With cardboard boxes remaining the most popular packing material in moving and storage, there is nothing more annoying that getting your boxes soaked in the rain. Not only would it weaken the integrity of the box and risk falling apart when you move it now or later, the contents could also suffer. Even if you are storing in a climate controlled area, if you got wet boxes stacked or stored tightly packed with other boxes or items, the humidity can easily be trapped and not only damage the content of the wet boxes but also surrounding items. The best way to avoid this problem comes in two parts – Prevention & Limitation.
Keeping your boxes dry in wet weather
Most movers when transporting a large number of boxes tend to use cling film to pack multiple boxes together so that they stay in one lot while moving to better manage control and avoid items from falling. During wet weather, they would often simply wrap an additional layer on top to keep the rain off. This is by far the simplest way of keeping your items dry. Large rolls for moving purposes are much cheaper than the supermarket variety which is safe for contact with food. However, if you are caught unprepared, raiding your kitchen could be a good solution.
But what if you don’t have cling film? Bubble wraps used for protecting fragile items can also be used as a substitute to keep the rain off your items. Other alternatives include plastic bags, refuge bags, disposable table covers, etc. Cutting open the bags and taping it to your boxes could reduce the number you need but keep in mind that if you do so, you won’t be able to reuse it afterwards.
Limiting the damage of storing wet boxes
Whether or not you’ve managed to keep your boxes dry during transit, it’s important to reduce the wetness from following you into storage. If you’ve got your items cling wrapped, it’s a good idea to assess whether you need to wipe it down with a dry cloth or even remove the cling wrap (along with the moisture) to avoid trapping the wetness or rubbing it off on your other items.
If you were not able to avoid dampness on your boxes or items, the best thing to do is apply a dry cloth to remove excess moisture and then store is so that the damp surface is not covered. In a climate controlled environment with proper ventilation, it would be possible for the moisture to dissipate and hence minimize any potential damage to your items. This would not be possible if your items are tightly stacked together where there would be little chance for the damp surface to “breath” out the moisture. Furthermore, allowing your damp items to be tightly packed against items which were otherwise dry would seriously raise the chance of collateral damage to these other items. Furniture made of leather or wood can easily be affected, so be warned!
We hope you found the above tips useful. Remember, we can help! Contact us for further assistance.