How to Pack for Your Next Move

Are you moving from one home or apartment to another? For many people, the very idea of moving is very confusing. They don't know where to start. The lifting or physical work can be more intimidating than is the actual planning! It's hard to devise a plan or schedule for moving if you haven't done it much, or for a long time.

Well, I've had occasion to move quite a few times, for reasons that are, well, none of your business. But I've learned some easy techniques involving management of time and materials that may be very useful! They follow below in three rough groupings.

First of all, about six to eight weeks beforehand, start seeing what you can throw away! You know you're going to find things, so if you do it early, you get some work done, day by day, thing by thing, and plus, you free up space and combat clutter and confusion. And clutter can cause you to lose valuables in the move! So start now.

Begin by just looking around and asking yourself what you don't use. Look in all the corners of each room first. There are old, broken things you always say you're going to fix, but that you never do. Give them away, or toss them. Old computers. Cracked and broken things. Old shutters or blinds. Sports equipment that you can't operate anymore without hurting yourself. Old food in jars. Is that cat almost dead?

Then, start on the closets. Just one at a time, just a couple of things a day. You don't have to complete the closets at this point -- but just thin it out a bit. Just a few things. More things will emerge when you actually remove the contents of the closet, but start now.

From there, start on cupboards, finding things that you don't use. Start a big catch all box of "trinkets" -- things that you think might be important or part of some weird thing, small things you can't identify. These small things are not a big problem to move later. Large, stupid old things are more difficult to move later. And after the cupboards, do all drawers and bureaus, and then, look under the bed.

This first step frees up a lot of physical and mental space, and plus, you may find things that will actually help you move, like gloves, tape, markers and cleaning supplies.

The next step is to go and get a whole bunch of boxes and crates. Many sizes. Small ones are better than too big. Don't buy fancy ones, just get cardboard boxes. I like milk crates because they stack. But anyway, estimate how many boxes you'll need, and then multiply that number by two. Seriously. Get twice as many boxes as you think you'll need. It's far easier discard extra boxes at moving time than it is to scurry around finding last minute containers! DON'T wait to get boxes one by one, worrying about the sizes. Just get many different sizes early!

At this same time, pick up a few other supplies. Don't get cleaning supplies. Why? I'll tell you why. Because you're probably going to find various cleaning supplies you already have, in all those cupboards and closets. And if you buy duplicates, well, then, you have more to carry and move out with you!

But do get these things:

Gloves. Both a cheap cotton pair of work gloves at the hardware or variety store, probably $4.00 at the most, and rubber dishwashing gloves. Get both. Here's why: As you begin all this work, your hands are naturally going to dry out. From different materials, from washing, cleaning, from dust, etc. Then, your fingers may crack, or get a small cut here and there, because you are clumsy. You've always been clumsy. And from there, that tiny cut or scratch is most certainly going to become infected, because you're handling all these horribly filthy things in your closets that you've ferreted away.

Tape. A couple of different kinds. For sure, packing and masking tape.

Putty or spackle to fill holes in the walls. This is especially important if you're leaving a rental unit -- the landlord will be impressed if you fill the holes where you hung your incredibly tasteless paintings and your yellowing pictures of Wayne Gretzky. And get sandpaper to smooth over the holes.

White Out -- the typing stuff. To cover various blemishes on the walls, especially (duh) white walls.

Magic markers -- A few markers to mark what's in the boxes. Get a few cause you'll lose them. You always lose things.....

Oven cleaner spray -- I dislike industrial potions, but this is one you can't get around. Has to be done, generally. Oh well.

Lastly, a couple of huge boxes of baking soda. I'll explain later. But do so. You'll thank me.

O.K. Now, open a few of the many boxes and tape the bottoms well so they don't collapse. Open and prepare about six different boxes. Put them in the center of a room or rooms. Yes, just leave them standing open, gaping, begging, "Fill me, fill me up!" You will start to think of things to put in them as you go. Don't seal them till they are pretty full. But check the weight of each as you fill them, so you don't hurt your back!

Now you're ready to pack some things as time goes on. Don't hurry or stress yourself, but you'll figure out what things can now be packed. Maybe you don't need the computer speakers now, or the printer. You might need the printer, though. To write that letter of apology to your landlord. But hopefully not, with my help. You can pack away winter clothes if it's summer. Or summer clothes if it's winter! See the logic here? Or, if you live in one of those strange places that really has no contrasting seasons, then there may be old clothes that you say you're going to someday be "thin enough" to wear again. You're not going to be. Give up. Take them to the Goodwill or Salvation Army, and they will give a tax-deductible receipt.

If you have an aquarium, start thinking ahead of time. How much is each fish really worth? After all, there probably is a time when God thinks the same thing about each of us. And you're playing God with this aquarium, make no mistake. Cause an empty aquarium is easy to move, but when you have to transport live fish....I'm not making any recommendations here, just think about it. Ask the old cat what he thinks. About the fish, I mean. Ask him.

Now, we come to the cleaning. Unfortunately, this is the hardest one to do ahead of time, because things are all packed and in the way, and honestly, you need to use your kitchen, refrigerator, and bath till the last day, so don't make the mistake of cleaning it all spic and span too early. You'll just frustrate everyone. But when you start to clean, use your rubber gloves to protect your hands. Here's the secret about cleaning supplies. All these chemicals, sprays and bottles of potion that you buy to clean, you know, most of that cleaning can actually be done with baking soda. Yep, plain, old baking soda. You have to scrub about 10% harder, but that's good for you. You can use baking soda to clean sinks, baths, tiles, and walls. Just use a lot of water. It also works as a "sweeping compound" -- a powder that helps the broom pick up dirt and dust! And -- very important --use tons of water after you clean and scrub things with baking soda. It leaves a residue easily, which doesn't do anything bad, but it's just there, so run your finger over things, and if you feel dried powder, YOU didn't use enough water.

For very difficult cleaning, plain bleach is the next step. Thin it with water. But a bottle of bleach is $3.00, and baking soda is $2.00. These two will do anything that all those other strange cleaning chemicals do. Don't buy those things. They're bad for you anyway.

Oven cleaning is so disgusting I won't even go into it. You're on your own. But be careful of the fumes, they really can make you sick. But have at it, it's got to be done. Takes forty-five minutes. Then you can shower. And you can clean the shower somewhat while you're actually in it! Then you don't have to be all bent over and sweating. Dual purpose action there.

A secret about cleaning bath tiles which I learned from a crabby old landlord in Kansas who had a weird eye: Get a brand new sponge that has that really stiff, green bristly stuff one one side. When the tile has been cleaned and is very dry, (preferably the next day) scrub it with that sponge while the sponge is totally dry. Don't get the new sponge wet, or you'll ruin this effect. You want to scrub the tile with the dry, green scratchy side of the sponge. It really works, makes it shine so he can see himself and his weird eye in the tiles. Maybe if there are a hundred tiles, he'll see himself like he's in a fly's vision, with all those many scary images.

Regarding carpeting, that's up to you. It's a mixed bag of opinions on how much cleaning should be done by you vs. by the owner or new people. I can't say what should be done. But of course, a vacuum does a lot...start there and then see.

About this time, go to the post office early and take care of your address change. You don't want to do that too early, in case something changes, but about a week before the move, you're safe. Don't forget that. And tell the bank and your creditors and people like that where you're going. And your probation officer.

A few days before the move, now you can start taping up the tops of the boxes. Not until a few days before. And then you can use your white out and gloves and magic markers, and when you're all done, give yourself the satisfaction of throwing those things away. Yep, just totally throw the tape and stuff out, or leave them in a neat pile in the middle of a room. The owner or next people will take it as a nice gesture. But don't leave the baking soda, that would just look weird. Or the fish.

Those are the three main steps: 1) throwing out some things very early, 2) getting your supplies and getting your boxes open and at the ready, and, 3) starting to pack and clean gradually. I hope these points of advice make your move simpler, safer, and a bit less stressful.