This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Swiffer. All opinions are 100% my very own.
I have moved more times than I care to admit. In fact, I even moved spur of the moment and was able to pack, purge, and load the uHaul in five days with my two sons due to a family crisis this past week.
Go ahead, call me supermom or what.
So, therefore, I considered myself a moving expert, but not by choice. UGH!
I’m not sure if cramming in the packing or if spacing it out over a longer time span is more efficient. I tend now to not wait to the last-minute for tasks, and I also can’t stand clutter. But in a nutshell, it doesn’t matter how much time you have to pack up your home, these tips are universal.
These are the 11 moving tips that I keep in mind every time I move my entire family. They have caused me to stay sane in the midst of the chaos.
This last time was borderline, but we did it!
11 Moving Tips to Keep you Sane
- Find moving boxes on Craiglist. Many times people offer their used moving boxes for free on Craiglist. They usually post it under the FREE section. Also, I have found good boxes at the dollar and grocery stores, too. I try to find as many as I can that are the same size in order to make packing more organized.
- Pack an Overnight Bag. I can’t emphasis this enough. There is nothing worse than when you are exhausted from the initial move and you can’t find belongings like your toothbrush. So, pack your family an overnight bag with the items that you need for that night and next day.
- Clean with Swiffer Products. The last thing we feel like doing is cleaning the house after we have packed the stinkin’ uHaul. However, using Swiffer products makes it so easy and effective in a shorter amount of time. I use the Swiffer dusters
to clean the mini blinds, built-ins, baseboards, and ceiling fans. With thousands of fluffy fibers, Swiffer 360 Dusters trap and lock up to 3x more dust than a feather duster. It uses Dust Lock Adhesive to clean deep into grooves and niches. Be sure to not buy the off-brand either. Your results will not be the same. I love using the Swiffer Sweeper
and WetJet
to clean the floors when the house is empty.
- Buy Shrink Wrap. Be sure to shrink-wrap all the dresser drawers and just leave the clothes in the drawers. I also shrink-wrap anything that I think might open during the move like my filing cabinet.
- Place all bedding in large Garbage Bags. I always buy a different color than the ones we use for our garbage to avoid any accidents. I just stuff all the bedding and sheets together for each bed in one garbage bag.
- Place Hanging Clothes with hangers in Garbage Bags. It’s so aggravating when you are trying to load hanging clothes and one of the hangers slips, and your clean clothing is now laying on the dirty floor. Avoid unnecessary frustration; just bag those babies!
- Label Boxes. I always label my boxes with its content and where it is going in the new location. This helps the movers to know where to place the boxes coming off the truck. This is a huge time saver and just might save your back.
- Get a hold of Liquor Store Boxes. Liquor store boxes are awesome to put all your drinking glasses in to avoid breakage. Also, they are usually sturdier than the norm. Just ask your closest liquor store; they are usually happy to give them to you.
- Forward Your Mail. Simply get this task out-of-the-way. You can do it online in a matter of minutes. I usually have the mail forwarded the day we are leaving.
- Remote Controls and Screws. I like to put all my remote controls in a large ziplock bag, so I know where all of them are in an instant. Any cables or screws can go in a separate baggie, too. Don’t forget to label the baggies.
- Pack Books in small Boxes. Books are terribly heavy, so avoid any broken backs by packing all books in smaller boxes. Trust me on this one.
There are many other moving hacks that have made my moving experiences more tolerable, but these are the 11 that are the most helpful to me.
Put these 11 tips to work, and your next move will go much smoother than anticipated.
Do you have any moving tips that have made you stay sane during your last move?
I am planning on moving next week and still have a lot of packing to do. I have been stressing about how to keep the drawers from moving around in the dressers and I think that using shrink wrap should do a good job at that. However, I don’t think that it’s a good job to leave all of the clothes in the drawers, because that will make the dresser heavier when you try move it around.
I love the idea of finding boxes on craigslist. That would be a great way to find cheap or free boxes. I would like to get everything packed up before the movers get here. I want to make their jobs easy on them if I can. It would help lower the costs of our move.
I’ve never moved before, so I’m stressing out about the fact that I have to move across the country in a few weeks. Your tip about putting hanging clothes in garbage bags is really helpful because it will help to contain the clothes and I won’t have to put everything back on hangers. I also think it will be really helpful to hire a professional moving company so I don’t have to do much heavy lifting.
My wife and I are planning on moving in the next few months. She is beyond stressed about the whole thing. I have been trying to find tips and tricks to make the move easier on her, and this article was very helpful. Putting hanging clothes in garbage bags is a great idea, it will be a huge help in keeping the clothes clean. Do you put more than one hanger through the same bag?