that sit in a device too long can cause corrosion and damage the circuits. For this same reason, you should remove disks and cartridges from DVD players and game consoles as well. Once everything is disassembled, collect quality packing materials from the list we’ve mentioned earlier. Use packing tape to close the bottom side, and reinforce it with a few layers. Next, pad the inside of the box with bubble wrap, and then carefully place your item inside it. Any wires, accessories, and batteries, should go in the box with the item, neatly packed in a ziplock bag. If there is space between the box and the item, use packing peanuts or crumpled-up paper to close these gaps and prevent movement. Then, seal the top of your box with a few layers of packing tape.

Handling dishes and framed items

When it comes to packing glassware and dishes, the process is pretty straightforward. Wrap each piece in bubble wrap, and secure it with tape. For added safety, you can fill cups with crumpled-up newspapers. Pack everything vertically in small or medium boxes and separate each item with a layer of paper. Just be careful when using paper on fine china, as the ink from the newspapers can rub off on the dishes. Paintings and mirrors work in a similar fashion. First, wrap the individual pieces in bubble wrap and place them in medium boxes, separated by packing paper. For larger frames, you will need corrugated boxes made to size, lined with bubble wrap. Before you load them into the truck, wrap the entire piece in a large moving blanket. Then, try to lean it against the side of the truck, propped by a larger box, so it doesn’t fall over.

Protecting small breakables when moving

On your quest to protect breakables when moving, you need to remember one thing. The smaller it is, the more likely it is to break. For packing small figurines or collectibles, a simple egg carton is a fantastic solution! Place pieces individually in the cups after wrapping them in packing paper. Before you put the cartons away, make sure their lid can fully close. For slightly bigger items, you can use a plastic tub. Fill it with shredded paper and carefully place your items inside. If you want to pack in layers, add a lining of bubble wrap between them to maintain structure. Once you’re done, seal everything tightly with packing tape and take it to the truck. Remember to place these items on top of larger boxes, to prevent them from getting crushed during transit.