Even if you hire professional movers to do all the hauling for you, chances are that you will still have at least a few heavy items to move around – like when you want to pile all the boxes against one wall so they stop cluttering your entire living room. If you aren’t careful about how you move heavy boxes, you can end up with serious injuries. Here are some hacks which make it easier to lift those heavy boxes during your move.
Cut handholds in boxes
Boxes with handholds in their sides are a lot easier to pick up and carry. You can buy boxes with handholds, but they are usually a bit pricey. Instead, try this hack for creating your own handholds in boxes:
• Cut slits about 3 inches from the top of the box (one slit on opposite sides). The slit should be about 4 inches long.
• Then cut downwards from the middle of the slit to make a T shaped cut in the box.
• Score lines from the tops of the T diagonally to the bottom of it. Then punch these inwards. You will have a triangle-shaped handhold in the box
Put sheeting under large items
Oftentimes you can just slide large items around, but this is difficult to do on carpets and can cause scratching on your floor. On carpeting, put a strong (about 6 mil) plastic sheet under the heavy item. On wood and laminate flooring, put a blanket under the heavy item. Then you can pull the sheet or blanket to move the item.
Use plastic wrap to keep doors and drawers closed
The last thing you want happening when moving a cumbersome item like a refrigerator or dresser is the doors or drawers flying open. It will change the load of the item, meaning that you could injure yourself or drop the item, causing damage. So always make sure the doors and drawers are secured closed before you move them! One great way to do this is with plastic wrap. It beats tape because it doesn’t leave a sticky residue.
Make a ramp on stairs
Get a few planks of wood and use them to create a ramp on your steps. Then put a blanket on ramp. Put the heavy item on the blanket. At least one person should pull the blanket while another person pushes the item from behind.