Packing Your Books Is a Walk in the Park

According to American Van Lines testimonials, moving is never an easy job and you never seem to realize how much stuff you have gathered over the years until it is time for you to make a move. Whether you are just putting items in storage or going to a new home, there are ways you can make packing books in your boxes a lot easier and smoother. Nobody wants the hassle of a difficult or tedious packing process, so here are some tips on packing your books made easy:



It's Not the Size of the Box. . . Actually, It Is

Because of how heavy books can be in large numbers, use small to medium-sized boxes. The ideal box should not be bigger than 1 ½ cubic feet. A box this size or smaller will be quite heavy when it is full of books. Make sure that the boxes are sturdy and that the bottoms will not collapse. Flimsy boxes should be thrown away or recycled elsewhere.

Books of a Cover Flock Together

Sort your books into different piles of like sizes. Pack the books of similar sizes together. Now as you pack, place your books in the box upright, as though you were placing them on the shelf. Be sure to alternate the open page ends with the spines of the books to create an even row. Pack the books to be as snug as possible within the box. The less gaps there are in the box, the lesser the chance of damage. Fill in any gaps with smaller books or packing paper.

Packing the books by title, genre and type are also different ways you can pack your books. Also, if you have some particularly large books, you can place 4 to 6 of them flat on the bottom of the box. The large books will cover the bottom. Pack smaller books on top of them until the box is full.

Age ain't Nothing but a Number

If you have old books, you might notice a musty smell. You may be able to refresh the smell of those books easily when you pack them. However, do not use this method for valuable antique or rare books. Tear a used dryer sheet in half. Flip open the book a third of the way and put half of the dryer sheet in it. Place the other half two-thirds of the way through the book. Now simply wrap the book in a plastic grocery bag and pack it away. After a week, the book will smell much nicer.