Using plastic bags to move -is it wrong?

OP is so classy, with all her belongings in garbage bags.

Well, they could rip open, and scatter your possessions across the highways and byways of America.

Keep your Precious Moments figurines close!

Paper grocery bags would be more friendly for the environment, OP

You put dishes in bags? Pots and pans? Forks?

I could see fabric based items (clothes/sheets/blankets/towels, etc.).

I don't like boxes because those flaps at the top are annoying to deal with. So I used draw string plastic bags.

Pots and pans and silver ware and plastic containers went in a plastic bag. Bowls and plates went in one box I already had.

I always pack in garbage bags! But I'm an old fat lesbian so you might not want to take etiquette advice from me.

My wife has a good job that lends her to getting invited to make keynote speeches. I went with her to a conference at a fancy hotel once and she was in the presidential suite. When we arrived the bellhop came down with a brass luggage cart and I had to hand him a garbage bag and say "presidential suite please." He hung the garbage bag on the brass cart and pushed it up there. My wife was humiliated.

The best and free boxes are from the liquor store. They are just the right size, not to large or small, and they are always very sturdy. How are you moving books in garbage bags anyways?

You can also use those decorative baskets you buy at crafts stores.

I threw out all my kitchen stuff (except for good silverware) last time I moved. It's all bulky, and you can buy decent pots and pans cheap at any thrift shop.

OP, I get it if you're packing bed and bath linens. Or even your own underwear and casual clothes that never see a hanger. Shoes. Medicine cabinet and toiletries. Yeah. OK. moving to the kitchen, maybe you dump boxes of crackers and tea and coffee packages and those small bottles of spices. And honestly, all that stuff should go into your car. In your trunk and backseat. Don't have a car? Rent one. I recommend a Ford Fusion because they have enormous trunks. Now. Dishes, glasses, cutlery, pots and pans, lamps, artwork, etc? All of it needs to be packed properly. In boxes and containers made for that purpose. Movers incur liability. YOu have to pay insurance costs for moving. It is easier to break or damage something in a plastic bag, and even more important it is a lot harder for them to carry. YOu seem silly, OP. Are you still in college? WTF.

[quote] I don't like boxes because those flaps at the top are annoying to deal with. So I used draw string plastic bags.

[quote] Except for free-standing furniture and a few boxes of books, all of the belongings in my house are packed in garbage bags because I couldn't find boxes and bags are easier for me to carry.

Which is it? First you claimed. You “couldn’t find boxes.” Then the you said. You “don’t like boxes.”

Oh sweet Baby Jesus in heaven weeping down on all of us--

You cannot STACK bags. By their very nature, they have no structure that makes them stackable. Once you get a pile going, the slickness of the bag will make them slip and slide and fall over. During the course of driving, they will all slide to the back of the vehicle, so that when the door is rolled up, an avalanche of your crap will fall out and onto the street.

Plus, many of your belongings will be scratched, deformed, and ruined.

Good luck!

If you do run out of boxes, you may wonder if you can pack WITHOUT using a box. It is important to know that most moving companies will require that your belongings are packaged safely, within a box.

As with most moving questions that you may have, always check with your moving company to see what their requirements are.

If items such as linens are packed in garbage bags, your moving company may not care since linens are not breakable items. However, keep in mind that you should want your items to be well-taken care of during your move, if you put clothing into a bag, be aware that bags rip and things fall out and get lost. If you do not want to lose anything, it is best to pack boxes accordingly.

Why do moving companies want your stuff in a box? It is easier to stack boxes in a moving truck and it utilizes the space more efficiently. Boxes are also easier to stack on a dolly in order to move you into your new home much faster than having to carry individual garbage bags, suitcases, or whatever else you have you have thrown your belongings into and not labeled.

Labeled boxes make your move not only more efficient on your mover, but also on you when it comes time to unpack.

Your moving company also does not want to be held responsible if anything breaks. Having everything packed neatly and tightly in boxes will help keep your stuff from getting damaged and the moving company in a better position for not being at fault.

I used clear bags so I could see where things needed to go and I don't care if anything breaks. But yeah, I now regret not using boxes. Thanks for the helpful comments. I will tip extra for the movers' aggravation.

I bet you tipped them well!

I love how OP thinks the movers won’t leave as soon as they see garbage bags instead of boxes.

Unbelievable.

OP, also, keep this in mind... For years and years, your movers will have this conversation--

"Remember that baglady we moved?"

"Holy shit, she was crazy."

[quote]r20 Thanks for the helpful comments. I will tip extra for the movers' aggravation.

This is all just an excuse for harlotry.

Darlin the movers are working for you. Unless they've told you no plastic bags-- use them. You will not be judged, they don't care

You should go to the grocery store at night, ask for boxes, and throw your bags in those boxes before the movers arrive. Your bags created a huge amount of work for the movers. I cannot imagine the "extra" amount you plan to tip is enough to make up for all the extra work. If you don't care whether the stuff gets broken, you might as well throw it away and not move it. You sound really young.

OP is cheap and stupid. He bought a package of trash bags on sale at Walmart and was determined to use every single one as boxes have, you know, flaps!

I bet he gave them $5 more each and is very pleased with his generosity.

[quote] I used clear bags so I could see where things needed to go and I don't care if anything breaks. But yeah, I now regret not using boxes. Thanks for the helpful comments. I will tip extra for the movers' aggravation.

Again:

It is important to know that most moving companies will require that your belongings are packaged safely, within a box.

Be prepared for them to turn around and leave.

The movers wont care. They'll just throw the bags in those large moving carts. As long as you don't care if your stuff gets banged around a bit, OP.

If you hired them, read the contract, hun, it may say boxes only. In which case, just do as someone upthread said, throw the bags (shudder) in the boxes.

I love r11!

I'm surprised that professional movers would agree to moving plastic bags since it would add so much extra work and effort.

They can't use wheeled carts nor stack bags to carry, forcing them to make extra trips back and forth.

Also, whether realistic or not, they probably won't insure against damage if they're not packed in boxes.

what r12 said. just go to the liquor store or any drug store. you can get a shit-ton of clean, sturdy boxes for free.

Liquor store boxes are great for books - small enough to carry, very sturdy.

The last time I moved, I did have some soft stuff in large plastic bags. The movers had a homemade cart on wheels that they filled with all the plastic bags and then pushed it out to the truck.

I was embarrassed by all the bags and commented on the homemade cart. They told me that often times when they move old ladies (not me) that all there was was plastic bags.

I didn't check, but I assumed they rolled the cart onto the truck and had some way of bracing it inside the truck so it would not roll around during transport. But then I had most of my stuff in boxes and the bags I did have did not fill the cart.

I suspect most people have some plastic bags and that movers pile all the bags in the cart and just transport in the cart.

But, if most of your stuff is in bags - I can't imagine they have more than a couple of carts at most.

OP, I just. can't.

Actually, I realize these movers make $40/hour, so boo-hoo if they have to work with plastic bags. And besides, I always tip well.

[quote] Actually, I realize these movers make $40/hour, so boo-hoo if they have to work with plastic bags. And besides, I always tip well.

What is the name of the company

OP, it's been said before, but please save yourself soe trouble and read your fucking contract. Read the rules. Call the company and ask if you can do what your doing. otherwise take those fucking plastic bags and either shove them in boxes or load them in your car and you carry the damned things looking like some homeless Santy Claus. Sheeesh! You're so fucking obtuse I'd like to shake y ou. Nothing would suit me better than to learn the movers showed up and refused to carry your stupid CLEAR plastic bags, (probably some cheap shit that will fall apart when handled) and then will repack them in their own boxes (movers have contingencies) and charge you extra for not following directions. I'm done. No, really.Done.

R39 Has stated her boundaries.

R39 is a troll on my block list.

Bad for your back and the overs and bad for the environment. If you work in an office, there are always Xerox paper boxes (have used them for decades). There are any number of places that sell boxes., which among other things are better for your possessions. If you can afford movers (or someone else is paying), you can afford boxes. You may as well throw out everything as use bags.

[quote] [R39] is a troll on my block list.

Who cares?

I'm not a troll, you're a troll. Good block me. I have much wisdom. Much. So there, shit face.

[quote]Actually, I realize these movers make $40/hour, so boo-hoo if they have to work with plastic bags. And besides, I always tip well.

You do realize that if it takes them longer to move you at $40 per hour, or

...if they cannot stack your stuff in a single trip because plastic bags don't stack well, or

...if the bags rip open and your stuff falls out,

...not to mention that you don't want to piss-off the people who have all your worldly possessions in a truck who may decide to take petty revenge for your being an asshole...

It will cost you more money.

[quote]r35 The last time I moved, I did have some soft stuff in large plastic bags. The movers had a homemade cart on wheels that they filled with all the plastic bags and then pushed it out to the truck.

This wouldn't work so well if you lived on the 4th floor of a walkup.

OP, put the damned bags in a box. You brag about tipping your movers but refuse to spend money on a few boxes? Sheeesh. clear plastic bagws are leaf bags and they fucking split and bust all the damned time.

I want OP put in a plastic bag.

I went out and bought 20 30 gallon plastic tubs with lids. They're stackable and should fit nicely on the dolly. You all shamed me to do the right thing. I spend over $200 but they're better than boxes. My mother is a hoarder so I can pass them on to her after the move.

Good for you OP, I will say that cardboard is recyclable though, but back up plan of giving the tubs to hoarder mom is a good one.

I've moved many times. On one of the last moves, from northern CA to southern CA, the movers arrived and almost visibly jumped for joy. Everything was packed in boxes of matching 3 sizes. That means two smaller boxes fit on one larger, etc. They loaded the truck singing. When your stuff fits in the truck well, it's easier for all. That means it's better for the mover and for you. Not sure they'll like the tubs, but at least tubs are better than bags.

OP, what are you? 12 years old?

I think I just lost two I.Q points by reading this post

[quote]r49 I went out and bought 20 30 gallon plastic tubs with lids. They're stackable and should fit nicely on the dolly. You all shamed me to do the right thing. I spend over $200 but they're better than boxes. My mother is a hoarder so I can pass them on to her after the move.

We are all very proud of you.

[quote] I went out and bought 20 30 gallon plastic tubs with lids. They're stackable and should fit nicely on the dolly. You all shamed me to do the right thing. I spend over $200 but they're better than boxes. My mother is a hoarder so I can pass them on to her after the move.

So you found out they wouldn’t accept your bullshit bags.

Have you ever moved before OP? Movers will give you boxes. They give you ones with rods to hang your clothes from the closet. They go from the closet to the box right back to the new closet. My last move had barcodes on each box which helped ensure all of my things got delivered. Don't expect to be the only household on the truck or that the truck that picks up is the same that will deliver your stuff. A bunch of random plastic bags can easily get lost.

What R17 said. You’re a moron. You’d better tip those movers well because you made their job hell.

I worked as a mover in college and can guarantee that everything in plastic bags that could possibly break would be broken when you went to unpack. So essentially you are paying good money to have someone move garbage for you. Save yourself time and money and throw it away now.

If they handle plastic bags like the trash pick up people do, expect many breakables.

OP can't be for real. This is too stupid to even be an EST (elaborate scenario thread/troll). It's more like an SST (stupid scenario troll).

[quote] Actually, I realize these movers make $40/hour, so boo-hoo if they have to work with plastic bags.

Movers don't make 40$ an hour, OP. Maybe that's what the company charges but the guys doing the actual work aren't making that. Clearly, you don't understand how business and overhead works.

[quote] I went out and bought 20 30 gallon plastic tubs with lids.

Why do you hate the planet so much, OP?

DL never ceases to astound!

OP I've moved three times in the past ten years, and I can tell you, not only do they want you to use traditional cardboard boxes, they want them taped shut, not tucked. They bring extra boxes and they bring tape with them and they will charge you for all of the extra work.

Oh, and BTW. WTF kind of movers did you hire? Because moving companies always visit the site ahead of time, to speak to the client and determine how much help and how much space they will need on the truck.

They will walk through your space, and determine how many "rooms" they're moving and how much space they will need to fit your stuff in. Will they need a large truck or a medium sized or a small one. Even the movers who rent trucks from U Haul do that.

They will ask a client whether they will be packing themselves or whether they want the movers to pack them. They will even provide boxes for you (but it's cheaper to get them from Home Depot. I think you're bullshitting us.

You can afford to hire movers but can't afford to go to Walmart or Target and buy moving boxes. Damn man, large moving boxes only cost about $1.50 each.

Update: the movers packed my stuff and I drove the uhaul truck. 2 of them worked for 2.5 hours and charged me $250 and I tipped each guy $100. They seemed happy enough.

I really didn't understand the industry preference for boxes, but now I do. Now I get to unload all these bins on my hoarding mother so no waste.

OP you deserve to be shot in the face. Garbage bags moves are the worst thing possible. Only lesbians do that kind of shit. Fuck you OP. I hope all the bags bust on you and you are charged extra for repacking. Then I hope that all your belongings are damaged. You know damn good and well that you can order boxes online and have them delivered but you are such a selfish lazy fuck you are going to do it anyway.

Let me tell you how it's supposed to be done fuck face. Everything and I mean everything is to be put in a box. For your protection as well as a smoother move. It also makes the move go faster and you won't have to pay as much. I hope every garbage bag breaks and everything you own is damaged. I hope some heavy shit falls on your foot and it is broken. I hate you OP. I hope you have a teenage sister who gets pregnant and has to have an abortion and then when she is older and gets married she has a miscarriage and you have to eat the aborted fetus.

Time for evening meds for R65.

R65, even on DL telling someone they "ought to be shot in the face" is something ugly and very MAGAt-sh. Shame on you. That was completely uncalled for. Even for DL.

[quote] I really didn't understand the industry preference for boxes, but now I do.

Saying there is an industry preference for boxes is like saying the dairy industry has a preference for cartons (as opposed to sacks) of milk.