Moving Tips5 Simple Steps to Prepare Shoes for Moving
It's time to move, and you want to take your many shoes with you. Never fear! Moving shoes isn't stressful if you follow these steps. Each is designed to protect your shoes and keep them safe from damage.
- Getting Rid of Old Shoes
- Find Boxes for Moving
- Prepare and Store the Shoes
- Keep the Shoes Fresh
- Tips for Moving Loose Shoes
Step One - Getting Rid of Old Shoes
Let's be honest here - there's a good chance that you, like most people, probably have a lot of shoes you're never going to wear again. For example, you may have a pair of bowling shoes just gathering dust. Or maybe you have multiple pairs of dress shoes that just don't get used. Do you need all of these shoes in your new home?
No. Instead, you should find the shoes that you don't want and throw them away if they are in rough shape. You may also want to recycle them at a rubber recycling center to help the environment. Or if they are still wearable, donate them to a local charity. There are always people who need shoes but who can't afford them.
Step Two - Find Boxes for Moving
If you still have the old boxes for your shoes, use these when moving. However, unless you're a pretty big packrat, you probably threw those boxes away ages ago. Don't worry - you can find shoe boxes reasonably easy online. You can also go to a local post office or shipping center and find boxes designed for shoes. These are usually quite cheap and may even come in bulk for moving purposes.
Once you've found boxes for each of your pairs of shoes, you need to plan how you want to store them. Do you want to put all of your shoe boxes in a larger shipping container? Doing so helps to keep them in one spot and avoids shipping problems. However, this box is also going to be heavier and harder to move. No matter what route you take, make sure each fancy shoe has a box to minimize your damage risk. Each box should be large enough for the shoe but not much bigger to avoid excess space usage.
Step Three - Prepare and Store the Shoes
You may not think that your shoes could get damaged in a box, and you're probably right. However, safety preparation is still needed. First of all, you want to stuff a sock into each shoe to ensure that moisture and mold don't grow inside. This step also helps the shoe to keep its shape. In this way, it is less likely to collapse or experience damage during the move.
Adding Padding Inside the Boxes
If you don't have socks or have already stored them away, you can use stuffing paper to achieve the same effect. Make sure to fill each shoe to get a good outcome. Next, you want to wrap each shoe in a half-piece of packing paper and place them in the box so that they fit comfortably. This paper and placement method helps to minimize rubbing and scuffing on the sometimes sensitive material. Line the box with crumpled paper to support this step further.
Step Four - Keep the Shoes Fresh
Before you close your shoes inside of their box, you need to make sure to minimize the risk of moisture damage. All shoes must be appropriately aired out for at least a few days before storing them. You may also want to place a small bag of baking powder in each box to keep them protected. This bag helps to absorb excess moisture and ensures that they don't get too damaged or stinky.
You may also want to add powder to the inside of each shoe to make sure that all moisture is drawn out of their fabric. This step is critical if you plan on moving a long way or have a large number of shoes that you wear often. Nicer shoes, such as leather and those with patent finishes, also need special protection. Shine any leather or patent shoes with a new polish before you move and let the polish dry fully to ensure that they don't experience any problems.
Step Five - Tips for Moving Loose Shoes
What if you don't have room to store multiple shoe boxes or don't have the time or resources to track them down? In this situation, there are a few steps that you can take. First of all, you can find multiple large storage boxes where you can place your shoes. Prepare each shoe as mentioned above, including adding socks and wrapping them with paper. Doing so helps to keep them secure and protected.
As you wrap each shoe, place them sole-down on the bottom of the box. Line the box's bottom with shoes and then place a small piece of cardboard on top that fits inside the surface of the container. Push this all the way down to the top of these shoes and level its surface as much as possible. You can now layer more shoes on top without causing damage. Repeat until the box is filled, and you've stored all your shoes. Don't neglect baking powder to keep the shoes fresh.
And if you only have a handful of shoes and don't need to go through this whole process, here's a fun moving hack - use a bent wire coat hanger to hang up your shoes. Bend the coat hanger so that it fits inside of and holds up a shoe. Now, wrap the bottom of the hook with a cloth and side it inside of a shoe to hang it up with your clothes. Make sure each shoe is covered to avoid further problems.
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