Items Movers Won’t Move – Here’s What You Shouldn’t Pack for Moving

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Seeing how you can make explosives from some widespread household objects, it’s not surprising that there’s a whole list of items movers won’t move. True professionals will never pack anything that poses a severe risk to the safety of the relocation, meaning you’ll have to deal with a lot of things before the actual move begins.

The answer to “What won’t movers move?” is not as simple as it may seem. Many professionals have a specific list of non-allowables, meaning you’ll have to contact each company’s customer support to learn what can and cannot be placed on the truck.

Do Movers Move Everything?

While hiring professionals will allow you to move efficiently, it’s very important to remember that sometimes even the best movers in Orange County, CA, can’t help you with everything. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Transportation have set several safety standards that prevent any moving company from handling “non-allowables”. A mover will not be able to move a specific item if it:

  • Has a high chance of leaking,
  • Leaking would cause damage to other objects,
  • Explodes under certain circumstances,
  • Catches fire easily,
  • Has a high probability of spoiling.

An object with any one of the previously mentioned traits can’t be packed by any reputable mover, meaning you will have to find a way to deal with it yourself.

Can You Hire Movers to Move One Item?

Many people prefer to prepare most of their belongings on their own and only contact professional movers in Orange County, CA, when they need to move a particularly difficult object. Orange County Moving Services is more than happy to provide you with a single-item quote, which could be particularly helpful when you don’t know how to pack fragile items such as sculptures or chandeliers. This option is almost always cheaper than a full-blown relocation, meaning you will not have to plan an overblown moving expenses checklist to get some excellent professional service.

Will Movers Move Things Not in Boxes?

While it makes sense to pack books in boxes, we can’t imagine how you would move a piano inside a container. Don’t worry; professionals also move things that are not boxed up. In fact, this is quite common for bulkier belongings that need to be disassembled before being loaded into the truck. Once you finish packing plates and other smaller objects, let local Orange County movers handle all furniture and major appliances.

A woman checking a list in a room with stacked boxes
Double check your inventory list to make sure you haven’t accidentally packed any items from this blog

Moving Companies Will Never Transport Hazardous Material

While most of the stuff you own should be relatively safe to move, some simple everyday belongings can become hazardous under specific conditions. Since these objects can have a wide range of potential adverse effects on both you and the environment, they can be sorted into one of the following categories:

  • Flammables – Chemicals that quickly catch fire will have to be dealt with before the actual relocation. This includes everything from gasoline and antifreeze to rubbing alcohol and nail polish remover.
  • Corrosives – Never pack anything that could significantly damage the rest of your belongings if it were to leak. Most of the cleaning supplies easily fit into this category, including bleach, which is why a mover will never move them.
  • Explosives – Weapons and ammunition, pressurized objects, and fireworks can quickly produce an intense explosion, which makes dealing with them particularly dangerous. Fertilizer and other common household materials found in homemade explosives also can’t be packed.

Remember, packing hazardous materials under any circumstances seriously threatens the safety of your entire relocation. If you still pack them, and an accident occurs, the only person liable for the damages would be you.

Find a Way to Move Some of the Hazardous Materials Safely

If you’re unsure how to deal with a particular hazardous item, the Environmental Protection Agency can tell you how to dispose of these materials in your area. Although getting rid of these is easily the best idea, there are a few ways you can safely move some of these belongings. For starters, if you can prevent spilling, you can carry over most of your cleaning supplies. Similarly, seeing how most house tools and equipment use gas or oil as their main energy source, emptying the tanks before loading them onto the truck will minimize any chances of an accident occurring.

Room with cleaning supplies, gloves and a mop
Since they can easily damage other belongings, you’ll have to move cleaning supplies on your own

Food Is Often Perishable, Which Is a Big No-No in Packing

Although it is certainly not dangerous as some of the stuff we mentioned earlier, food can create several problems when not appropriately packed, making it a non-negotiable for most relocation companies. Firstly, it can very easily spill over the rest of your belongings, possibly causing stains that can’t be removed even by the best professional dry cleaners. Not only that, but the smell of perishable food attracts all kinds of vermin, rodents, and insects that could further damage and contaminate everything in the truck.

Dry Canned Food Can Be Moved, But You’ll Have to Consume Everything That’s Perishable Before Relocating

Although most dry, canned goods can be safely transported in your car’s storage compartment, we highly recommend you don’t pack anything that’s already been opened. This also includes fresh, refrigerated, or frozen food, as these will quickly spoil from exposure to higher temperatures. If your freezer, fridge, or storage reserves are still filled about two weeks before the move, avoid getting groceries and focus on cooking with what you have in the house. You can use up some of the leftovers as snacks for your going away party or even donate some of the food to Goodwill or some other local charity.

Jars with spices and nuts on a wooden table
Dry goods such as spices are usually not perishable, meaning you can safely move them to your new home

Pets Are Not Things That Can Simply Be Moved With the Rest of Your Belongings

While being a pet parent brings many joys to your everyday life, relocating with pets is not an easy thing to do. They are our companions, meaning you cannot simply toss them into the truck like a random household object. It’s also important to note that no movers in Orange County, California, would agree to move a pet, meaning you will have to find another way to transport them to their new home.

Moving Pets in a Car Will Require Some Preparation

Since you’ll be relocating locally, you should be able to move the pet with your vehicle. However, animals are even more susceptible to moving stress, meaning you’ll still need to prepare them for the trip. Fortunately, several great moving hacks will help you to safely move any pet you might have:

  • Get them accustomed to carriers – While some cats and dogs like to take rides in your cars, they are also the most common pet type to jump out of the moving vehicle. Since you will not be traveling for too long, you should try to keep pets inside carriers until you reach your new home.
  • Keep the birdcage covered – Since birds are even more susceptible to stress, you should never let them out of their cages during the trip. They might hurt themselves by trying to fly through closed windows or even escape through an open one. Remember, you can always keep a bird calm by covering its cage with a blanket.
  • Ventilate the vehicle – Depending on the type of pet you have; you will want to keep the AC temperature in your car relatively stable. As carriers don’t offer a lot of space to breathe, this will keep them from overheating during the trip, especially if you’re transporting an exotic animal.
  • Move fish in small tanks – Fish is probably the most problematic pet to move. Not only do 10-gallon fish tanks weigh over 100 lbs, but the animal itself also won’t be able to survive for too long without proper equipment. Luckily, since the trip isn’t too long, you should be able to move them in smaller tanks or even a bowl. You just need to make sure that the tank doesn’t break during transport.

Overall, saying that pets are difficult to move is certainly an understatement. While regular Orange County, CA movers may not be able to assist you, you always have the option of hiring a professional pet mover.

A cat sitting in an open carrier
Try to get your pet accustomed to the carrier before the relocation

Plants Are Also Some of the Items Movers Won’t Move

Unlike their wild relatives, most houseplants are very delicate and require very specific conditions. As such, it’s very difficult to move them in trucks, which are known to have significantly higher temperatures even on colder days. Besides, plants can easily carry all kinds of invasive parasites and pests, making them one of the more common belongings many relocation companies refuse to move.

Learn How to Move a Plant on Your Own

If you’re relocating from a large house in the suburbs to a smaller apartment in one of the best cities to live in, you might not have enough room in your new home to fit all of your plants. Remember, it’s better to leave a plant to a friend than to see it wither simply because it couldn’t get enough sunlight. On the other hand, if you choose to move them, you’ll hate to transport them in the back of your car, which can get tricky. Fortunately, the video below will show you how to prepare the plants for transportation.

What Items Will Movers Not Move? The List Also Includes Valuables

Valuables are objects that hold incredible value to the owner, making them a very specific category that is not always easy to define. The group includes all kinds of belongings, from expensive jewelry and exquisite art pieces to money and high-end electronics. For that reason alone, each relocation company has a specific list of non-negotiables that they refuse to move. If you have something that could fall into this category, always check which things you might have to move yourself before hiring any local movers in Orange County, CA.

Keep Essentials and Irreplaceable Items With You

Don’t be surprised if the company will not pack your documents, credit cards, or any item with your sensitive data visibly displayed on it. While these belongings are used all the time, information on them could easily be exploited in a relocation scam. Since these are also some of the more commonly forgotten things to pack, making a good to-do list will remind you to bring all your essential belongings with you. The separate bag should contain all the irreplaceable documents, IDs, credit cards, and all the items that hold sentimental value. If you need help preparing your paperwork, check out how you can easily keep your most important files organized at home in the video below.

Contact Us to Learn More About Our Non-Negotiables

These were the main things most relocation companies don’t cover under any circumstances, which should allow you to prepare appropriately for your next move. Since hiring a professional is still an excellent choice despite this, Orange County Moving Services is here to help if you need anything. Besides the top-notch packing service, we also provide everything from typical residential moves to highly specialized commercial relocations. If you have any questions about our non-negotiables, contact our customer support team and get a free quote from one most affordable movers in Orange County, CA.

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