Moving Quilts and Blankets
These thick padded coverings go over or around fragile pieces of furniture or other similarly-sized items during a move. You can rent moving blankets, buy the padding, or ask your moving company if they supply this type of packing material.
The top reasons to use moving quilts or blankets include:
- Protection from damage. The padded blanket wraps fragile or easy-to-scratch furniture in a protective cocoon during the move. This reduces the risks and can save you money on potentially pricey repairs and replacements.
- Home protection. Moving quilts and blankets protect more than the items under the padding. Without padding, the sharp edge of a wooden table or dresser could easily scratch your new or old home’s walls or damage delicate floorboards.
- Protection from dust and dirt. Quilts or blanket wraps will keep your fragile furniture or artwork clean during the move.
- Protection from the elements. A moving quilt or blanket provides a barrier between your furniture (or other larger items) and the cold, heat, rain, sleet, and snow.
If you don’t plan on moving again in the near future or you won’t need to transport larger, fragile items during your current move, consider padding rental. While regular household quilts and blankets offer a free option, these may not have the padding or come in the size you need for your move.
Moving Tarps or Plastic
Even though moving blankets can protect your furniture and over-sized items from the elements, you may want to take an extra step to keep the rain, snow, or ice away. Tarps and plastic wrap can reduce the weather-related risks during your next move. To use these packing materials:
- Clean and dry everything first. Never wrap a dirty, debris-covered, or damp item. This can stain, rot, or warp delicate wooden items or allow mold to grow on upholstery and other solid surfaces.
- Use layers. Instead of a tarp by itself, wrap padding with plastic sheeting first. Add a moving blanket and a tarp on top.
- Secure tarps and plastic. Use rope, twine, or another similar material to secure the plastic sheet or tarp around your items.
Do you have tarps or plastic sheeting left over from your last home improvement project? While reusing these items may seem like a cost-saving strategy, this can lead to serious or permanent damage. Tarps or plastic covered with paint, solvents, plaster, or any other construction material can stain wooden, upholstered, and other types of furniture, as well as artwork and other and large items.
Packing Tape and Ties
Whether you use tarps, quilts, blankets, sheets, or another protective wrap, you need something to secure each layer. Again, rope and twine can help you to tie tarps to your furniture or secure plastic sheeting around other over-sized items. But these aren’t the only options. You can also use tape — carefully. Before you tape tarps or quilts:
- Choose the right product. The tape you use to wrap gifts won’t do much to hold a heavy moving quilt together. Make sure the strength of the tape matches what you need to secure.
- Avoid adhesive damage. The sticky side of the tape can leave behind damaging residue. Never place the tape directly on the item you need to move or on easy-to-tear protective sheeting.
- Use the right amount. You won’t need to completely wrap the item in tape. But you also don’t want to use too little of the material. Find a happy medium. Use enough tape to secure the blanket or tarp — without making it almost impossible to remove the adhesive.
Before you tape a rented or mover’s quilt, blanket, or tarp, ask about potential adhesive-related issues. The rental company or mover may prefer you to use twine, rope, or velcro-closure options instead of a sticky tape product.
Do you need help with your next move? Contact Fairfax Transfer & Storage for more information.
