Some people love the rain. We get it. It’s comforting when you’re curled up under a blanket inside, reading a book and listening to the steady pitter-patter of droplets on the window. But we hardly think Gene Kelly would’ve been dancing with such alacrity if he was lugging a 350 pound sofa along with his trusty umbrella. Moving is stressful enough without a storm to deal with. However, there are things you can do to make it just a little bit easier.
With these tips, even the most drastic downpour won’t be the death of your valuables and, with the help of expert movers, you can get into your new home without the disappointment of damage to your belongings.
1. Plastic Makes Perfect.
When it comes to keeping your boxes and valuable items safe from water damage, Glad Trash Bags start to really live up to their name. Any hearty trash bag will do, as long as it’s big, sturdy, and sealed as tightly as possible.
While trash bags may be the easiest plastic protector, you can also use cling film which is great if you need a really tight wrap, although it can sometimes be challenging to handle. Even plastic grocery bags can be used to wrap smaller items in a pinch. And if you’re looking beyond plastic, any waterproof bag—like drawstring bags or gym bags—can be used too. Bigger items such as furniture obviously won’t fit into a trash bag, so for that you may have to resort to cling film or a waterproof tarp to keep your larger items completely protected from water damage or mildew.
This is one of the reasons hiring experienced movers is imperative. At Elite Moving and Storage, we have the training, practice, and resources to move large furniture like tables, sofas, and heavy electronic equipment from your home to our truck as fast as possible for the greatest possibility of avoiding any kind of damage.
2. Keep Everything Inside For As Long As You Can
This one may seem obvious, but even the littlest things—choosing the order to load things, putting last minute labels on, removing or reordering boxes—should be done well before you or your boxes feel a drip of rain. By ensuring you have everything organized inside, you make the process of moving from house to truck faster subsequently decreasing the risk of water damage. Having everything planned out also just takes a weight off your shoulders; it’s one less thing to worry about.
3. Dress For the Occasion.
They say to dress for the job you want, not the job you have. The same cannot be said about moving. If it turns out that your moving day has you at risk for getting wet, you want to be dressed for it. Here’s a checklist of rain necessities to make sure you have—just in case:
▢ Rain Jacket or long coat
▢ Rain Boots
▢ Quick drying clothing made of materials like nylon, polyester, or merino wool.
▢ Ziplock bags or other waterproof container for phones and valuables
▢ Umbrellas (not those flimsy, turn-upside-down-in-the-wind ones either)
▢ Baseball caps, hats, or whatever you need to keep water and hair out of your eyes
▢ A fresh change of clothes
6. Pack Smart.
Start with the stuff you know will survive the rain. Have your movers bring out plastic containers or boxes of things you know could survive getting wet first. That way, if there’s a break in the rain, you haven’t yet risked the items you really don’t want to mess with. This also gives you more time to ensure those valuable and fragile items are properly warped and protected in case you do have to take them outside. If you rush to get them moved out first, you’re more liable to miss something and risk damage.
If you’re nervous about packing your own things,whether it’s raining or not, Elite also offers complete packing assistance as one of our many services. Our expert movers will pack, move, and unpack all your things so you don’t have to lift a finger. You can just rela—go outside and slash around in the puddles or something—while we take care of it all.
7. Get Everyone Involved.
If you have family members and friends helping, select some to stay inside the home, others to help facilitate the carrying from the house to truck, and others can be by the truck to ensure everything is going as planned. You can even have designated umbrella holders to keep everyone dry while their hands are occupied with boxes. This can be a good job to keep kids busy and help them feel a part of the whole operation.
8. Dry As You Go.
If you packed all of your towels, take several out and place them in the moving truck. After loading a box or piece of furniture, wipe it off to help remove excess moisture. This will not only ensure none of your possessions are damaged, but can also help dry the cardboard which can get limp and fragile when wet.
10. Set Out The Welcome Mat
We’re thinking of something a little bit more intensive than the little carpet mat that says “home sweet home” Preparing your entranceway by laying down layers of plastic sheeting or other waterproof materials will not only make cleanup easier, but may save you serious damage to your brand new floors! Warped wood before you even move in? Not on your watch.
Depending on how many boxes you have, the rain protection may extend past the entrance. Perhaps set up an entire room‚—just for the day—to give your movers and yourself plenty of space to move boxes, unpack, and organize without worrying about getting water all over your new floors, walls, or upholstery.
11. Recuperate With A Hot Cup of Tea
Nothing cures a rainy day better than a steaming cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. Once the move is over, take a minute to relax! Break in your brand new kitchen by brewing a fresh pot and pat yourself on the back for a grueling day made even difficult by bad weather.
If you have enough, you can even share with your hardworking movers (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).
Move With Elite, Rain or Shine
Elite Moving & Storage is a Chicagoland and long-distance moving company committed to providing fast, reliable, quality, and efficient services to all of our clients—all 3,000 of them that we serve every year. And if Chicagoans know how to deal with anything, it’s weather. So no matter what fresh chaos forecast has in store for your moving day, you can rest assured that the expertise of 15+ years in the moving and storage industry is enough to get you through it without a touch of rain damage. Visit elitemover.com today to learn more about our services or to request a quote.