The Postal Service Asks You to Fix the Mailbox

Good news for everyone – it’s Mailbox Improvement Week! While this is sometimes promoted as an opportunity to “beautify” your mailbox (paint it, plant flowers around it), there’s a more pressing issue: a person has to put their hand inside this thing, so please try not to let that happen. threat to life and health.

To make life easier for your mail carrier, as well as yourself, here are a few things you should consider this Mailbox Improvement Week – or, frankly, anytime.

Troubleshooting Security Issues

If your mailbox falls apart, one day someone will be unhappy – whether it’s the postman who hurt himself on it, or you dealing with wet mail.

The Post Office offers you:

• Tighten or replace any loose hinges
• Paint over areas that are starting to peel or rust
• Reliable fastening of the mailbox to the anchor point if it is loose.

They also recommend making sure the mailbox support—usually the pole it’s bolted to—is strong enough to hold the mailbox, but also bends easily if a car runs over it. Concrete poles are considered dangerous in the event of an accident.

Make sure your mailbox is easy to find and access

Perhaps your mailbox once had house numbers, but the numbers can fall off, fade or get dirty. Now is the time to correct or replace these numbers. If your mailbox is on a street other than your official address (for example, if your house is on a side road and the mailbox is on the main road), also include the street name in your mailbox.

You will also want to make sure the mailbox is available. If your postman is going to your mailbox, you don’t want him wading through poison ivy. And if they drive up, you’ll want the mailbox within reach of their window. USPS has guidelines and measurements on this page .

Consider updating your inbox while you’re at it.

Apart from these basic fixes, you can take the time to find the best inbox. A mailbox sold in stores and online must have a postmaster general seal that lets you know it fits in size, shape, material, etc. (You can also make your own if it meets the standards; show your plans to your local postmaster or write to the USPS Engineering Department – contact here .)

Beyond just choosing a prettier mailbox, consider a packet-sized mailbox , which is just over 13 inches wide and can fit in Priority Mail boxes in addition to your regular mail.