Tips for Packing Your Electronics for the Move
In this world of gadgets, the dearest possessions for most of us may be our new TV or our gaming platform. On the other hand, maybe our electronics are our necessary for our business. How can you move all your computers, monitors and printers without damaging any of them? Well, packing your electronics will be a piece of cake with our awesome and easy tips. Check out our step by step Master Moving Guide and start preparing for that moving day!
Make a list
First things first, you’ll need to plan. We suggest you take a special day just for packing your electronics. You should do this before you start packing everything else. On the other hand, you might decide you’ll need to keep using your electronic devices while you’re packing. In this case, you should pack them as you go, leaving the one you need for the end. Whichever option you choose, though, you’ll need to make a list of all your electronic devices. The list should consist of every electronic device you feel needs special attention with packing. You don’t have to include most kitchen appliances on the list. Most of them are either capable of withstanding some damage or easily replaced. What you’ll need to focus on are sensitive electronics:
- computers
- tablets
- stereos
- TVs (or any kind of displays)
- printers
- scanners
Since they’re so complex, these items can get broken more easily and require special care with packing. You should include all of them on your list. Of course, putting them on the list is just the start. You’ll need to do a lot more to ensure their safety. Make sure you give yourself enough time to finish since you’ll need to prepare everything for a moving day.
Protect sufficiently when packing your electronics
When you pack your devices, you’ll need to ensure they reach the new location undamaged. In order to protect your gadgets, you’ll need to clean them first. Making sure they’re clean is the first step in ensuring their safe journey. Start by removing all the dust from the outside. Where you can, disassemble the item to give it a thorough clean. If you’re feeling especially adventurous, you can check out this article about how to take apart and clean your PC in under 30 mins.
- Check for original packaging – the best way to move an electronic device is in its original box. If you still have yours – use them! Unfortunately, we either throw the boxes right away or destroy them while opening our latest gadget. Also, you shouldn’t force the original box on the item. If you have a better way to protect it, use it! Your laptop will be much safer in its bag then in the box.
- Wrap them well – if you’re one of us who don’t save the box, you might want to protect your item in a different way. Wrap it up in protective materials and reinforce them with cardboard. Make sure you don’t put the cardboard against any sensitive surfaces such as displays. For screens and TVs, you can provide some additional protection if you reinforce the corners.
- Offer additional protection when packing your electronics – don’t try to skimp on the protective material! It’s much better to pay a bit extra for packing supplies than to have to buy a new TV. Don’t be afraid to use more tape to secure everything, as well as provide additional protection. Apart from this, you should get a few old blankets to help you keep your items safe.
Disassemble
When we talk about disassembling items when packaging your electronics we don’t mean you should take them apart completely. Just make sure you take away any breakable parts. Some of the moving parts on your printer or scanner won’t be able to come off. Make sure you tape those tightly. You don’t want them to get loose during transport and fall apart. Once you do what you can wrap your items well in any protective materials you have. On the other hand, there is a kind of disassembling you can do without damaging the items. When packing your electronics, you should unplug all the cables from the item as well as the wall. Never transport electronic devices with cables still attached to them. This can lead to serious damage. Pack the cables separately and make sure you label them!.
Label
Since electronics have so many components, labeling is one of the most important tips for packing your electronics. Make sure you label everything in detail. This will make unpacking much easier.
The first thing you should do when you remove the cables from a device is to mark then and the device in the same way. You can use color stickers, numbers or even pictures, but you’ll need to mark them. The best way in our opinion is to give each device a number and put all of the cables from that device in a plastic bag with the same number. You can go a step further by marking each cable with a color and use colored tape to mark the place where the cable connects to the device. Whatever you choose, you should pay close attention to cables when packing and moving. These are some of the most commonly forgotten items. You can use the same technique for marking any accessories for a specific device.
Labeling boxes
Pay special attention to labeling boxes when packing your electronics. Sometimes these boxes will be out of your sight for a while, and you may forget what’s where. Apart from this, make sure your boxes are durable and well-labeled when packing devices for storage. It’s best not to leave these items in storage for long, but if you need to do this, check out our storage tips.