Keeping Fragile Items Safe When Storing and Moving Them

Moving house comes with a few logistical challenges and some of those challenges come from fragile items. Whether it's your favourite Christmas bauble or a cherished family heirloom, you'll need some tips when it comes to storing and moving them.

Don't Skimp on Packaging

Protecting a fragile item always means using plenty of packaging. Assess how fragile each item is and use liberal amounts of bubble wrap to protect it. Bubble wrap offers cushioning through a combination of plastic and air, which means fragile items are less likely to break. Make sure you seal the wrap properly but avoid using overly tough tape as it can be difficult to break open and may, therefore, make accidental breakages at the other end more likely. Alongside bubble wrap, add plenty of padding between small items that you need to place into boxes. This padding should rest between the items themselves, as well as between each item and the box wall.

Keep Everything Separate

When you're in a rush, it's tempting to throw everything together so you can proceed with other aspects of your move. But when you do this with fragile items, you run the risk of breaking them. As such, it makes sense to box fragile items of equal weight together so that they're less likely to press on one another and cause breakages. When it comes to smaller ornaments, you may want to use sectioned-off boxes and a lot of padding to prevent them from banging into one another. 

Label Boxes Clearly 

Complacency can soon settle in when you're in the midst of moving houses. Because of this, labelling your boxes clearly is a reliable way to stop you from throwing items around and causing accidental breakages. Make sure you label each side of your box and make the way you want movers to position them clear through the use of arrows. You may also want to consider using different coloured tape on boxes that contain fragile items. That way, you're more likely to take note of the signs you've placed on them.

Segment Boxes 

Take a methodical approach to loading boxes or placing them in your storage unit. Try to keep very heavy boxes away from those that contain fragile items if you can. In doing so, you're less likely to accidentally knock a heavy box into one that contains something delicate. You'll reduce breakages, and at the same time, you'll make it easier to find specific boxes.

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