Home Locations FAQs & Tips Contact us Blog Packing Tips You are here: Home / Packing Tips PACKING TIPS At American Mini Storage we know that packing can be stressful. Here are some tips and information which we hope will help! HELPFUL TIPS • Label and/or code every box! It’ll streamline your unpacking if you identify and unpack room by room. • Start early with a couple of boxes each day. It helps to pack a room at a time. • Distribute with heavy items—no box should be over 50 lbs.. • Use smaller boxes for heavier items (like books) for better manageability. • Heavy items go in first. • Cover clothing with plastic against moisture or dust. • Do not store combustibles, including paint and thinners. PACKING SUPPLIES: Boxes, boxes, boxes! Start collecting early—you’d be surprised how many you’ll need. • For clothing, best to purchase large garment boxes (about $15 each). They have sturdy crossbars across the top so you can hang your suits, dresses, coats, etc. • Clear plastic bags are great for small stuff and you can easily identify their contents. • Packing Tape—you can’t have too much. Don’t forget to tape the box bottoms. • Masking tape is excellent for labeling or securing covers around larger items. • Twine or sturdy cord for tying up cords and boxes and framed items. • Labels help you and the movers unload boxes to the right room. Use colored labels to instantly identify each box. And don’t forget the markers. • Foam peanuts, newspaper, paper towels or bubble wrap. • Small tools, like hammer or screwdriver, for disassembly. • And a notepad to record and color-code what you packed. Keep this with your important documents. PACKING TIPS Pictures and Mirrors • Wrap pictures that are small and stand them on end in boxes. • For larger ones, buy special picture boxes. • Consider using foam or bubble wrap. Electronic Equipment • It is a good idea to use the original boxes. (If you don’t have them, pack items carefully and use cushion material. Bubble wrap, cushion foam, and even wadded up newspaper will help.) • Pack items separately. • Stack record albums on end to prevent warping and use small boxes to hold down the weight. • Consider the temperature as heat can warp CD’s and record albums. Crystal, China, and Fine glassware • Wrap each item with paper or foam. • Label boxes with glass items and stack these on top. • Add packing material to both the bottom and the top of the boxes. Kitchen & Laundry • You can put several small appliances in a box. Be sure to put packing material between them. • It is a good idea to label box indicating what room it goes in and the items it contains. – Always consider the weight of what you are putting in boxes. It is better to use 2 smaller boxes than one heavy one. Appliances • Tape doors shut while moving. • Wedge doors open in storage to prevent mildew. • You can use this valuable storage space for items such as blankets and towels. Books and other valuables • Pack books together in small boxes – Big boxes of books can weigh too much. • Store your valuable papers in plastic bags. • Consider putting boxes on pallets or something to keep them off the floor. *All space sizes are approximate. This site is secure and your information will never be shared © American Mini Storage