What You Should Do to Prepare for Your Move During the Epidemic
Want to make moving during COVID-19 as smooth and easy as possible? There are many steps you can take to get your home ready for the movers, maintain safe distance, and mitigate the risk of coronavirus.
Moving companies and AMSA recommend consumers take the following steps.
- Provide Hand Washing and Disinfection Supplies for Movers
- If possible, leave out hygiene products your movers can use to follow safe hand washing practices. You can leave paper towels and soap by your sink and hand sanitizer and bleach wipes by the entrance.
Use New Cardboard Boxes
- To be on the safe side, only use new cardboard boxes purchased at the store or boxes you already have at home. Avoid using recycled moving boxes because coronavirus lives on surfaces like cardboard for up to 24 hours.
Plan Your Travel
- How will you be traveling to your new home? Ahead of moving day, take care to make sure your travel plans are as safe as possible and can be adjusted if needed. If you need a hotel or flight, book refundable reservations and make sure the cancellation policy will protect you if plans change.
Practice Safe Hygiene Measures
- Wash your hands frequently while moving, even if you aren’t loading boxes. Avoid touching your mouth and face. While interacting with movers, you can also wear gloves and a face mask for additional protection; your movers should also be wearing gloves.
Sanitize Belongings
- As best as you are able, keep your belongings sanitized and free of germs by sealing items in bags and boxes. Wrap your furniture in plastic that can be thrown away as soon as you are in your new home. Wear gloves when you unpack and wash your hands frequently. Try to limit outside exposure to your items in transit.
Practice Social Distancing
- Your movers will be friendly but maintain a safe distance during the coronavirus epidemic. Take care to also practice social distancing by staying at least 6 feet away from the moving crew.
Be Prepared for the Movers
- When the moving team arrives, it’s helpful to leave open doorways and windows in your home to improve indoor ventilation. Increasing the ventilation rate is believed to reduce cross infection of airborne infectious disease by diluting or removing contaminated airborne droplets.
Are Movers Still Moving During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
- Absolutely. Despite shutdowns among businesses and shelter-in-place orders in many states, many people still need to move. In many cases, moving isn’t an option and can’t be postponed: your lease may be ending, you’re already in the middle of a move, you’re starting a new job, or you’re closing on a new home.
- While some moving companies have seen a temporary reduction in moving requests, others have seen an uptick in service, depending on the area.
Moving companies are also still operating and hard at work in every state. In most states, movers are considered an “essential service” and allowed to continue to operate provided everyone follows social distancing guidelines. No state has currently barred moving companies from shutting down, even in areas under the strictest guidelines like New York City where vehicles with commercial plates can still move freely.
Keep in mind movers are considered low-risk for the transmission of coronavirus. Moving crews typically only help one or two customers per day and are able to maintain social distancing during the move.
