I’m sorry to say it, but it’s almost that time of the year again — move out time. If you’re living in a dorm or apartment, you’re probably going to be moving out in the next month or so. Packing up everything you own and squeezing it into a car is not fun, and it’s not easy, but if you use some of these clever tips, it can be stress-free.
1. Don’t Be A Pack Rat! Donate the clothes you haven’t worn all year, sell your books for extra cash, and get rid of anything you don’t need (like that disgusting futon your friend peed on when she was drunk).
2. Separate Your Summer And Winter Clothes. Pack away your boots, coats, heavy socks, and scarves into plastic airtight bins. You won’t need these over the summer and they’ll be out of your way.
3. Put Your Stuff In Storage For The Summer. Storage facilities are great because you can lock away all your school stuff and won’t have to drag it back home between semesters, but there are a few things you should know if you decide to do this. Don’t store pillows, linens, mattress toppers, or anything fabric-based because they might get musty and gross while they’re stored away for a few months in damp, dark rooms (especially if the storage site isn’t air-conditioned). Keep your electronics in an airtight container so they stay moisture-free. Don’t pack anything in plastic bags (this can cause mold to grow in the summer humidity). And especially don’t pack photographs! They might curl and stick together because of the high temperatures. And don’t throw away your storage receipt — it might come in handy later!
4. Put Hanging Clothes In Garbage Bags. This little trick is my personal favorite and makes it so easy to transport clothes. You don’t have to fold them, you don’t have to pack them, they won’t get wrinkled, and if you have a portable clothes hanger for your car, you can just hang them right up on moving day. You can also put the garbage bag on the hangers upside down by poking a hole at the bottom of the bag and then tying off the top once your clothes are on the hanger. I also save grocery bags to put folded clothes in (my clothes go right from my drawer into a bag without being unfolded or unstacked); they stay in their own categories, and this makes putting everything away a lot easier.
5. How To Keep Your Shampoos And Makeup From Spilling All Over Your Stuff: One easy way to keep your makeup from spilling all over the place is by placing a cotton pad or cotton ball in your powder cosmetics to keep the powder from breaking if they fall or get crushed. As for shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and lotions, you can cover the openings of the bottles with saran wrap, then screw the tops back on. This trick will 100% keep them from leaking and you can even do this when you travel by plane.