Your home is a treasure trove of packing materials. Here are some creative ways to use materials you find around your house for moving purposes.
- Start in your linen closet. All those towels and linens have to be moved too, so might as well use them to protect glassware, dishes or small pictures in the boxes. For a do it yourself move, blankets and sheets can be used to cover furniture during the move. Professional movers bring furniture blankets and will wrap items well to avoid damage.
- Large plastic bags are cheap and useful, but ensure you use clear bags.! It would be terrible to have a black opaque bag with good items be mistaken for garbage and be thrown away. For local moves, clear yard bags or blue recycle bags can be used for pillows, blankets and comforters. Stuffed animals and folded clothes can also find a temporary home in bags.
- Larger plastic containers can hold small items from your pantry and cupboards – like spices, toothpicks and small gadgets.
- Use tea towels, dish cloths, and oven mitts for packing dishes.
- If you are moving your clothes from one closet directly to another at your new home, bags can also be used as “valet” bags to cover them. Leave the clothes on the hanger, take 8-10 at a time. Slide a tie wrap around the hangers to secure them to one another. Cut a small slit in the center of the bottom of the bag and slide it over the clothes, feeding the hangers through the hole. One perk of using a professional mover is they can provide large wardrobe boxes to move clothes on hangers easily from one closet to another.
- Leave clothes in the drawers, and place small knickknacks within the clothes. Removing the drawers and moving them separate from the dresser makes the dresser lighter and easier to carry. Shrink wrapping the drawers will secure any items inside.
- Laundry baskets are great for small, lighter loads.
- Luggage is also another fantastic container to use for moving items! The handles and rollers help if the load is heavy, ie books.
- Gym bags and large grocery bags have strong handles and are great for shoes, toys and bathroom products.
- Camping coolers also can hold heavier items –and have handy handles and even rollers.
- Crates are fantastic for heavy items like LPs and books!
Voila! Cheap, easy, available and eco-friendly packing!