Believe it or not, every day, people move with items they really shouldn’t. Some of these items are valuable or have personal information that should not be handled by movers while other things are actually hazardous. Even if the movers you hire don’t provide a list of non-allowable items, you should still use this list as a guide for the safety of everyone.
1. Poisons
You don’t really realize just how many poisons you have in a home until you get ready to move. These items include weed killers, pesticides, and bug sprays. If it has a poison symbol, it should be disposed of appropriately prior to the move.
2. Aerosol Cans
When you read “containers under pressure may explode” it should be taken at face value. This is especially true in summer and winter because of extreme temperatures. Does this include our aerosol hairspray? Absolutely! Do you really need to use aerosol anyway? There are enough alternatives; give the ozone a break.
3. Fire Extinguishers
Although it is highly unlikely that an extinguisher will explode due to their safety release valve, they could become damaged. While you may not see the actual damage, it could put you in a deadly situation, if it malfunctions when you need it.
4. Chemicals
This is such an enormous category, and quite honestly, you can easily combine chemicals and poisons in one, if you want to get technical. That being said, a few examples of chemicals not previously mentioned in other categories include: ammonia, lighter fluid, cleaning solvents, darkroom chemicals, kerosene, bleach, nail polish, paint thinners, varnishes, and paints.
5. Tanks
Some might group fire extinguishers in this category, but in all fairness, their contents are dry while other tanks, such as scuba and propane ones are not. Obviously, if you have a scuba tank, you are not going to dispose of it, but it will need to be moved in your vehicle, not by the movers.
6. Batteries
This includes car batteries as well as those around the house. Batteries can explode.
7. Weapons
Hopefully, if you are moving firearms, you are doing so responsibly in a locked carrier or cabinet in your own vehicle. This includes ammunition. If you have knives, swords or a medieval weapon collection, these are items that should also be only in your hands.
8. Perishable
If you are moving a short distance, obviously you can put your perishables in a cooler and move them in your car, if you choose. Otherwise, refrigerated and frozen foods, as well as produce or dry storage items that are open, should not be moved. Ideally, you will stop buying anything except necessities a few weeks prior to your move.
9. Sentimental Value
Some items have no monetary value, but they mean a lot. If you have your great grandfather’s pocket watch or other heirloom jewelry, these are items that can’t be replaced no matter how good your insurance policy is. It is always recommended to move all expensive jewelry yourself anyway, whether it has sentimental value or not.
10. Personal
Any items that offer your personal information should not be handled by movers. This includes airline tickets, address books, car titles, checkbooks, computer files, laptops, photographs, financial documents, insurance policies, medical/dental records, school records, and prescription medication.
