• General • Appliances      • Small      • Large      • Dryer      • Washing Machine      • Refrigerator • Books • Bowls • Bureaus • Canned Goods • Clothes • Collectibles • Comforters • Cups • Dishes • Flammable

• Food • Glasses • Hand Tools • Lamps • Lawn Tools • Mirrors • Monitors • Paintings • Pictures • Pillows • Plates • Platters • Pots/Pans • Power Tools • Shades • Silverware • Small TV's

	Small Wrap appliances in packing paper or your own towels. Wrap any glass parts with bubble paper. Pad the bottom of a box with a layer of crumpled packing paper Line the sides of the box with crumpled packing paper. Also try to put a little crumpled paper between the items. Put another layer of crumpled paper at the top of the box prior to sealing the box [back to top]
	Large Check the owners manual for any special instructions. Clean the appliances as well as possible Tape down any loose pieces (cords, hoses, etc.) On moving day, your mover will wrap the appliances in blankets for you. If you are moving yourself, make sure to have enough blankets on hand to wrap the appliances yourself. The blankets can be tied or taped on. [back to top]
	Dryer If you have a gas dryer make sure to turn off the gas line before disconnecting the dryer from the line. This is important! If you do not feel confident in doing this, contact your mover or the gas company for help. Disconnect the exhaust hose from the back. Unplug the dryer if it is electric. Any accessories (including the exhaust hose), can go into the dryer. Tape the door and lint screen down. Tape the electrical cord to the dryer. [back to top]
	Washing Machine Try to do all your wash two days before the move. Get the interior of the machine as dry as possible Stuff towels around the basket so it will move around as little as possible (some movers carry a 'washer kit' that will stabilize the basket). Make sure to turn off the water lines to the washer. When the water is off, disconnect the hoses from the water lines. Disconnect the hoses and the drain hose from the back of the washer, put them in a plastic bag and put the bag into the basket. You can fill the basket with pillows, stuffed animals, etc if you want. Make sure to put a box of baking soda in with this stuff to cut down on mildew Tape the door shut and the cord to the machine. [back to top]
	Refrigerator Several days before your move, stop buying perishable food's. Start eating what is in your refrigerator. You are going to have to throw anything away that is still in there on the day of your move.  The day before your move unplug the refrigerator to let it warm up and defrost. If you have an automatic icemaker, turn off the water going into the refrigerator, then disconnect the hose from the refrigerator. There is usually a drain pan under the the refrigerator. Empty it out after the appliance defrosts. Take any shelves or racks off of there places and tape them down securely inside the refrigerator. If the shelves are glass, wrap each one with a layer of bubble paper prior to taping them down. Do this for both the refrigerator and freezer compartments. Tape the doors shut and tape the cord to the machine. [back to top]

	Prior to packing, ask yourself, 'Do I need all these books and magazines?'. Donations to the library or charity would probably be appreciated if the answer is 'no' (you wouldn't have to unpack so many at the new location either).
	Only use small boxes for books. This will keep the filled weight at 30-45 pounds.
	Always try to completely fill the box.
	You don't need to use packing or bubble paper unless the books are old and/or valuable in some way. [back to top]

	Take some of the stuff out of drawers, but most of it can be left in them.
	Drawers can be used to keep fragile items such as clocks, small pictures, etc. Wrap these items in some of the clothes from the drawer and put them in the drawer.
	Don't put too much in the drawers as they will be too heavy and can be damaged in your move.
	If you are moving yourself, take the drawers out on the day of your move. Move the bureau into the moving truck and then put the drawers back in. Wrap the bureau with moving blankets.
	Do not use tape to hold the drawers in. Use stretch film wrapped around the bureau and drawers to hold them in. [back to top]

	Use small boxes as these items get heavy.
	Never move perishable foods. Food that is not kept in the refrigerator is OK (except fruit).
	Silverware can be wrapped in a towel and put in the box. If the silverware is in a compartmented container in the drawer, the whole container can be wrapped in a towel.
	Glass jars of food are fragile and should be packed similar to cups.
	Try to fill the box as much as possible. [back to top]

	Hanging clothes can be put directly from your closet into a wardrobe box.
	Most of the clothes from bureau drawers can stay in the drawers.
	The remainder of the clothes can be put into medium boxes. [back to top]

	Put the items in plastic trash bags to keep them from getting dirty.
	Pack them in extra large boxes. Since they are light, put as many as you can in a box. [back to top]

	Turn off and unplug the items and let them cool down for a bit.
	Make a quick wiring diagram of any connecting cables between components. Label the cables with masking tape to match your diagram. Tie the cables together and tape your diagram to the cable bundle. Try to pack the connecting cables in the same boxes as the components (setup at your new location will be easier this way).
	Tape down any movable parts or doors.
	Remove any ink cartridges from printers or fax machines. Put the cartridges in a plastic bag.
	Wrap any electrical cord around the component and put the component in a plastic trash bag (this will prevent 'things' from getting into the component.
	Wrap the bagged component in bubble paper or paper pads (depending on how fragile it is).
	Pack the items in strong boxes (dish boxes or a utility box) if they will fit well. Leave two inches between the component and the inside edge of the box.
	Fill this two inches with crumpled paper pads or bubble paper.
	If you put more than one component in a box, separate the components by at least one inch. Fill this one inch separation with crumpled paper pads or bubble paper.
	Tape the box clothes and mark the outside Fragile. [back to top]

	Every day cups and glasses can be wrapped in packing paper. More valuable cups, glasses and collectibles should be wrapped in bubble paper or put in foam pouches.
	A rule of thumb is to use more/better cushioning as the value of the items go up.
	Also use more/better cushioning as the fragility of the item goes up.
	Very fragile items (champagne flutes) should have some bubble paper pushed inside them.
	Each item should be wrapped individually.
	Line the bottom of a dish box with crumpled packing paper.
	Put in a dish divider (square cardboard piece)
	Put a dish insert on top of this. The insert has 16 compartments.
	Put one item (or two if the items are small) in each compartment.
	Use crumpled paper to line the inside of the box, keeping the items at least one inch away from the edge of the box.
	Put another divider in and repeat to make a new layer.
	For item that are taller than 7 inches, use two inserts without a divider in between them. This will give you 16 compartments 14 inches tall.
	Put another layer of crumpled paper at the top when filled and seal the box.
	Write FRAGILE on the outside of the box.
	When loading a moving truck, try to put these boxes near the top of a stack. [back to top]

	Everyday dishes can be wrapped in packing paper. More valuable dishes should be wrapped in bubble paper or put in foam pouches.
	A rule of thumb is to use more/better cushioning as the value of the items go up.
	Also use more/better cushioning as the fragility of the item goes up.
	Each dish should be wrapped individually
	Three or four wrapped dishes should then be wrapped together
	Line the bottom of a dish box with crumpled packing paper.
	Put in a dish divider (square cardboard piece)
	Put the 'dish packets' on the divider. Make sure to keep them at least an inch from the sides of the box.
	Use crumpled packing paper to line the sides of the box as you pack upward.
	Put another divider in and repeat with another layer of dishes.
	Put another layer of crumpled paper at the top when filled and seal the box.
	Write FRAGILE on the outside of the box.
	When loading a moving truck, try to put these boxes near the top of a stack. [back to top]

	Flammable items should not be packed. Moving companies will not move them for you.
	These include gasoline, paint thinner, solvents, etc.
	Empty all gasoline out of tools that use it several day's prior to your move and then allow the tool to dry out.
	Take the flammable material to the hazardous recycling center. Do NOT pour it down any drains or sewers. [back to top]

General

	Don't try to pack everything all at once. Do a little at a time over several days.
	Do not use plastic bags to pack your stuff in to save money. Always use boxes. Carrying and loading bags onto a truck is a nightmare and your stuff will get damaged. A mover will not even load your stuff into a  truck if it is bags. They will tell you that the stuff must be in boxes and will either charge you to put the stuff in boxes, or will stand around watching you put the stuff in boxes (while the time clock is ticking).
	Start by packing seldom used items.
	Mark each box as you pack it with the room and a box number.
	Keep a log of the rooms/box numbers and there contents. Leave room in the log for comments, etc. Note down boxes with a high value. Your mover should be notified of any boxes that are high value. The log is also useful in any 'missing' disputes with your mover.
	Fill boxes up as much as possible. Boxes with space at the top will tend to crush down when other boxes are put on them. The contents of boxes with spaces throughout them will shift around during your move, possibly causing damage to the items and causing the boxes to crush in.
	Tape the bottoms and the tops securely.
	Heavier items should go toward the bottom of the box.
	Boxes should not weigh more than 50 pounds. Heavier boxes are hard to move and the contents could get damaged.
	As you pack, always ask yourself 'Do I need this?'. The more things you can throw away or donate means the less you have to move and unpack. You will be surprised at the amount of 'junk' that is floating around your house! (We constantly here stories about how someone took two pickup truck loads to the trash and two to Goodwill prior to their move and then did the same thing after unpacking at the end of the move).
	Try not to use tape on any wooden items (to prevent damage to the finish). Stretch film wrapped around the wooden item will hold things in place as well as tape in most cases.
	When packing your kitchen, separate out some dishes, silverware, glasses, etc. Pack these items in a separate box or two. Mark them plainly so that you can find them easily at your new location. These will be the boxes you unpack first, so that you can eat and drink something without making a mess.
	Use clean packing paper rather than newspapers for cushioning. Although packing paper will cost more, you will save money and time in the long run (newspaper is dirty, causing you to have to wash all your stuff, your clothes, clean furniture that it rubbed on, etc). [back to top]

Lamps, Shades

	Remove bulbs, harps and shades. Tape the harp to the cord and wrap the cord around the lamp.
	The lamp can either be packed in a large box or a lamp box, depending on the size. If the lamp could be scratched, wrap it in bubble paper or a paper pad, prior to putting it in the box. Fill any space in the box with towels, crumpled paper pads or crumpled packing paper.
	Shades will either go into a medium or extra large box, depending on the size. More than one shade can be nested together in the box, if doing so will not damage the shade. Fill all space in the box with crumpled paper (even inside the shade).
	Bulbs can be packed inside the shade. They should be placed inside a plastic bag and then wrapped in packing paper first, since bulbs are fragile and prone to breaking. Be prepared to buy new bulbs at your new location. [back to top]

	Empty any gasoline out of tools and allow the tool to dry thoroughly.
	Drain any water out of garden hoses.
	Most lawn tools are long and narrow (rakes, shovels, etc.). Use stretch film to hold a number of tools together.
	Preferably place the bundled tools in lamp boxes (two can be telescoped together to get the necessary length) as this will give you a compact, not to heavy box. If the 'heads' of the tools won't fit into a lamp box, we have some wider boxes that will work. [back to top]

	For items with glass in the front, tape the glass with a large X of masking tape, then put a few more pieces of tape crisscrossing the glass. This will tend to keep the glass in place in case of breakage.
	For paintings with no glass, cut a piece of cardboard that will sit on the front of the frame, covering the entire painting (the object here is to protect the painting without touching it). Tape, or use stretch film, the cardboard to the frame.
	Wrap the items either in bubble paper or paper pads.
	Smaller items can be put in small, medium or large boxes.
	Larger items should be put in picture boxes. Telescope picture boxes together to get the correct size. The correct size should leave about two inches all the way around the edge of the frame and the inside of the box. Use crumpled paper pads or bubble paper to fill up this space. This extra cushioning will protect the item against shock and corner drops. If the pictures are thin, sometimes two pictures can be put in a picture box.
	For very large items that will not fit into any picture boxes, cut cardboard sheets to cover the front and back (we have sheets available in many sizes). Tape (or stretch film) the cardboard together to hold it in place. On the day of the move, these items should be wrapped in moving blankets and loaded carefully on the truck. [back to top]

	Unplug the item and let cool down for a bit.
	Wrap the electrical cord around the item.
	Put the item in a plastic trash bag (to prevent 'things' from getting in through the cooling vents).
	Wrap the item in bubble paper.
	Use a strong box (dish box or utility box). The box should be four inches larger than the item (two inches on each side).
	Line the bottom of the box with crumpled paper pads or bubble paper.
	Place the item on the bottom cushioning and line the sides and top with crumpled paper pads or bubble paper.
	Seal the box and label the outside Fragile.
	It is not a good idea to put more than one monitor/TV in a box. [back to top]

	Use medium boxes if you are able, large boxes if the length of the handles on pans make them too big for medium boxes.
	Wrap each item in packing paper or towels to keep them from banging around.
	Wrap any glass lids with bubble paper. Make sure you keep them away from the edges of the box when packing.
	Due to the odd sizes of pots, pans and lids you will have a lot of nooks and crannies in the boxes. These can filled with smaller non-fragile items.
	The inside of pots can also be filled with small non-fragile items.
	Fill up any remaining space with crumpled packing paper.
	Seal the boxes. [back to top]

Power Tools

	Use small boxes or small dish boxes for power tools as they can be heavy.
	Always drain any flammable material from the tools. Give them a few hours to dry out after draining, with the covers off prior to packing.
	Power tools usually are odd sizes and don't fill a box nicely. Use crumpled packing paper to fill in the nooks and crannies of the boxes.
	Seal the boxes. [back to top]