How to Pack Fruits in Corrugated Boxes for Shipping

With the cold winter months coming to an end, nature is getting ready for a bountiful summer with loads of fresh fruits and vegetables. I am sure that most of you have relatives who have their own orchards and send over a lot of fruits to you. It is also possible that you might want to send over fruits to your children who are put up in hostels for pursuing education. The situation does not matter. What matters the most is the delivery of fruits in pristine condition, which can only be achieved through proper packaging. 

Most businesses have their own packaging process where they have an assembly line for packing fruits into customized shipping boxes. But as an individual or a small business, it would not be feasible for you to come up with such an infrastructure. The best way to send the produce safely is to prepare accordingly.

Preparations:

• Check the perishability of the items that you wish to ship. This would help you to understand the storage conditions during transit and the time frame within which the shipment needs to be delivered.

• Get the right packaging materials. By right materials, I mean the ones that will work perfectly with the items to ensure that nothing gets spoilt. Moreover, the materials should also be compatible with the specific storage conditions for the item.

• You might also want to take into consideration the permissible weight of the entire consignment. This would help you to choose between cardboard boxes and wooden crates. Do not worry about durability as this can be factored into the equation carefully by using various techniques.

• Always check with the local authorities for understanding the specific guidelines that have been laid down for shipments involving fruits and other perishables. 

The Packing Process

• The first thing that you need to do is to sort the good fruits from the bad ones. Since the transit involves a couple of days, it won’t be feasible for you to make any compromise at all. If you find fruits that have been bitten by bugs or they show signs of infection, then remove them from the lot lest the others should get contaminated with it. The best selection of fruits involves those which have just started to ripen. By the time the consignment is delivered, the fruits would have ripened completely and the recipient would get fresh products.

• Now, you need to use bubble wrap for wrapping each fruit individually so that damages from collision during movement may be reduced significantly. It is important to cut off the extra ends and seal them properly (as per requirement) to ensure that every fruit is kept safe. 

• With the fruits taken care of, you need to prepare the box. Wooden crates are good but they add a lot of weight to the consignment. You can use cardboard boxes as viable alternatives for it. In either case, the bottom of the box needs to be covered with shipping foam.

The addition of the shipping foam ensures less damage if the package is dropped by accident. Once the fruits have been placed in the box, cover the top and the void with more shipping foam. This should keep the fruits intact during the journey. 

• All that remains to be done now is to close the flaps / lids of the boxes and seal them with packing tape. Don’t forget to tape the seams and other open edges to prevent moisture from damaging the fruits. If it works out, then cover the final package with film or plastic sheet to ensure that no insects may enter the package and damage the produce. 

That should take care of the hassles of packaging. The most important step in the process is sorting the fruits because if any damaged fruit is allowed to remain in the box, then it could damage the other items in the consignment. With that taken care of, it is only a matter of minutes before the items are packed and loaded for shipment. 

How to Pack Mattresses and Bed Frames Correctly

When it comes to your bedroom, you are more than often stressed mainly because you find packing the mattress and bed frames to be a daunting task. Trust me, it isn’t as difficult as it looks. The trick lies in using the right techniques and getting the right supplies (corrugated boxes, tapes, etc.) for packing it correctly.

Preparations

You need to keep the following things handy before you start packing. If you do not have the time to go and get the materials yourself, then you can always order the requirements from online packaging materials suppliers.

• Plastic Mattress Bag
• Mattress Box (Cardboard box with the dimensions of a regular mattress)
• Moving Blankets
• Small Plastic Bags
• A Roll of Packing Tape
• A Permanent Marker

The Packing Process

Remember, mattresses and bed frames are heavy and would need more than one person to get the job done. So do not make the mistake of doing it alone (unless you are secretly a Hulk).

• Packing the Mattress

Start by removing all the bedding from the mattress. The bedding would be packed separately so there is no need to include this extra load.

Remove the mattresses from the frame and place them in appropriately sized mattress boxes. For added protection, you can always put the mattresses in plastic mattress bags before putting them in the box. This will keep them from getting dirty and damaged.

Each mattress box should be sealed properly and labelled with the required information. While sealing the box, make sure you cover the seams as well as this would prevent any moisture from damaging the contents.

• Packing the Bed Frame

With the mattress removed, you can start disassembling the bed frame. Be careful while removing the separate pieces. Hardware like screws, wheels and small pieces need to be placed in small plastic bags. This will keep them together without any risk of loss. Ideally, you should have one bag of hardware for each bed. 

Once you have packed the hardware in plastic bags, you can either tape it to any piece of the bed frame, or you could pack it in a box with appropriate labels to avoid any confusion later. 

The larger pieces of the bed frame, such as mattress support beams and side pieces can be bundled together and supported with tape. 

Wrap the taped support beams and the main frame in moving blankets and then it should be ready for loading into the moving truck. The blankets can be taped or tied to the frame to ensure that nothing moves around and everything is secured. 

Just follow these simple steps and ask your friends or family members to help, and you should get your bedroom packed quickly. Never try to do this alone as it could cause accidents. With proper preparation and little precaution, packing your bedroom would never appear to be daunting again. 

3 Minute Gift Wrapping Ideas for the Busy Soul

It’s not that you forgot about wrapping up the gifts. You just don’t have the time for it because you are a busy person. It is also possible that you did indeed forget about the gifts and now you are running out of time. If you mess up the wrapping, then you would fail to make an impression on the people receiving the gifts. Creating a presentable wrapping would take some time, which you are clearly running out of. What’s the best thing that can be done?

Here are some amazing gift wrapping ideas that should not take more than 3 minutes to do and they don’t compromise on visual appeal in any way. 

Bon Bon Style Wrap

It just doesnt get any simpler than this. Even if you have less than 2 minutes to make this wrap, you would be able to do it easily. Just keep your gift item on a sheet of paper, fold around completely, pinch the ends and hold in place with a tape, and tie ribbons. It should not take more than 3 minutes to create this classic gift wrap design. 

Fabric Pineapple Wrap

The trick here is to get a good cloth piece with the right colours. This is the only part that would need your time. Once you have it with you, it’s all a matter of placing the object inside and folding up the ends to form a pinched end. With that done, you need to tie the junction and put a ribbon, flowers, balls, etc. That’s about everything that needs to be done here. My guess is that it took you less than 3 minutes (excluding the cloth searching part). 

Pouches

You can find these in your house or office anytime. Even if you do not have them, you can always buy them as they are easily available. This is probably the fastest gift wrapping ideas. It might not exactly be a wrap but at least it makes a good presentation with minimal effort. Just keep the contents inside and tie the end with a simple string. The star of the show is the tag or the label. This is what gains the most attention in this package so make sure you write a nice message or the name of the recipient. 

Simple Box n Ribbon Wrapping

This is a simple gift wrap. There isn’t anything bold about this design. But it is appealing and has a rustic simplicity in it. This can take slightly more than 3 minutes to make but it would be definitely worth the while. Just use a wrapping paper and make sure you use a corrugated box. The box will give you fixed dimensions and it would be easier to work with it. A simple wrapping should not take much time. Now for the fancy flower on the ribbon part, you need to tie the ribbon in a cross like you tie any string. Get a readymade flower or fancy ribbon design and simply stick it on the joint. Voila - you have a neat gift in just over 3 minutes. 

Wrapped in Cloth

If you think that wrapping your gift in a piece of cloth is weird, then check out the traditional gifting style of the Japanese. They have been wrapping their gifts in clothes since ages and it does make a simple yet rustic gift wrapping design. This would take under a minute for the actual wrapping and around 2 minutes for finding the right piece of cloth. Once you have the right piece of cloth (with a pleasing design of course), you simply need to put the item in it and tie it just like you would a bundle. 

5 Impeccable Reasons for Opting Corrugated Boxes

You may not consider something as simple as corrugated boxes to have a lot of worth, but these are the most sought after packaging materials today. These are versatile enough to be used for storing anything as long as the appropriate storing conditions are created. But have you ever wondered what exactly makes these simple boxes so popular?

Here are 5 impeccable reasons why you should opt corrugated boxes for packing your stuff.

Really Affordable

Corrugated boxes are really affordable because you can get them in bulk quantity and the fact that you can get ones that are recycled, helps to save a few bucks. These boxes are easily available and you can get them whenever you want, even if there is a high demand for them. If handled carefully, these boxes can be reused, thereby helping you to save up on your expenses.

Eco-Friendly All the Way

Surely you can use boxes that are made from virgin fibres, but that would only cost you more and you would be getting packing materials that are made completely from fresh pulp. Corrugated boxes are eco-friendly and can be recycled with the boxes being made from sheets that have varying ratios of virgin to recycled fibres. Despite the varying ratios, the boxes never lose their durability or sturdiness. The only thing that they lose is a portion of their price, which is really a benefit for the customers.

No Weight Issues

Have you ever tried lifting a single corrugated box? Even a child would be able to lift it as the box itself is very light. A major benefit of the light weight of the boxes is that the overall weight (after the contents have been placed in it) does not get affected by a great margin. This is also helpful for keeping the transport costs within a feasible range. Other packing materials, such as wood, tend to add a lot of weight to the entire package. With corrugated boxes, you can be assured of “light-weighted” packaging.

Sturdy to the Core

Just by viewing a corrugated box, you would not be able to find out the reason behind its sturdiness and strength. The flutes in the corrugated material are the source of the strength and durability. Apart from structural rigidity, the design also provides cushioning to the contents. All of these features makes corrugated boxes highly suited for use as shipping boxes, especially when shipping over long distances.

Very Adaptable

Corrugated boxes are highly adaptable to the requirements and can be cut into any shape and size. The best part about these boxes is that they already come in various configurations, so you don’t have to put in a lot of efforts to procure them. Even if you specific requirements are not met, you can always get them prepared. It would be wise to order corrugated boxes with large flutes or multi-layered flutes for storing heavy items. 

How to Measure Customized Boxes Correctly To Avoid Ordering the Wrong Box Size

Corrugated boxes, especially Customized Boxes, come in various sizes and orientations. While ordering a box, you need to know exactly what you are ordering and the correct format of sharing the measurements. Without these information, you could end up getting the wrong sizes. The importance of getting a perfect box size is that you get to store the contents in the best manner possible without worrying about left over space or less space.

Measurement Recording Format

All boxes are measured by Length x Width x Depth/Height. So irrespective of how you take the readings, make sure to present them in the above format so that the Packaging Material providers can prepare the required box sizes for you. Now the flaps can cause a little problem when taking measurements, so it is best to keep the flap opened and facing straight up, so that minimal interference is caused by them.

Common Box Types

Since boxes come in various orientations, it is possible for you to get confused when noting the depth / width of a tall box. You need to understand the basic box types and the ways in which they can be measured, to avoid taking wrong measurements. 

The following are some common box types and their measurement methods.

1.   Square Box

These boxes are comparatively easy to measure and are also one of the most commonly used box types. In the illustration, it is clear that all the flaps are open and facing upwards. The sides that need to be measured for length, breadth and depth are indicated in the illustration.

     2.   Flat Box

Flat boxes are really useful packaging materials as they keep the contents intact with minimal movement during transit. The sides that need to be measured for length, breadth and depth are indicated in the illustration. Make sure that the flaps are carefully kept facing upward because the slightest error in values could cause a problem later. Don’t confuse between the length and the width while measuring. It is best to stick to the illustration because that is the standard way of measuring these boxes.

    3.    Tall Box

Now this is the box which really creates confusion when measuring the depth and length. The tall box should not be confused with the long box and for this to happen, it is important to know which side depicts which measuring factor. The sides that need to be measured for length, breadth and depth are indicated in the illustration. Don’t mistake the depth as the length of this box.

Some Words of Advice

Always use proper measuring instruments and tools for noting readings for your desired box. If you do not have a reference box, then keep all the contents in one place and understand the basic dimensions of the box that would be required for them. But before that, make up your mind as to which box would be required for the contents. You cannot use a square box to store plates that would be transported over long distances. For this, a heavy duty shipping box or a flat box would be the best option. So make sure you get the right box with the right dimensions for the right contents.

How Boxes And Bubble Wrap Makes Packaging Comfortable?

Packaging can be a hectic and tedious task, especially when we need to pack fragile items that not only need proper materials but they need additional cushioning to prevent damage during transit. But what if you could make packing comfortable? Comfort pertains to the reduction of hassles that one usually faces while packing stuff. Usually the materials are just not enough or not improperly paired with the characteristics of the contents. Sometimes the required accessories may be missing or it is even possible that you do not possess the required insight into packing methods. But with a little research and a good packing material provider, you can make this process very comfortable.

Corrugated boxes are the most widely used and preferred packing material. It is popular due to its affordability, availability and recyclability. If you have non-uniform packing requirements, then you can always go for corrugated sheets with which you can cover up the contents. Packing with corrugated boxes and Flat Boxes is as easy as pie. Just make sure that you have the bare essentials (markers, tapes and labels) handy. These are really versatile to work with and you can practically store any item in it without much hassles. You can even brand the box with the logo of your business for enhanced marketing potential.

When you think about cushioning materials, the first thing that comes to your mind is a bubble wrap. Now these are really fun once they have been used. All of us, at some point of time, have taken immense pleasure in popping the bubbles. But apart from the fun, these bubble wraps are extremely useful in protecting material from external damage. And you don’t have to do additional things for using it. All you need to do is to take the sheet and wrap it around the content / product or you could slip the product (if the size is small) into small pouches of bubble wrap material. You should get in touch with bubble wrap suppliers for getting the material as per your specific requirement.

Bubble Wraps and corrugated boxes provide a really hassle free experience. It is rather simple to use and you can order it online also. If you have an ecommerce business, then this would be really beneficial for you as you can packing materials for a wide range of products and this would also help you to save costs as you would no longer have to make use of standard and plain boxes / materials.