4 Packing Hacks For Moving

By Danielle Wirsansky on June 27, 2016

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When you are in college, you move around. A lot. From dorms to apartments to houses and back, it can be difficult to constantly be on the move from one place to another as soon as that one-year lease is up.

Everything is so temporary in college that even the place you call home is ephemeral and fleeting. And while I have made moving sound somewhat poetic, a majority of the time all it is, is simply a hassle. Picking up everything you own and schlepping it from one place to another? It is a lot of hard work. So here are some packing hacks to help make your move as smooth as possible.

1. Leave clothes on the hanger.

We all have a lot of clothes, right? One of the most annoying parts of moving is taking all the clothes off of hangers, folding them up, packing up all the hangers, moving them to the new place, then unfolding all the clothes, putting them back on the hangers, and hanging it all back up. That is a lot of steps. You can cut out several unnecessary steps by simply leaving all the clothes on the hanger when you move them. Rubber band the heads of the hangers together so that they stay close and tight, which leaves them easy to grab and move.

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If you are afraid of pieces falling off the hanger and being lost, you can even put a trash bag over the bunch of hangered clothing like a cheap garment bag. Just rip a small hole in the bottom of the bag and then pull the bag over the top of the clothes and allow the hanger heads to come out of the hole. Pull the drawstrings shut at the bottom so that no pieces can fall out while the clothes are in transit. It is not recommended to leave the clothes like this for a long time as they can wrinkle, but this is certainly a great trick for when you need to move them quickly!

2. Pack using trash bags.

Boxes can be hard to find and even more expensive to get. So a packing alternative (for non-fragile items, of course) is trash bags. They are inexpensive and easy to get ahold of, and you can fit a surprising amount of stuff in them (especially if they are high quality, non-rip kinds). They are perfect for packing clothes, linens, and other bits and bobs. Trash bags are easy to fit in your car and easy to carry as well, though you must be careful not to overpack or overstuff the bags because then they might rip while you are carrying them and make an even bigger mess and hassle.

Another plus to using the trash bags is that you can easily write on them to label the contents so you do not misplace anything and can find whatever you need.

3. Pack an overnight bag.

Another frustrating part of moving is that you often cannot pack your stuff up, move, and unpack all of your belongings again within a single day. Just the process of moving is exhausting, not even considering the packing and unpacking processes. After you have moved all your stuff into your new place, there is no way that you are going to be able to unpack everything before you go to sleep that first night.

So a good idea is to pack a bag that has your essentials you will need so you know you will be able to find it and will not have to go out and buy something you absolutely need (even though you have it already) simply because you cannot find it.­ Think of it as an overnight bag if you were going on a trip. Pack a change of clothes, pajamas, a towel, your toiletries, a pair of shoes, a phone charger, and anything else you deem essential on a day-to-day basis.

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Toilet paper is also a good addition to pack because it is something easy to overlook but also not something you want to be out of. There is nothing worse than going to the bathroom after all your friends and family who have helped you move have left only to find you are in an empty house — with no toilet paper.

4. Pack using containers you already have.

Another great alternative to cardboard boxes is using containers that you already have to take on the move with you. If you are having movers take your stuff, you do not need to unpack your chest of drawers as long as you tape the drawers shut! That can save you a lot of time and effort. You probably are taking a laundry hamper with you, right? Fill it with stuff because otherwise it will just take up a lot of space while remaining empty inside. Have suitcases you have to lug anyways? Fill them. Use what you already have and what you have to take anyways so that you do not leave a lot of empty space.

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