How to Pack Refrigerators for Moving

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE finds refrigerators one of the toughest things to pack and move. Irrespective of the fact that you may have the best packaging solutions with you, if you do not know the right way to pack the refrigerator, then you could incur some pretty heavy losses. 

Preparations

• You need to plan this in advance as the refrigerator needs to be completely free from moisture before it is packed. Defrost the fridge (if required) and then remove all the components. Remove every food item and beverage that may be in it. 

• Unplug the appliance from the electrical socket. This will prevent any electrical shocks from harming you. Use a clean cloth to wipe everything dry and make sure that no moisture is allowed to remain. 

• All removable components such as baskets and trays should be stacked together and wrapped up appropriately. Do not keep anything inside the refrigerator while transporting it. (In case you need to keep them inside, then make sure you use packing tape to secure everything in its place so that no part moves during the transit.)

The Packing Process

This can be done alone, but it is advisable to have at least one more person with you. If you are not sure about doing it yourselves, then you should seek professional help or else you could damage the unit in the process. 

• Once the refrigerator has been dried and prepared in the manner mentioned above, you need to position it on top of a corrugated sheet. 

• Next, you need to place the pegs under the legs of the refrigerator to prevent it from slipping during the transit. 

• Now cover the entire unit with shrink wrap or plastic sheet. This would prevent moisture from further damaging it. The best way to do this would be to use a roll of wrapping material and then put multiple layers on the appliance. 

• When the refrigerator has been fully covered in plastic wrap, you need to use packing tape to hold everything in place. 

• Once everything is secure, you can either use a compatible cardboard box for storing it, or you could use a corrugated roll for wrapping it multiple times. In both cases, you would have to secure the sides for which you need to fold the corrugated sheets into flattened columns and then place it in the 4 corners. This would protect the edges from possible damage during transportation. 

• Now you need to cover the remaining top portion of the refrigerator. But before you do that, you need to add some thermocol sheets or packing paper as cushioning. 

• With the entire thing covered in corrugated material, you need to pack everything by applying a generous layer of packing tape. Make sure to use a thick tape as it would give better grip and durability. Seal off all the seams by applying tape and ensuring that no open ends are visible. 

• Then use a marker to make the necessary markings and adding the required information in the form of labels. 

• Finish it by applying another layer of plastic film or shrink wrap to keep the corrugated material from getting wet during the transportation. 

• Secure everything with one final application of packing tape and you are good to go.  

How to Pack Books

Readers around the world might have gotten used to ebooks and digital text, but nothing beats the experience of holding a book in your hand and flipping across those faintly aromatic pages. You just can’t replace books irrespective of the extent to which technology has been integrated in our lives. 

Every day, hundreds of books are moved from one place to other. Even if we think beyond transportation requirement of books, there are many who would prefer storing them till the time they are actually needed. In both conditions, it is important to pack and store the books safely to minimize risks of damage to them. if you don’t pack the books properly, then moving the books can prove to be a daunting task that you would definitely not like to undertake. 

Just follow these tips and you should be able to pack the books without any trouble. 

1. Start with a good cardboard box. It should not be too big or too small. Just get one that feels right. Anyways, you don’t have to stuff the box completely with books, so a little space left on top should be much of a problem. 
2. Start by reinforcing the bottom of the box with two layers of packing tape. Make sure you tape all the seams so that the bottom is secured completely.
3. Line the inside of the box with a layer of crushed packing paper. Crushed packing paper is the best option for providing cushioning to the contents and also for filling up the void. 
4. The next step involves sorting the books by size and preferably, their type (hardback, paperback, etc). This would make it easy for you to arrange them in the box and ensure better storage safety. 
5. Hardback books need to be placed spine to spine while paperbacks should be stacked vertically. Special books and important resources should be wrapped in packing paper and taped off before putting them in the box. 
6. The most common ways of packing books includes the standing position, stacked and spine down placement. 

• For the standing arrangement, place the books just like you would do in a shelf. Make sure the pages are directed towards the outside walls of the box with the spine facing inward. For a second row, repeat the process with the spines touching each other this time. If you have room for a third row, separate it by using some packing paper. 
• For stacked arrangement, place the pages towards the external wall with the spines facing inwards. Fill in the gaps with crushed packing paper. 
• For the spine down position, the spines need to be touching the base with the pages directed towards the top. While this may be a good option, but you won’t be able to fit in as many books as is made possible with other arrangement methods. To finish up, place some crushed packing paper on top and then close the box. 
• Once you have placed the books in the box along with the required cushioning, tape it off and seal the ends carefully. 
• Mark and label the box and you are good to go. 

Now that the books are packed and prepared, you can either store them in your storeroom or you can send them off on their new destination without worry too much about damages. With such carefully selected packaging supplies and creative packaging solutions, your books will never be subjected to damage ever again.