Get Ready to Pack Your Kitchen for a Move

Gather supplies, so you are prepared to pack your kitchen for a move completely uninterrupted. This is a room that you usually wait until last to pack, because after all, you need to eat. That makes it even more important to get the job done fast.

Packing Supplies for Your Kitchen

• Sturdy Cartons – The kitchen holds many glass serving platters and dishes, and the weight adds up.
• Packing Paper or Bubble Wrap – You want to separate the glass to avoid breakage.
• Small Sealable Bags – These are great for putting salt and pepper shakers, sugar bowls, herbs and spices in to ensure the contents of the containers are indeed contained.
• Packing Tape – You will want to close boxes thoroughly and make sure the bottoms are tightly secured to hold the weight of pots, pans and plates.
• Felt-tip Markers – Label your kitchen equipment, dishes and cooking supplies to be found easily in your new home. The kitchen is one of the first rooms you will want fully set up after you arrive.

Packing Breakables for Your Move

First, tape the bottom of the moving box so it is fill bottom of carton with crushed paper

Flat Plates and Serving Trays

• Wrap plates diagonally, tucking in overlapping ends
• Use a second layer of paper for extra protection
• Place the heaviest items on the bottom
• Place plates on their sides, not on their bottoms
• Fill empty spaces with crushed paper
• Label the boxes with the contents, the word “Fragile” and an arrow toward the top. Write “This Side Up” on the top of the box.

Bowls with Lids

• If very fragile, put a layer of packing tape between lid and pan, or tap lid to pan
• Rest the lid upside down in the bowl
• Wrap the bowl and lid together and securely
• Wrap bowls the same way as you would plates with a diagonal paper.
• Protect handles with extra packing paper

Cups and Pans

• Layer packing paper between them
• Wrap in a similar way to plates, but tuck the paper into the deeper pans and saucers
• Place the smaller pans and saucers inside of larger ones if they are not a stackable set

Food Items

• Do not take perishable foods with you, unless on a short trip and you have proper coolers
• Take only food items that you know will travel well
• Seal open boxes and bags of foods and pastas with tape
• Place items that can easily spill in bags and seal securely

You can even trust us with your fine China or breakable family heirlooms, because our staff is trained to pack for the best possible protection. America’s roads are bumpy and even the best air-ride trailers can bounce on a long distance or cross country move, so packing correctly is important.

If you need professional packing or moving services, contact Lint United Van Lines today! We provide local, long distance, and international moving services for Iowa City, Coralville, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and surrounding areas.

Move With Less Stress – Preparing for Moving Day

Moving day is exciting and can be a stressful time, but you can alleviate some of the stress if you are prepared for the moving truck. Whether you are planning a long distance move or just moving across town, having your belongings organized and separating the items you will use right away will help. Take some advice from the professional movers at Lint United Van Lines and you will stress less.

There are some things you should have done before moving day and items that should be kept separate from the majority of the items that will be moved.

Things to do Before Your Move

If you are packing your own boxes, have it done before moving day and place them in piles by room that they will go in in your new home. Label boxes so it is easy to see where they should be placed in your new house.

Appliances should be cleaned and you should have your washer and dryer serviced before the move. That way you know they will be in working order in your new home if you are moving them.

Empty and unplug the refrigerator the night before and let it stand open to dry. Pack food in coolers, if you can, but use most of your perishable items in the weeks before so you don’t have to move them.

Keep Some Items off the Moving Truck

There are some items that cannot be moved on the truck, like chemicals and propane tanks, but there are other items that you will need the day of the move.

Pack the essentials separately and put them in an area labeled “do not pack.”

• Paper Towels
• Cleaning Supplies
• Soap
• Toilet Paper
• First Aid Kit
• Clothing for Your Family for a Few Days

Also, keep packed lunches, snacks and drinks in your vehicle. There may not be time to go to a restaurant and you will not have easy access to cooking utensils and food to cook.

Protect Your Kids, Pets and Belongings.

There are a few things to think about before moving day in order to protect your valuables and loved ones.

• Complete a high value inventory form with all items worth more than $500.
• Keep pets out of the way, at a kennel or in a cage so they don’t get out.
• Hire a babysitter for children to keep children occupied and out of the professional movers’ path so they can work quickly and efficiently.

After The Truck Is Packed

Do one last check of closets, cabinets, attics and the basement to see if any items were left in the house. Make sure somebody is at the new house when the moving truck arrives to let them in and direct movers as to where things go.

Call Lint United Van Lines today or request an estimate if you need professional movers for local, long distance or international moves in the Coralville, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City or Des Moines area.

Packing Your Bedroom For an Easier Move

Your bedroom may have most of your heavier furniture, as well as multiple types of objects to be moved. If you’re prepared and organized, packing your bedroom will be fast and easy.

Get Your Packing Materials Ready

• Sturdy boxes of various sizes and depths for clothes, books and decorations
• Packing paper or bubble wrap
• Packing tape
• Felt tip markers for labeling boxes

Packing Your Clothes

If you have seasonal clothes that will not be used before your move, pack those away now and stack them in a closet or corner so you have less to do during the last days before the move.

Leave hanging clothes on a hanger to keep them straight. You can fold them in half and put them in a large box, hang them in garment bags, or get a box with clothing rod.

Your dressers do not have to be emptied completely. Lighter clothing can be left in the drawers. Movers will wrap the drawers securely before moving to ensure nothing falls out. Jeans can get heavy if there is an entire drawer full of them, so you may want to pack them in a separate box.

Packing Bedroom Decorations, Breakables and books

When you’re packing books and breakable items, reinforce the bottom of the box with an extra strip of packing tape or two.

Wrap small items like clocks and decorations separately, padding the box with crushed paper. Using smaller boxes for these will help you avoid crushing glass and ceramic objects with the extra weight inside, and it will help ensure that those items are on top of larger, heavier boxes, rather than underneath.

Protect framed photos with packing paper and stand them on edge in a box and fill in extra space with paper or bubble wrap.

Sort books by size, pack them with the spine down, or standing on end. They get heavy, so put them in small boxes to avoid hurting your back.

When possible, keep heirloom photos, expensive jewelry and other irreplaceable items with you in your personal vehicle.

Protect Your Mattress during a Move

Moving is one of the few ways to rip or tear a perfectly good mattress. Ask your United Van Lines agent at Lint Van Lines about a mattress carton to protect your mattress from dirt and damage.

Purge as You Pack

Keep a waste basket and donation box in your room as you pack. When you see items that you have not used in a long time, or don’t think you will need at your new house, eliminate it before you move it, because once it is in your new home, you are more likely to store it.

If you need help packing and moving in Iowa City, Coralville, Cedar Rapids or the Greater Des Moines area, contact Lint United Van Lines for a FREE quote.

Moving Day Tips from Expert Movers

You can take the stress out your move with a few moving day tips that will ensure that everything gets placed in the right room, and all of your items are accounted for the same day of delivery.

The experts from Lint United Van Lines want to help make your relocation experience seamless by offering their advice.

Before Your Moving Truck Arrives

1. Call utility companies a few days ahead of time to make sure electricity is on and everything will be in your name the day of the move. Once in your new home, you will want to focus on getting it organized and not on setting up utilities.
2. Draw out where furniture should be set and think about the placement of larger items. This can save you a lot of rearranging after the move. Consider what will fit best in the room and which direction it will face based on the location of windows, fireplaces and the wiring for entertainment centers.
3. Clean your new home before moving day, or ask your moving company to arrange for professional cleaning. It is faster and easier to clean a room that does not have any furniture or area rugs blocking the woodwork that needs dusting, or sitting on the floors that can be quickly washed without having to move large items.
4. Be prepared to submit payment to your driver. Most moving companies will accept cash, traveler’s checks, money order or cashier’s check. Credit card payments must be prearranged if you are using a United Van Lines agent like Lint.

When Your Moving Truck Arrives

1. Make sure that you are at home and ready to go when the truck arrives. Your driver will contact you 24 hours before your move for confirmation.
2. Have 2 people at your new home. One person should make sure everything on the inventory list is unloaded. The other should tell movers where you want things to be set.
3. Get a babysitter for young children. Keeping them occupied or out of the house reduces risk of injury and stress that they may cause by demanding your attention.
4. Have pets in a safe place, where they will not sneak out of an open door. You would hate to have them get out of the house on any day. Having a pet lost in a neighborhood where they don’t know their way around town and don’t consider your new house their home makes finding them even more difficult.
5. If you find that there are missing items on your inventory list, call your United Van Lines Agent right away, so we can look for it, and file a loss claim if needed.
6. Movers should reassemble anything they disassembled when they moved it including beds. If they don’t do that before they leave, call your moving company right away.
7. Let movers know if there are any other services you would like them to provide such as unpacking. This can be done for an additional charge.

Let Lint United Van Lines help with the heavy lifting, and call today if you are planning a move. We can help with all of your packing, moving, unpacking and assembly needs for local and long-distance moves.

Coralville and Iowa City area moves – 319-337-3245
Des Moines area moves – 515-265-8161