8 “Out of the Box” Hacks to Organize During a Move
02
Jun 2015
The reality of moving has set in and you are quite excited about your new place but there’s still some dread looming over your head; packing. The idea of putting every single item that you own into hundreds of boxes seems impossible. It will simply take too much time and you don’t have a lot of time to spare, you may think. These 8 easily identifiable organization hacks will make not only the packing process, but also the unpacking process easier.
1. Set aside the basics first
Before the packing process begins, set aside a box of necessary everyday items such as a toothbrush and toothpaste, a couple outfits, bath towels, toilet paper, sheets, etc. This way, you won’t be scrambling through neatly packed boxes to find a single roll of toilet paper.
2. Photograph contents in each box
Photograph what’s inside the box and then glue the photo to the outside of the box. Chances are there will be a multitude of items in each box, so writing down every item can quickly become tedious. A picture is worth a thousand words, literally.
3. Color coordination
Designate colors to each box such as blue for bedding/sheets and yellow for kitchen/dining room supplies. Apply colored stickers or colored tape to the boxes and keep a list of which color box contains what things.
4. Saran wrap hack
To avoid a mess, from Real Simple, remove the lids from liquid toiletries and lotions and wrap a layer around the entire bottle, then replace the lids over the wrap. Transferring liquid toiletries and lotions anywhere is tricky as it is, but this saran wrap hack will save you from not only a mess, but also from having to purchase a new bottle of lotion.
5. Utilize plastic/ziploc bags
Combine loose items such as screws and nails, cotton balls and q-tips, or even cookie cutters and vegetable peelers into plastic ziploc bags, then label each ziploc bag and place each bag into a box. Therefore, when you’re searching for those last few cotton balls, you can narrow the search and go straight to the box of ziploc bags.
6. Pack hanging clothes in a large trash bag
To make a more smooth transition from one closet to another, simply group a bunch of the hanging clothes together, wrap the bag around the bottom of the clothes, and tie the drawstrings at the top around the hangers, leaving only the hook showing. This makes transporting clothes a whole lot easier, especially if most of your clothes are on hangers.
7. Photograph electronics
With a digital camera, snap a photo of where every wire leads on your TV, wireless network router, or game console. By doing so, you will be able to set it up quickly all over again by simply using the picture as instructions.
8. Pack books into rolling suitcases
Stacking books into boxes can lead to strained arms and even ripped boxes. Packing books into rolling suitcases eases the strain of transporting pounds upon pounds of books.
