Fine china, electronics and other fragile items are some of the most difficult of your belongings to move. Although they usually aren’t as heavy and unwieldy as a couch, dresser or other pieces of furniture, they can easily be broken during transport. It is extremely frustrating and costly when this happens, so you must find a way to protect your delicate items while you move. Fortunately, you don’t have to have your fragile items carried individually by hand to ensure their protection. With a little creative packaging, you can get them to your new home without any problems! Here are a few ideas:
Look beyond bubble wrap
Although bubble wrap is an outstanding tool for cushioning fragile items, it is not by any means your only option. If you run out of bubble wrap — or would simply rather spend the money on the actual move — you can use any of the following items as a substitute:
- Packing paper
- Foam peanuts
- Plastic bags
- Clothes
- Bed sheets
- Old pillows
Don’t leave any wiggle room
Simply wrapping your fragile items up is just the start. While a wrapping solution will help to cushion your fragile items, it will not prevent them from shaking around; even subtle movements can cause a well-wrapped fragile item to break. That is why stuffing your boxes with additional packaging materials until there is no space left to move is critical.
Write “Fragile” all over the box
People have a natural inclination to be more careful with something they know is likely to break under the stresses of rough handling. However, nondescript boxes don’t exactly lend a clue as to what could be hidden inside. By writing “Fragile” on the box, you will ensure that the handler transports your delicate items with care. The creative packaging key here is to not write “Fragile” on a single location. Write the word on every open space that you can find on the box, so that you can be sure that nobody misses it!
Package your fragile items individually
Fragile items can be damaged by many things, including other fragile items. A fine china plate and bowl, for example, will scratch each other if they slide around. To prevent this from happening, wrap each fragile item separately before putting it into the box.
Use smaller boxes
The best protection against damage for your fragile items is to prevent a potentially damaging situation to occur in the first place. The smaller and lighter a box is, the less heavy or unwieldy it can be. This significantly reduces the likelihood that someone will drop it, try to squeeze it through a narrow passageway or bang it against the wall.
Sometimes less is more!
Fragile items can be damaged by many forces, including the weight of other objects sitting atop it. The solution? Pack fewer items in your box. If you try too hard to fill every inch of a box, then you are putting your fragile items at risk. Instead, pack lightly around your fragile items. Pack a larger or particularly delicate possession on its own. While this may be adding to the number of boxes that you’ll need to move, remember that an extra few boxes is much less of a headache than finding out that several precious, expensive and/or irreplaceable items that you just spent a great deal of time and money moving are broken.
Are your fragile items ready to move?
By following at least a few of the creative packaging tips above, your fragile possessions will be. To learn more about how to improve your move, contact us.
