When you’re getting ready to move homes or offices, your physical health is just as important as packing things up into boxes. Every year, Americans report over 38.5 million injuries in their homes—don’t make moving injuries part of that tally. Follow these moving safety tips to ensure your next move is as painless as possible:
- Keep a first aid kit handy: If you find yourself the victim of cuts and scrapes, the last thing you want is to have to root around dozens of boxes until you find the first aid kit. Make that one of the last things you pack, and make sure everyone in the house or office knows where to find it. Even if you don’t need to use it, you’ll rest easier knowing it’s available.
- Don’t overload your boxes: Overloading boxes is bad for your possessions, but it’s also bad for your back. Resist the temptation to get the extra-large boxes and pack them with heavy objects like books or electronics. Instead, get medium and small boxes for those objects, and save extra-large boxes for things like comforters and linens. Your muscles and spine will thank you.
- Bend from your knees, not your back: When it’s time to start loading boxes into the moving truck, make sure you bend your knees instead of your back. It’s easy to bend over and forget, but that can injure your spine. Instead, bend from your knees and use your legs to lift boxes, furniture and other items.
- Clear a path: It’s nearly impossible to move your gear when there’s other stuff in the way. It’s inconvenient—and dangerous. If you stumble over a stray box or object, you can drop what you’re carrying, injure yourself or hurt your moving partners. Make it a moving safety priority to clear space before you start carrying boxes out of the house.
- Share the work: Teamwork will make your move a lot safer and less stressful. No one person should attempt to carry desks, couches and other heavy items on their own. If you need help, bribe a friend with pizza and their beverage of choice—and be willing to return the favor someday.
- Hire professionals: If you’re running a business or your friends aren’t available to help, hire professional movers and shipping companies. If you’ve never moved with movers before, you’ll be amazed at how quickly they can empty your home or office. Use commercial shipping companies to transport big items and boxes, especially if you’re moving a long distance. This is almost always preferable to renting a truck and driving it yourself.
When you need help shipping your possessions, Quality Experienced Moving, Inc. can assist you. Our services include commercial shipping, warehousing and white glove delivery services. Our delivery team is happy to help bring in your big boxes and furniture, so you’re not doing the work on your own. Call us today to learn more about how we can make your move easier, including by taking care of appliance delivery and setup.