Safety Tips When Moving During COVID-19

16 Nov Safety Tips When Moving During COVID-19

Imagine this scenario: moving day hits, and you’ve tested positive for COVID-19. What are you going to do? Someone else is (presumably) planning on moving into the place where you’re staying. Someone else is going to move into their old place – so on and so forth. As you can imagine, this is not a workable situation.

Isolate, and Leave Extra Time

The first piece of advice is simple – isolate for as long as possible before you move, and set your moving date a couple of weeks before you actually need to move out of your place. Yes, you may have to pay a month’s rent for both places, but it could very well be worth the investment if you have the money.

Isolate for at least two weeks before you move – work from home (if you can), get groceries delivered, and limit your contact with friends and family outside of your immediate household. Doing all of this limits your chances of contracting COVID before you move, and makes it much more likely you’ll be able to move on your scheduled moving day.

Hire Movers

This might seem counterintuitive – hiring movers means inviting strangers into your home to help you move, and that increases the risk of infection spreading.

Or does it?

Realistically, most households already ask for outside help when they move – help from their friends and family. Hiring movers means the job will be done more efficiently – less time spent crowded in the same space together reduces the spread of infection. 

What’s more, movers go above and beyond to ensure they minimize the spread of infection. That means a lot of hand sanitizing, mask wearing, and other PPE, all while ensuring that their vehicle is completely sanitized. Can you trust your friends and family to do the same after a long day of moving?

Buy an Excess of Supplies

One of the tricky things about moving during COVID is that you have to buy your moving supplies, and that means contact with other human beings (unless you can get them delivered). The best choice, then, is to buy more supplies than you think you’ll need. In the worst case scenario, you have moving supplies to give to a friend. Best case scenario – you’ll end up with exactly what you needed, all while limiting your chances of contracting the illness.

Moving into an Apartment

Many apartment buildings have specific rules and regulations in place to stop the spread of disease. These vary from standard (wearing a mask in common areas) to very specific (limiting the building to one move per day and asking movers/new tenants for written confirmation that they aren’t sick). Be aware of the rules a new apartment complex may have, and take extra precautions when using common areas. Have hand sanitizer available for when you touch things in common areas.

Sanitize Everything

Proper sanitization is one of the most important things you can do to slow the spread of the virus. Obviously you’re going to clean before you move, but you should go out of your way to make sure everything is properly washed and sanitized before it’s packed. What’s more, you should take the time to sanitize the packing materials themselves – cardboard boxes can withstand a little spray of sanitizer, and doing so can keep germs from spreading. Moreover, be sure to wash and sanitize your hands regularly while you’re moving.

This all applies to when you’ve entered your new home, as well. You’ll want to sanitize things like light switches, faucets, and other things in the home that you will touch.

Follow Safety Precautions

At this point, you know all of the safety precautions. Wear a mask. Keep six feet apart. There’s no need to repeat them all here – do what you know you have to do. For those of you who are looking for some more comprehensive information on the topic, here are some tips for keeping family members safe during the pandemic.

Following all of these tips should limit your risk of catching COVID-19 before, during, and after your move. We understand that moving is tough enough normally, and that during a pandemic it’s even more difficult. Once you make it through the stress, you’ll be rewarded with a new space to call your own – you can do it! 

For all your COVID-19 moving needs, call on Careful Movers to help lend a hand. Our team follows all recommendations and guidelines to help ensure your safety and keep your move going as smoothly as possible. Contact our team today for a free quote.