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Stay Safe When Moving

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The house moving process is often both stressful and expensive. To make matters worse, moving from one house to another can also be a dangerous endeavor, especially on Moving day when its notorious uncertainty could bring about a few unexpected surprises.

Stay Safe When MovingYes, money and time are important, but you should never forget that your health and the health of your family members, including your lovely pets, is your number one priority.

And that’s exactly why it’s imperative that all of you stay safe when moving to a new home.

Here are the top 20 safety tips for packing and moving that will help you stay perfectly safe and healthy throughout your own house move.

1. Ask for assistance

Don’t try to lift and carry exceedingly heavy household items entirely on your own. Instead, protect your health by asking good friends to give you a hand with the heavy lifting.

As a rule of thumb, the more helping hands you manage to secure on Moving day, the safer it will be for everybody involved in the house move.

2. Plan your actions

Plan your actions a few steps ahead to prevent major accidents from taking place on the Big day. Planning is especially critical when you’re moving large and heavy furniture – after all, you wouldn’t want to get stuck in the doorway underneath a huge couch.

On Moving day, plan each and every step before you actually take it.

3. Use good moving boxes

Make sure all the moving boxes you intend to use for your things are strong enough to withhold the weight of whatever will be packed inside them. Inspect thoroughly each and every cardboard container before using it, especially when using second-hand moving boxes.

The cardboard boxes you have should be sturdy, perfectly dry, and without any signs of previous damage. Be extra wary of infestations of any kind.

4. Secure all cardboard boxes

Keep your valuable items safe by ensuring that the cardboard boxes that hold them won’t break under the weight. One of the most neglected moving day safety tips is to double-tape the bottom of each cardboard container before filling it up.

To stay on the safe side, you should do this precautionary measure even when using brand-new packing boxes just because you never know.

5. Don’t skimp on packing supplies

Don’t skimp on packing materials only to save a few dollars – such a tactic almost always turns out to be counterproductive. When you’re packing extra-fragile items, remember to use enough packing paper and bubble wrap to protect well those breakables until they are safely delivered to the new residence.

A good rule to remember is to prepare more wrapping paper and bubble wrap than you think you will need to pack up your delicate possessions. After all, it’s always better to be safe when packing than sorry when unpacking, right?

6. Don’t make boxes too heavy

Provide an accident-free house moving experience by not making cardboard boxes too heavy when filling them up with your things. As a rule of thumb, a moving box should not be heavier than roughly 40 pounds. In reality, cardboard containers heavier than that safety limit pose risks for the persons who are to carry them and for the items that are packed inside them.

Don’t waste any precious time trying to weigh your packed boxes. Instead, lift each one slightly off the ground – if you’re able to do that comfortably without straining yourself too much, then you should be good to go.

7. Use proper moving equipment

Take advantage of the proper moving equipment to guarantee yourself an easy and safe haul of super-heavy items such as large furniture pieces, bulky household appliances, and big moving boxes.

The moving dolly and furniture sliders should become your new best friends when you’ve made up your mind not to hire professional movers to help you out.

8. Protect your back

NEVER bend or arch your back when lifting heavy items on Moving day. In fact, this is one of the most important moving day safety tips you should remember. The thing is that your back muscles are weak and when you strain them too much, bad injuries tend to occur.

Back injuries during house moves – pinched nerves, strains, and herniated disks – are more common than you think so you must avoid them at all costs. And since prevention is the best medicine, ALWAYS lift heavy objects using your strong leg muscles while keeping your back as straight as possible.

9. Use your legs as a hoisting device

Use the power of your legs when lifting heavyweight items, always. Just bend at the knees, keep your back straight (critically important!), and use the strongest muscles in your body (the leg muscles) as a hoisting device. Also, keep a stable base with your feet – they should be shoulder-width apart and one of your feet needs to be slightly forward.

Keep in mind that personal injuries during the action-packed Moving day can happen in the blink of an eye, so you must be extremely careful when handling heavy things.

10. Measure up your furniture

Increase moving day safety by preventing bad accidents before they happen. One way to do it is to ensure that the largest furniture pieces you’re moving will fit through all doors and hallways without any problems whatsoever.

Measure up those furniture items in advance, then measure the doorways and corridors along the intended exit path and do the math. If the numbers spell trouble ahead, get your largest furniture pieces disassembled safely before you move them out of the home.

11. Have a good grip

Ensure you have a good grip on whatever it is that you’re lifting and carrying to prevent personal injuries of any kind or untimely property damage, or both.

First of all, wear high-quality work gloves that will not only give you a better grip on things but will also protect your hands as well. And secondly, use box handles or side openings when carrying heavy boxes. If none are available, use both hands and get your fingers underneath the box bottom for a secure grip.

12. Dress appropriately

Minimize the moving day risks by dressing appropriately for the occasion. The day of your move is the most unpredictable time period when anything can happen, and that is why you should be 100% ready for any bad surprises.

Wear clothes that will give you the best level of comfort and protection. Pick garments made of breathable fabric that are flexible enough to not restrict your movements. Avoid baggy clothes at all costs.

13. Wear good shoes

Pick your most comfortable pair of shoes for the move-out day – the footwear that will give you the best possible protection for your feet and toes. Also, the shoes you wear on Moving day have to have anti-slip rubber soles and, ideally, offer good support for your ankles.

In most cases, you can’t go wrong with a pair of good sports shoes when moving in spring, summer, or fall, and a pair of high-quality boots when moving in winter.

14. Keep all paths clear

Make sure all hallways and pathways along the exit routes are clear of any types of obstacles – no random moving boxes or other disorganized clutter should be in your way when you’re moving large and heavy things out of the home.

Don’t forget that one wrong step or an accidental slip could easily ruin your house move. Randomly scattered stuff along the exit paths spell TROUBLE and pose a real trip hazard.

15. Secure outside areas

Don’t leave anything to chance and take care of the outside areas as well. The path that leads to the moving vehicle should be clean and free of excessive dust, mud, water, snow, or ice. Remove any debris from the ground, no matter how harmless it may look.

Also, trim down overgrown shrubs or protruding tree branches that may hurt someone during the house moving process.

16. Keep your kids safe

Keep young children safe in a room that’s far from the packing and moving action. You definitely don’t want to have kids running around when large furniture items are being taken out of the place. Moving day can be dangerous for adults, let alone for young kids who may not yet fully understand what’s happening.

Ask a relative or a close friend to look after your children in the designated Safe Zone while you’re working on the tasks at hand.

17. Keep pets from trouble

Guarantee the safety of any pet animals you may own – cats, dogs, birds, fish, and so on. Similar to kids, the last thing you’d need on the day of the move is to have your playful dog or mischievous cat to be running around your feet.

All in all, moving day safety is about taking precautionary measures before an accident could occur. Have your pet in a room away from danger, leave them with some tasty treats and water, and consider locking the door temporarily for fear of somebody letting them out by mistake.

18. Mind the weather

Stay safe during your move by monitoring closely the weather conditions outside. For example, when moving during a particularly hot summer day, avoid overheating by drinking plenty of liquids, having the home cooled down through the AC on, and wearing light-colored clothes, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat.

During a winter move, keep the home heated properly and wear warm clothes in layers when working outside so that you can regulate your body temperature more easily.

19. Use your common sense

Use your common sense to stay safe and healthy throughout the move. Sometimes it’s the little things that can lead to serious problems when you least expect it, so you’ve got to keep your eyes open from start to finish.

Don’t try to be a hero and do things that are more than you can handle. For example, carrying a few boxes at the same time may look cool, but it also is risky for you and the items inside those boxes. So, know your own limits and always think before you act – possibly the best advice to guarantee safety when moving house.

20. Hire licensed movers

Don’t underestimate the dangers when moving from one home to another – trouble can come from anywhere so you just have to remain vigilant at all times.

For your own sake, you must stay protected from dishonest movers – rogue moving companies that have only one purpose – to scam unaware customers. It can be really frustrating, to say the least, to get scammed by bad movers, so stay safe by only working with a properly licensed and adequately insured moving company.

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Safety Tips For Moving Furniture

This entry was posted in Moving, Moving Tips and tagged , on by .

Moving Furniture

Moving heavy furniture on your own can be a very risky business, especially if you have no clear idea what it takes to achieve a satisfactory level of moving day safety. In order to avoid moving injuries or premature damage to your prized possessions when moving from one home to another, you have to be familiar with the major safety guidelines.

Anyone who dares to disregard the common sense safety tips when moving furniture could end up badly hurt by taking on too much weight at the same time or by handling the furniture moving job the wrong way. The good news is that you don’t have to be like any of those people who are 100% sure that safety when moving house is grossly overrated.

Safety Tips For Moving Furniture

Moving Furniture

The best way to move heavy furniture, which coincides with the easiest way to move furniture as well, is to let a top-rated movers do it for you.

However, if professional moving assistance is just not the right way for you, then the following hand-picked moving day safety tips for moving furniture should keep you injury-free until you reach the protection of your new home.

1. Disassemble your furniture pieces

It’s fair to say that your large furniture pieces – king- and queen-size beds, dressers, wardrobes, cabinets, bookshelves, sectional sofas, armchairs, desks, and tables – will give you the most troubles on Moving day. In fact, furniture is regarded as one of the most difficult items to move to another home due to its oversized dimensions, considerable weight, often awkward shape, and occasional fragility and high value – antique furniture, for example.

Safety is always a big concern when moving heavy furniture by yourself, and that is exactly why the best course of action when you do decide to take some or maybe all of your large and heavy pieces with you is to hire experienced furniture movers who just know what to do.

However, in case you can’t afford professional help or you know you can take control of your house move with a few trusted friends, the next best thing is to disassembly your furniture before you take it out of your home.

It’s important to remember that furniture disassembly is one of the best safety tips for moving furniture. If you wonder why you should do it, here are just a few examples of the difficulties you may face on Moving day:

  • some of your furniture pieces will be just too big to fit through standard door openings and narrow hallways unless they are broken down safely to its main components;
  • some pieces will be too heavy and awkwardly shaped to be carried up or down any number of flight stairs;
  • other furniture pieces you own will be too fragile to be just taken out as they are – especially if they come with breakable glass components and frail ornaments.

So, stay safe and protect your valuable possessions by disassembling your big furniture as far as they can go. Measure your furniture pieces first to see if they will fit through all door openings and hallways. If you don’t know what to do or how to do it, ask a friend who does, or even better – contact professional furniture movers.

2. Identify and eliminate furniture moving dangers

Safety when moving furniture is of paramount importance – disregard the major safety moving tips and you may find yourself in a world of pain.

During the notoriously chaotic move-out and move-in days, damaging your valuable furniture – as bad as it sounds – could turn out to be the lesser of two evils. Unfortunately, personal injuries of all kinds are also a genuine possibility so you must do all in your power to avoid injuries when moving house.

Luckily, some safety tips for moving heavy furniture are easier to follow than others – you only need to use your common sense to make your moving experience pain- and trouble-free. Here’s a very easy piece of safety advice to keep in mind when taking out the furniture out of your house or apartment – just keep the exit paths and outdoor pathways clear of potential dangers. Well, this task may sound easier than it actually is.

  • Take a slow walk along the intended exit path of your furniture and identify any danger zones – areas, places or spots that can be hazardous when heavy items are being carried or wheeled out of the residence. Once you’ve identified the problematic areas, do your best to make them safe.
  • Random obstacles, packed cardboard boxes or any disorganized clutter in your home may easily jeopardize moving day safety. Keep the pathways clear at all times.
  • When you’re moving heavy furniture to the moving vehicle, the outside zones can also lead to bad accidents so you must make sure the outdoor paths are 100% free of dust, mud, snow, and especially ice.
  • You can guarantee safety when moving house by creating more unobstructed space for free movement and all the accompanying unusual moves that come with Moving day.

3. Don’t form a one-man team

One of the best safety tips when moving furniture is to never try to do it all by yourself. The burden of moving house is too great for a single person, let alone handling super heavy and oversized pieces of furniture. Remember that moving house is a team effort – it was never meant to be a solo performance. After all, moving heavy furniture alone can be plain dangerous so if you do try to be a hero on your moving day for one reason or another, the results will probably be disastrous.

Think about what’s best for the wellbeing of your prized furniture on one hand, and what’s best for your own safety, and that of your family. If you can’t seem to afford to hire the services of a professional moving company, then you must make sure you will be able to get sufficient manpower from your circle of friends. Your top priority, of course, is to ask for that invaluable friendly assistance way in advance so that you don’t disrupt unnecessarily your pals’ plans.

Once you have your friends around, coordinate your actions with the helpers so that everyone is on the same page before it’s time to lift and carry heavy pieces of furniture. Don’t forget to always take advantage of the right moving equipment /see Safety moving tip #4/ and to use the proper lifting techniques /see Safety moving advice #5/ to avoid injuries or property damage when you move.

4. Get the right equipment to move heavy furniture

Safety Tips For Moving Furniture

Moving Furniture

Don’t turn your back on the safety tips when moving house! To prevent accidents and injury during a move, get yourself the right type of tools for to move heavy furniture as the latter has the tendency to become heavier, bigger and trickier to transport than initially estimated.

Rent or purchase the following furniture moving equipment to make your move easier and safer than ever:

  • A furniture dolly. Often regarded as a mover’s best friend, a furniture dolly is an L-shaped two-wheeled handcart that still remains unrivaled as far as usefulness, efficiency and safety are concerned. It’s amazing how simple yet effective and indispensable a moving dolly can be for lifting and moving heavy objects during a move. And one thing you can be absolutely sure of is that there will be no shortage of heavy and bulky items to transport on your moving day. Rent a sturdy utility dolly from a local moving company or even consider purchasing one – it’s an investment that should pay off tenfold because even if you never have to leave your new home, you can still use it around your new residence for transporting all types of heavyweight stuff.
  • Furniture slides. You may need to slide a piece of furniture a short distance or all the way across a room – and to do that safely, you will need furniture sliders. A slider is a piece of durable plastic on one side and hard rubber on the other that will help you slide heavy furniture with ease. Just position a slider under each leg or corner of a piece of furniture and marvel the magic of frictionless sliding.
  • Moving straps. Straps can help move heavy furniture by redirecting the weight from a person’s back to a stronger muscle group. Moving straps are almost exclusively used by professional furniture movers so it’s probably best if you stick to using a good quality furniture dolly.

5. Use proper lifting techniques

One of the best safety tips for moving heavy objects – a piece of advice that you must use to stay protected – is to use the proper lifting techniques that are accepted as universal. It’s important to understand that you will be forced to do tons of awkward and uncommon movements which your body has not been accustomed to – bending, pushing, pulling, twisting, and of course, lifting heavy furniture. As a consequence, you or one of your helpers could actually end up with an injury of some sort.

If you’re still not sure how to move heavy furniture by yourself, here are a number of professional moving tips to avoid injury (aka safe lifting techniques):

  • Spare your back by always lifting heavy furniture with your legs. Bend at your knees, keep your back straight and use the unquestionable strength of your lower limbs.
  • Whenever applicable, push heavy furniture pieces (not before having furniture sliders underneath the, of course) instead of pull them.
  • Whenever you have to turn sideways or around while holding big and heavy furniture, do so with your legs, never with your hips.
  • Keep the pieces of furniture that you’re wearing as close to you as possible and in the relative center of your body.
  • Some common moving injuries come as a result of wrong footing, and as you can imagine – tripping over while holding a piece of furniture will have bad consequences. Stay safe by only making slow and smooth movements, and by only making small steps as well.
  • Keep your eyes focused in front of you when moving heavy furniture by yourself.

6. Wear proper clothing and footwear

By know you should know perfectly well that safety when moving house is your top priority. The last safety advice for moving furniture will show you how personal injuries and property damage can really ruin your moving day from something as (seemingly) trivial as what you wear during the day of the move.
Moving house safety tips

Amidst hundreds of genuine worries on Moving day, appropriate clothing and footwear can easily get overlooked. Only, you don’t want to make that mistake because your conscious decision to wear proper clothes and shoes can help you achieve the level of safety you seek.

  • Opt for your most comfortable change of clothes you can find in your dresser. Ideally, the moving day garments will be made of flexible and breathable material that will let you move freely.
  • Don’t choose clothes you will be sorry to see dirty or even ruined – anything can happen during the most demanding day in a household move.
  • Don’t wear baggy clothes as they can get hooked on a piece of furniture, which in turn could lead to nothing good.
  • Your shoes should be of the closed-toe type, with rubber soles that provide excellent friction (anti-slip soles). Footwear with good ankle-support is preferable as well – most often, you will quickly realize that a good pair of sports shoes should be your best choice.
  • Oh, and don’t forget to use high quality work gloves that will improve your grip and protect your hands at the same time.

The best way to move heavy furniture, which coincides with the easiest way to move furniture as well, is to let a top-rated movers do it for you.