In the third and final part of our secure packing trilogy, our experts reveal how to pack your metals, electronic devices and battery-operated appliances without the usual headaches.
Metals
Ensure metals are placed in a heat-controlled environment, as metal corrosion (or rust, as we usually call it) often results from excessive humidity – whether it’s equatorial humidity or the colder dampness of, say, a European climate. Wiping metal items with an oily rag before storing them will prevent rust. It needn’t be any special sort of oil – machine oil is popular.
Electronic Equipment
Repackaging items in their original boxes is ideal, while also being the safest option. For extra good measure, the original packaging may be placed in a second bigger cardboard box. You’ll need to make sure not to leave any empty spaces inside, between the boxes – you don’t want your telly or music equipment rattling around in there. Polystyrene or foam chips are good materials for filling the space. If you don’t have the original boxes, your equipment may also be stored in other suitable cartons which your storage provider will make available.
You should make sure all your electronic items are thoroughly cleaned, the obvious ones being your kitchen appliances. To avoid mold growth on items such as fridges or freezers, give it time to ensure they’re thoroughly defrosted before moving – not an afterthought. These items can harbour food particles and mold in the most awkward, unreachable places such as the undersides of fridges or washing machines. Challenging as it may be, time spent making extra-sure can pay off here.
Before you pack electronic devices, it can be a good idea to consult the manufacturer’s user manual. If you can still find it amidst all the chaos of your move, then all credit to you! They usually give some advice on packing the particular electronic devices safely, and also on preparing them for storage or transportation. If you don’t still have the manual, you can always try ringing the manufacturer. Call-centre operatives will often be able to give you helpful advice. YouTube and other video-sharing sites are another option, so long as you use a trusted, authoritative page.
One good way to know which parts of any device need extra protection is to work out how all its parts fit together. You should disassemble it if you can, putting each component into a plastic bag. At the same time, just make sure that the device is turned off and that it can’t turn itself on during storage or transit. You might also want to cover the buttons of the device with tape just to be sure.
If you’re storing a computer, tablet or laptop, you should make a back-up where you can save your important files and documents. If you don’t already use it, you may want to think about cloud storage (Google it – it’s not that complicated). If anything does go wrong in moving your stuff to or from the storage unit, you’ll have peace of mind around the safety of your files.
Internal Packaging within boxes is the most important type of all. If you are storing small electronic devices, use small air packages or packing ‘peanuts’ between the items. Ask your storage provider if they sell these materials. These foam peanuts have a habit of sticking to electronic devices, so you might want to use other cushioning materials such as bubble wrap or even thin blankets. Use as much cushioning material as you need to prevent your devices sliding around.
If you are going to transport or store devices such as recorders or printers, make sure you take out the ink cartridges first – easily forgotten, especially in a hurry! CD and DVD player batteries should be ejected safely and stored separately. Gather the cords and tie them together, making sure you have a record of where they are to save frustration later on.
If you’re about to store a TV or any sort of device with a screen, a foam cover will be helpful for protecting the screen.
Battery-operated appliances
We’re sure you’ve experienced that fuzzy greenish-black gunk you get when you leave batteries in an electrical appliance for too long – yuck! If you haven’t, you can take our word for it – you don’t want to subject expensive equipment to that stuff. It may take more planning, but it’s definitely worth it: ensure batteries are removed well in advance of packing them away for storage.
We encourage our customers to use a high-security padlock with a shackle diameter of less than 8mm. That way you can fit the shackle through the hasp at storage units, while still having a reliably strong lock.
So there you have it, in three bite-size blogs – how to move almost anything without running into unnecessary problems along the way. We hope they’ve been helpful. You can find a handy, bullet-point version of the information on all three blogs on our site here: http://www.flexistorage.com.my/tips.aspx.