This month has certainly been a rainy one, but don’t let little rain put a damper on your big move. Taking a few extra steps can protect your furniture and boxes from the elements and
keep your move flowing smoothly.
Wrap & Protect as Much as Possible
Invest in some plastic covers and specialty furniture covers such as chair, sofa, and mattress covers to protect your furniture from the rain. Clean all furniture before covering. Remove knobs and pulls from cabinets or dressers and place inside one of the drawers. This will prevent them from getting bumped and broken during travel. If furniture can be disassembled easily, separate the pieces into parts and shrink wrap the pieces together before covering.
If you have delicate furniture, glass, or wood items that can be easily scratched, first protect the surfaces with bubble wrap or a moving blanket before sealing in plastic covering.
Next, wrap your items with either plastic sheeting, a dust cover, or furniture covers appropriate for your items. Seal the covers up with painter’s tape or duct tape so that water cannot easily seep in. Contractor’s trash bags can also work well in a pinch – you can cut and reshape the plastic to fit your furniture.
Be sure all artwork and mirrors are also wrapped well in plastic or in picture pouches. Water is artwork’s worst enemy!
Park Close!
Park your cars and moving truck as close as possible to the entrances to your home to minimize time out in the elements. If you can’t park close, try to see if there is a route with overhangs that can lessen your time exposed to rain.
Dry As You Go
Keep towels handy throughout the day and on the moving truck to dry pieces as they are both loaded and unloaded. This is especially important if you’re moving any items into a storage unit. Keep as much moisture as possible off items headed for storage to prevent mold, mildew, warping, and other damage.
Protect Yourself
Moving day can be stressful enough without being soaking wet. Keep yourself dry with a good raincoat and shoes that provide good traction but can repel water.
Keep Your New Home Mud-Free
Before moving any items into your new home, lay down plastic floor protection so mud and grime aren’t tracked in with your belongings. If you don’t have plastic protection, old towels or blankets can work but may still leak a little bit of moisture onto the floor.
Move as many boxes as possible in to the front of your home as your moving truck is unloaded, then you can come in, dry off, and clean up before moving items into their proper places. This can help keep any dirt or water tracked in at the front of your new home rather than in each room.
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If you’re in need of some rainy day moving supplies, stop by one of our 7 locations to stock up. Our Bel Air location features two covered loading areas so you can keep your items dry – even in harsh conditions! We can help you pick the best supplies to fit your needs!
