5 Items You Should Never Pack in a Moving Box

We’ve covered household items you can’t put on a moving truck in the past. But what about moving boxes? There are limitations and best practices in this area as well. As professional movers, we know proper packing techniques and we’d like to pass that information on to you.

From food to valuables, there are certain items that really shouldn’t be packed in a standard moving box during a move. Here are five examples.

1. Perishable Items

Food perishes, especially if it’s fresh or needs to be refrigerated/frozen. It’s not a good idea to pack perishable items like food, as there’s the potential to spoil, leak and attract pests. You might be tempted to just pack your pantry items, but that’s also a risk that probably isn’t worth it in the long run (e.g. food leakage damaging expensive or valuable items). 

2. Anything Living

Don’t pack any sort of pet, even if it’s an insect. In fact, we recommend that you avoid packing anything living, whether it’s a plant or moths hiding in your clothes. Inspect your boxes before and after packing to ensure there isn’t anything living that could die, spoil or cause odors during the moving and storage process.

3. Dangerous Items

Firearms, ammo and hazardous chemicals are additional examples of items that you shouldn’t pack in a moving box, and many of these types of items shouldn’t be moved in a moving truck, either. If you have dangerous items that you still need, consider transporting them personally or arranging other transportation solutions.

4. Items You Still Need To Use

Ever packed up your house completely and realized there’s something you need in one of the dozens of boxes you just packed? Toiletries come to mind. No shame there, we’ve all done it. To avoid this frustration and the endless search for the item you can’t live without, separate daily essentials from everything else you’re packing and keep it with you in your vehicle. 

5. Unnecessary Items

Just because you have it doesn’t mean you need to move it. We often recommend donating, selling or gifting items that are no longer needed, as it speeds up the moving process and potentially lowers costs. If you’re considering packing items that are broken, damaged or not used often, seek out an alternative instead and downsize your number of belongings.

Want more moving and storage advice? Need a quote? Contact us today at (972) 484-2112.