What NOT to Pack When Moving

There are some surprising (and not so surprising) household items that you can’t bring with you in your moving van.

Add this to your moving checklist for long distances before you start packing and make sure you deal with these items safely. While you can’t take them with you, you can give away your leftover supplies of these items to friends, family and neighbours. You may know you need to transport plants and your first-day box with you, but there may be other items that can cause issues if you aren’t aware of them.

Where you’re looking local, long-distance or office relocating moving companies, here are the items you can’t or shouldn’t bring in your moving van.

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Dangerous Chemicals

Some of our household products are extremely dangerous items and are not allowed to be transported with the moving van. The best moving companies will be clear about this in their contract. You’ll be surprised just how many of our household products are hazardous items. These chemicals are best kept safe in your car, sealed properly and wrapped in protective plastic. Your municipality’s website should also have guidelines about how to get rid of any items listed below that you can’t get given away. Please note that none of these items should go in the garbage or down the drain.

1. Beauty Products

• Nail polish
• Nail polish remover
• Aerosols (think hair spray or deodorants)

2. Cleaning

• Cleaning solvents
• Ammonia
• Liquid bleach
• Aerosol air fresheners

3. Garden Chemicals

• Fertilizer
• Poisons (such as weed killer)
• Pesticides
• BBQ: propane/propane tanks
• Pool chemicals

4. Garage Chemicals

• Car Batteries
• Motor Oil
• Paint Thinner
• Gasoline
• Kerosene

5. Miscellaneous Household Items

• Fluorescent light bulbs
• Lamp oils
• Fire extinguishers
• Batteries
• Matches
• Guns (including starter pistols)
• Ammunition
• Fireworks
• Paints (both latex and oil-based)

Why Can’t You Bring These Items?

Some of these items are poisonous, explosive or corrosive on their own, and others can combine with other chemicals to create dangerous substances.

You may be thinking, “If these things are so dangerous to move, how come I was able to bring them home in my car?”

Your movers have to consider worst case scenarios, like long distance travel along bumpy roads, long periods in vans that may get very cold or hot on the inside, and even road accidents that cause the van to overturn. As responsible professionals, your Stittsville movers need to make sure that your belongings, van drivers and the general public are kept safe.

There are also laws to obey. In Canada, some materials are classified as Hazardous Materials (Haz-mat) under the Transportation act. These cannot be hauled by most movers because they don’t have Haz-mat certified drivers, placards and paperwork required to move these articles. Cassidy’s can provide hazarous materials transportation services if needed, but these require a lot of extra procedures and paperwork. That’s why it’s so important to have a plan when moving long distance.

A good rule of thumb to follow: when in doubt, leave it out. Especially if you’re trying to pack in a hurry.

Perishable Food

Simply put- perishable food is not worth the moving costs. Saving money is paramount with life events like these, and the truth is that you can end up paying more to move your food than you would to buy more in your new place. This is especially true for a long-distance move.

Your local food bank will be thrilled to take them off your hands, saving you in the unpacking process and in cardboard boxes & coolers. Long distance and Canada to USA moving companies may have policies on what food, if any, can be packed. If there are some items you decide to pack, glass jars should be protected with bubble wrap and marked as fragile. The most important all packing tips is this: Don’t pack the milk.

Valuable Items

Avoid packing irreplaceable items on the moving truck. The moving process is stressful enough, Barrhaven moving companies will have insurance (or valuation protection) for any issues come moving day. As your reliable team of professional Kanata movers we say- Keep the irreplaceable pieces with you or family members. You will be able to keep an eye on them, be sure they are protected and you will have far greater peace of mind this way. Certain items will take up a lot of mental space when they hold significance and you want them to join you in your new home safely.

The whole process of getting you to your new house should be as stress-free as possible. That is why we offer special coverage for certain items.

Important Documents

When preparing to pack when moving, set aside a brightly coloured folder (with tabs separators) or binder for your moving checklist and to keep all your documents in one place. On moving day, always keep documents like social security cards, birth certificates, all your new home information with you. You may need it during the move and having documents that you can pick up and use during the process will make it all a bit easier. This is true for all types of moves – keep your moving documents with you.

The List is Different For Every International Move

If you’re moving to another country, keep in mind that every country has different items it will not accept. If you’re hiring Cassidy’s, no need to worry – your representative will walk you through all the rules and all the paperwork. We’ll also cover moving tips to help you save money, and can even provide help packing on the more fragile and time-consuming items- or provide all the moving boxes you need!

Not sure about something you want to move with you? Want to talk about local, long distance or international moving? Cassidy’s is here to help!