Appliances are probably among your most expensive and prized possessions. Ironically, they are also among the most sensitive and fragile items in your home. Any accident with your appliances could render them useless and force you to spend lots of money replacing them. So, knowing how to pack appliances when moving is essential.
Find the right size boxes
Packing your appliances in appropriate boxes is crucial to keeping them safe and sound. The tricky part is that the box can be neither too small nor too big for what you are planning to put into it. If it is too big, whatever appliance is in it will roll and jostle around during transport and, therefore, be in danger of getting damaged. On the other hand, a box that is too small could just as easily cause delicate parts to break. So, if you are not sure you can do the task right, it is better to put some money aside for boxing and packing services for your precious appliances.
Add padding
Padding is the second trick you need to pack appliances when moving. More often than not, you can get away with using nothing but regular packing paper to pad the little space left between the box and your appliance. This is done to ensure the object inside the box stays firmly locked in place without overburdening the box. There is really no way to damage your appliances if you overdo it with padding. So, you can go as crazy as you want with swaddling your appliances to keep them safe.
Make sure the appliances cannot pop open
Lots of appliances have some doors. Be it fridges, stoves, microwaves, etc. And, since such appliances are unlikely to fit into a box, knowing how to pack them becomes all the more critical, particularly if there is the risk of them suddenly popping open. This could cause the door to break or even entirely fall off. It could also disrupt or hurt the person moving the appliance. Either scenario guarantees some level of damage to your items, which is something you want to avoid.
Wrap the cords and secure them
It is essential to focus on staying healthy during the move, but if you want to stay that way afterward, you need to keep your eye on the power cords! Power cords are the most often damaged part of appliances. Ironically, and quite alarmingly, this is also the most dangerous part. A damaged power cord can cause sparking, short outs, and many other issues, almost all of which result in a fire. Or, at the very least, an electric shock. So, wrap the power cords of your appliances in packing paper and tape them to the appliance. Just make sure they do not dangle alongside the appliance where you or your movers can step on them or catch them against something during the move.
Get some moving blankets
As mentioned already, it’s usually impossible to find suitable boxes for large appliances. That is unless you still own the box they originally came in. So, if you want to get your kitchen ready in no time, one of the most useful tips for packing the kitchen for moving is relying on moving blankets. Such blankets are made of highly resistant yet soft materials which swaddle your appliances and protect them. You can find them in any store selling moving equipment or even online. Best of all, you can continue using them for storage purposes or hang onto them for a future move. Unlike expensive boxes, they are a pretty good investment.
Disassemble everything you can
Smaller appliances are much easier to pack appropriately. So, if you have the opportunity to disassemble something into manageable pieces, take it. Another good reason to disassemble your appliances is that the joints and other bits where parts of an appliance meet are often quite delicate. Putting pressure on them can easily cause damage. And during a move, you cannot guarantee that such a thing won’t happen. Even just placing a heavy box on top of one containing your appliances could potentially ruin them. The rule is always – better safe than sorry.
Secure all the moving bits and pieces
The final piece of advice we have to offer on packing appliances when moving is to secure everything that can move. Dials, handles, wheels, and anything of the sort are extremely fragile and delicate. Pressure or a light bump can easily warp or break them off, which can cause your appliance to be stuck in a certain setting. If you are not sure how to properly secure such parts, it is always better to hire reliable movers who can do it for you.
Final considerations
Now that you know how to pack appliances when moving, you should be ready to prepare yourself and your household for the relocation! Keep in mind that if you cannot spare the time or patience for it, it is always better to hire professionals than to do a lousy job.