I work at a storage place. I’m not a writer. I’m just a guy who watches people move their stuff in and out all day long. And I gotta tell you, the cardboard box thing is a disaster waiting to happen.
Last week, a woman came in with her daughter. They were moving her daughter into college. They had all these cardboard boxes from the grocery store. The daughter grabs one, it’s got her books in it, and the bottom just gives out. Books go everywhere. The mom is yelling. The daughter is crying. And I’m standing there thinking “I could have told you this was gonna happen.”
Because it happens ALL THE TIME.
Here’s What I Actually Use For My Own Stuff
I moved my own family three years ago. Three kids, a dog, and way too much stuff. You know what I used? Plastic totes from Costco. The black ones with the yellow lids.
My wife thought I was crazy. She said “we’re spending how much on boxes?” But I told her to trust me. And now she tells everyone she knows to use them.
We’ve moved twice since then. Same totes. Still perfect. Not a single broken thing. Not one.
My neighbor moved last summer using cardboard boxes he got for free. His whole move cost him like forty bucks in packing tape. Sounds great, right? Except his record collection got water damaged because it rained and the boxes got wet. His books got bent. And half his boxes were falling apart by the time he got to the new house.
He spent more replacing his damaged stuff than I spent on my totes.
The Rental Box Thing
Okay so there’s this service now where you can rent plastic moving boxes. They drop them off, you use them, they pick them up.
My sister used them for her move. She said it was the easiest move she’s ever done. The boxes are these heavy duty plastic things with handles built right in. They stack perfect. They close tight. No tape needed.
She had them for two weeks. Cost her about what she would have spent on cardboard boxes anyway. But the boxes were way better quality and she didn’t have to deal with breaking them down afterwards or storing them or any of that junk.
The only downside is you gotta be on time with the return. They charge you extra if you keep them too long. So if you’re the type who takes forever to unpack, maybe not the best option.
Don’t Sleep On The Bags
I’m serious about this one. Those big IKEA bags? The blue ones? They’re amazing for moving.
My buddy Dave moved last year and he used those bags for all his clothes. Just dumped everything in there. Shirts, pants, socks, whatever. He said it took him like twenty minutes to pack his whole closet.
He also used those big canvas totes from the craft store for his bedding and towels. Same deal. Just toss it all in and go.
Now obviously you’re not putting dishes in a bag. That would be stupid. But for soft stuff? Bags are faster and easier than boxes. And you can carry them over your shoulder which makes stairs way easier.
The Vacuum Bag Trick
I don’t know why more people don’t know about this. Those vacuum seal bags where you suck the air out? They’re a game changer.
My wife packed all our winter coats in those things. Puffed them up huge, sucked the air out, and they were flat as pancakes. We fit like twenty coats in one storage bin.
Same with our extra bedding. Same with all those throw pillows my wife insists on having but we never use. Same with the kids’ out of season clothes.
You can fit so much more stuff in your storage unit when you use these things. We’ve got customers who store their whole family’s seasonal wardrobe in a 5×5 unit because they use vacuum bags.
The key is don’t overstuff them. I made that mistake once. Crammed too many blankets in one bag, the seal popped, and I had this big puffy mess. Learned my lesson.
The Mattress Thing
Please get a mattress bag. Please.
I cannot tell you how many people put their mattress in storage just… bare. No cover. No bag. Nothing.
Then they come back six months later and the mattress smells weird. Or there’s a stain on it. Or bugs got in it. And they’re all surprised.
A mattress bag is like ten bucks. It zips around your mattress. It has handles so you can carry it easier. It keeps your mattress clean and dry. It’s the easiest thing in the world and people just don’t do it.
We have one customer who stores her camper mattress in our unit during the winter. She’s been doing it for like five years. Still looks brand new because she uses a bag.
What About The Fragile Stuff
Look, I’m not gonna tell you to put your grandma’s china in a bag. That would be insane.
But you don’t need cardboard boxes for fragile stuff either. You can get plastic inserts that go into totes. They have little dividers that keep each plate separate. They work way better than those flimsy cardboard dividers that never stay in place anyway.
Or you can wrap your dishes in your clothes. I’m serious. Wrap a plate in a t-shirt. Wrap a glass in a towel. You’re packing two things at once and your dishes are protected.
I had a customer who moved her whole kitchen using this method. Not one single broken dish. And she didn’t have to buy a bunch of bubble wrap or packing paper.
Let Me Tell You About Our Storage
So you got all your stuff packed up. Good. Now you need somewhere to put it.
Our units are clean. They’re dry. They’re secure. And because you’re not using cardboard boxes that waste space, you might be able to get a smaller unit than you thought you needed.
A smaller unit costs less money every single month. So those plastic totes you bought? They pay for themselves pretty quick when you don’t have to rent as big of a unit.
I had a guy come in last month. He was moving from a house to an apartment. He had all his stuff in cardboard boxes. We measured it out and he needed a 10×10.
I told him “hey, if you switch to plastic totes you could probably fit this in a 10×5.” He didn’t listen. He’s paying twice as much as he needs to every month because he wanted to save a few bucks on boxes.
I told him. I tried.
Some Stuff You Probably Didn’t Think About
Cardboard boxes get bugs. I mentioned that already but I want to say it again because people don’t take it seriously. Silverfish love cardboard. So do roaches. So do spiders.
You put your stuff in a storage unit in cardboard boxes, and you’re basically inviting pests to move in with your stuff.
Plastic totes? Bugs can’t get in. The lids seal tight. Your stuff stays bug free.
Also cardboard absorbs moisture. Even in a dry unit, there’s moisture in the air. Over time that cardboard gets damp and that dampness transfers to whatever you’re storing.
Ever pulled a box out of storage and it smelled kind of musty? That’s the cardboard. That smell gets into your stuff.
Plastic totes don’t do that.
What Would I Tell My Own Mom To Do
If my mom was moving and asked me what to do, here’s what I’d tell her.
- Get yourself some decent plastic totes. The ones with the yellow lids from Costco are fine. You don’t need anything fancy.
- Get some vacuum seal bags for your clothes and bedding. They’re cheap on Amazon.
- Get a mattress bag. Just do it.
For your dishes and fragile stuff, wrap them in your towels and clothes and put them in the totes. You don’t need anything special.
And if you don’t want to buy totes, rent them. It’s about the same cost as cardboard boxes and you don’t have to deal with them afterwards.
Skip the cardboard. It’s not worth the headache. It’s not worth the risk. And honestly, it’s not even that much cheaper when you factor everything in.
We’ll Be Here When You’re Ready
When you’ve got everything packed up the right way, come see us. We’ll get you set up with a unit that fits your stuff. We’ll show you around, answer your questions, and make sure you know what you’re getting into.
I’m not gonna sell you on something you don’t need. That’s not how I do things. I’ll look at what you’ve got and tell you what size makes sense. If you can fit in a smaller unit, I’ll tell you that. If you need more space, I’ll tell you that too.
But please, for the love of everything, don’t show up with a bunch of cardboard boxes that are already falling apart. I’ve seen it too many times. I don’t want to see it again.
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