How to Move Without Using a Bunch of Boxes
There comes a time in every person’s life when we have to ask ourselves: how the hell am I going to move all this crap I’ve accumulated to a new home? Whether you’re leaving a 9-by-7 bedroom on the third floor of New York City or a four-bedroom country house with a basement, sometimes the biggest challenge (besides deciding what to throw away) is finding the right place to store and transport. all your things.
The traditional way is to use cardboard boxes – so many boxes . But if you don’t have an adequate supply of rigid cardboard containers or want to use them, we present you with all these other options, many of which you probably already have.
Arguments for and against trash bags
As a last resort, you can always toss soft objects like clothes, sheets, and towels into trash bags. But two things: first, if these are standard kitchen trash bags, they can tear easily. And secondly, it can evoke memories of those college dorm days of the past. However, these heavy-duty, puncture-resistant contractor bags are three millimeters thick and won’t tear even if your sweaters are made from steel wool. You won’t have to waste time disassembling and recycling them (like boxes) upon arrival, and you can reuse them for all sorts of cleaning and renovation projects in your new home.
Use a trash can (with wheels)
Another option is to use 32 gallon trash cans – with wheels, mind you, don’t forget the wheels – to make it easier to transport trash down stairs and down long driveways. At Walmart , they sell for less than $20, and Reddit user u/ManicPixieDreamSloot swears this method moves “a crappy ton of clothes” they’ve used three times. “Much easier, especially if there is a ladder. Holds more clothes, saves boxes for things that are squarer and…well…square.”
Put dishes in clothes
Don’t do this with heirloom china or other particularly delicate or sentimental utensils, but when it comes to a solid base, consider hiding each piece between a layer of clothing or towels. It’s best to wrap each piece individually in bubble wrap, and socks make great sleeves for tall glasses. Keep all dishes in the middle of the vessel – too low it can break on the ground; too high and they risk slipping.
Zip your clothes inside a large coat (or sheet).
Come to think of it, it doesn’t make much sense to take clothes off hangers just to fold, pack, unpack, unpack, and hang up again in a new home. Instead of wardrobe boxes (which are great for the moment but useless after you move if you don’t have enough space to store them), keep them on hangers and zip them up in an oversized coat or clothing bag. Then all you have to do on move-in day is put your stuff in your new closet and unzip it.
You can also place these hangers on one half of a large sheet, fold the other side over the top, tie both ends in knots, and have a friend or partner help you carry it down the stairs.
Pack books into suitcases
Hopefully you’re already stuffing all your luggage, duffel bags, backpacks, and roomy bags to the brim before you move – after all, they’re designed to store clothes, shoes, and all sorts of other things. But have you considered using their great wheeled and sturdy book frames? The books are damn heavy and will kick your ass out of the box with any structural flaws. Instead, place this shelf of hardback books and photo albums in a rolling suitcase to make your day easier.
(You can also consider taking extra luggage for business. Borrow it from friends or buy a used one for cheap.)
Take Advantage of Laundry Baskets
Don’t sleep on laundry baskets. With their depth and built-in handles, they are great for carrying lots of small items. Line the bottom with a towel as a cushion, and with the necessary buffer t-shirts between items, it can serve as the perfect dish rack. Hide candles, books, board games, photo frames, or music and DVDs if you’re old school. For added protection, wrap the top with bubble wrap or tuck another towel over the top to keep items from bouncing off while riding.
Use food storage containers
Again, we’re going for speed and safety here. Chances are you have at least one litter box, an old tool shelf, a figurine collection, or old stationery that needs to be packed. Unless the items are fragile and don’t need to be individually wrapped, toss these bad guys into whatever food storage containers you have, seal the lids, and forget about them (which you probably should have done a long time ago).
Santa Claus Method.
For those who are really pressed for time, there is always a way to throw clothes on the top sheet of your bed and tie the corners of the sheet to make a giant bag, a la Kris Kringle on December 24th. Remember to use all your strength. duvets, blankets, sleeping bags, towels, pillows and down jackets take full advantage of them when moving. Don’t let all that softness go to waste! Use anything and everything to wrap your breakables and line your boats ahead of the bumpy journey ahead.