alternative uses for portable storage units
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alternative uses for portable storage units

Portable storage units are useful in many different situations. If you are looking to get some extra stuff out of your home so that you can get some renovating projects completed or just to decrease the clutter, you can have a storage container dropped off right at your front door. What else could you use this service for? My blog is filled with tips and ideas about how to use portable storage units to make your life a little bit easier. Maybe, you will find a use for portable storage unit that you have not even considered in the past, but comes in extremely handy.

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alternative uses for portable storage units

4 Low-Cost, Easy Tips That Can Make Your Packing & Moving Process Go Smoother

Zeynel Hofkamp

If you are gearing up for a big move out of your home, then you know how much work is involved. That's why you need to prepare by working smart and using all the tools at your disposal to make the job a lot less stressful on your mind and body. Below are four tips that can make your packing and moving process a lot easier, and best of all, none of them will cost you little money.

Cushion your breakable dishes by using disposable items

Whenever you pack your plates, bowls, cups and glasses, it is important to provide coverage for them on the top and bottom. Otherwise, one moderate jolt can cause a chain reaction that ultimately leads to broken glass in the bottom of your box and tears on your face.

Fortunately, disposable foam plates, bowls and cups provide a low-cost, ready-made buffer for your items. Simply stack your breakables with a foam item in between each plate, bowl or piece of drinkware. After stacking, wrap the entire stack with several layers of plastic cling wrap, and they will be held together securely packaged. For added protection, stack flat items, such as dishes and platters, inside the box vertically so their edges are facing up and down. Once you move and unpack, be sure to save the foam items so you will have a nice supply of disposable dinnerware for your next picnic or get-together.

Cut hand-holds in the sides of the box

You are likely to use cardboard boxes by the dozen for your next move, and lifting, carrying and lowering can be a painful adventure for your back. That's why you should perform the following simple, fast fix that will save you a lot of trouble and time.

Load your utility knife with a new blade so you can make fast, clean cuts, and make horizontal hand-hold slots in the side of the box. To make the hand-holds, cut a squared-off "U" shape on the side of the box about a foot from the top of the box. Make the horizontal cut about five inches long, and make 1-inch vertical cuts at each end running upward. Next, push your fingers into the opening and push the flap of cardboard upward to make the opening. Exact precision isn't as important as trying to make balanced cuts on both sides, and also be sure to make the cuts before you pack the box to prevent damaging your items.

Prepare your door for moving day

Even something as seemingly trivial as your door should be readied to make moving day smoother. Doors that close and either latch or lock waste time and can make you try to open them with one hand precariously holding a box or put down the item you are carrying.

An easy fix can make this problem go away. Simply loop a rubber band around one doorknob, give it a half-twist and bring it across the door latch, then loop it over the other doorknob. This will push the latch far enough back so it won't catch if the door shuts. Just be sure to use an appropriately-sized rubber band; if the band is too tight, it will break or fail to hold the latch down if too loose.

Package your clothes using garbage bags

Hanging clothes can be a nightmare to pack and move if you don't take control of them from the beginning. Hangers catch on other objects, clothes fall off and are trampled or crushed, and a general mess can ensue as a result of poor packing.

Clothing racks are a nice solution, but they take up valuable room in a moving van and can be costly. As an alternative, clean garbage bags can be incredibly useful for keeping your hanging clothes protected and organized. Make a small semicircular cut-out in the bottom edge of a large bag, with a 30 gallon capacity or higher, and simply pass the hangers through the opening. You can bundle several articles of clothing at a time using this method, but don't overstuff the bag to avoid ripping it. Once you have placed the clothing inside the bag, simply wrap a few inches of packaging tape around the protruding hangers to hold the entire bundle together.

If your clothing articles are extra long, you can also slip an uncut bag on the other end to cover them. Just tape the two bags together to provide complete protection for your items.

For more tips or assistance, contact local packing services.


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