Moving is a stressful ordeal, but it can also be an opportunity to get rid of some old items and start fresh. Homeowners often focus on moving their precious furniture and belongings with a moving company, but what can be done about the more mundane items? Here’s a list of items that can be tossed before the moving day.
Food
As a general guideline, moving companies will only transport empty refrigerators, freezers, and other food storage appliances. Since frozen and refrigerated food usually doesn’t fare well in the back of a hot van or truck, most companies won’t transfer food. Homeowners are left to their own devices to remove the food. Thankfully, with some efficient meal planning (and possibly throwing some dinner parties), most of the unused food can be consumed before the moving day. The rest is up to you to dispose of, give away, or compost.
Old belongings
Moving is an excellent time to throw out old clothes, toys, or that couch nobody likes anymore. Most of us gather stuff over the years; moving can put things into perspective and allow homeowners to decide what is worth keeping. If you cut down on things that go into the truck, there’s also a chance to save some money on moving costs.
Cleaning chemicals
Most cleaning chemicals and aerosol cans won’t survive the heat and rough transport. Additionally, moving companies dislike moving reactive items because it endangers their employees’ health and may damage the furniture. Your best bet is usually to use up as much as possible and throw the rest away. Perhaps use the cleaning supplies to leave the current place in the best shape possible.
Old medications
Moving is a great time to get rid of expired medicine and replenish the medicine cabinet once you get settled into the new home. There are plenty of places that accept medication being disposed of. If a location isn’t available, visit the FDA website and follow their guidelines on how to throw it away.
Paint, gasoline, and other reactants
Moving companies also won’t handle any potentially corrosive, flammable, or staining items. If there are old buckets of paint lying around unused, consider giving them away to friends for future makeovers. Figure out if there are items that are better left to friends and family and which ones are safe to throw away.
Non-allowable items
While there are some valuables we can’t live without, not everything can safely go into the moving van. Most moving companies have detailed lists of items they won’t transport under any circumstances. These include some fairly surprising items, so contact the moving company to learn more.
Generally speaking, living items (plants, pets, livestock) are not allowed in the back of the moving van. For families that really want to move the focus to the new home, we recommend trying to fit it in a personal vehicle.
Other valuable or heat-sensitive items, like jewelry, china, and PC parts, are often on the non-allowed items list. These are mostly there for security and liability reasons rather than issues of danger.
If you want to find out more about the non-allowable item list, contact a professional moving company for assistance.
As a general rule of thumb, contact the moving company before moving to learn what can safely go into the van and what needs to be tossed.
Aardvark Movers Inc. is a reputed moving company in Phoenix, Arizona, with experienced and skilled movers to assist with residential moving and commercial moving. We serve Phoenix, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Glendale, Cave Creek, Carefree, Surprise, Sun City, Paradise Valley, Apache Junction, Maricopa County, and all of Arizona. 602-716-5555.
