Moving some of the more delicate items in your home can be worrisome for a family, but one area you may not have looked into is the moving of your electronics. Unless you’ve shipped electronics to someone in the past or had electronics shipped to you, you may not have thought about how fragile these items can be and how much protection they should have.

The last thing you need for your upcoming move are broken laptops or printers, or missing cords and pieces when you go to reassemble something at your new home. Take a look at the ways that you can safely pack your electronics so that you can have a worry-free move to Chicago.

How did you receive it originally?

Something to consider first is how you received the electronic originally. If you happened to have saved the original packing materials, you can just repack it into its original box for the best protection. If not, you can use your product manual to get advice on the best way to pack and store the electronics. The product manuals can often be found online. If you don’t have the original box, simply make sure you have all of the essentials. This includes sturdy cartons, paper wrapping such as a newspaper, packing tape, and labels with markers to mark all of your boxes.

Organize cords

You can also stay organized by taking some precautions before taping up the box. While you are packing, use color labels for your cords to make sure you know what goes to what. Your computer or stereo may have several cords involved and it may get confusing trying to remember which goes to which device. Use color coding to know that all orange cords go to one device while all green tags go to another.

Don’t be shy about extra protective materials

It’s more than alright to go overboard on your protective materials. Don’t be shy about getting extra protection such as by adding blankets or moving pads to your electronics for the move. You’ll be glad that you were safe rather than sorry.

Think about the temperature

You may not have realized the importance of temperature when it comes to electronics safety. Computers and TVs are more sensitive to temperature and may fare better in a climate-controlled storage facility. Be sure to find out from the manufacturer if the temperature is a consideration before moving electronics.

Keep track of the inventory

You’ll want to keep track of everything using an inventory. Make sure to write down what is in each box, as well as the components in each box so that you don’t forget. You’ll also be able to see if something is missing at the destination.

Wrap and tape

Lastly, be sure to wrap your electronics with clean paper or linen to prevent dust. You’ll also find it easier to prevent dust from getting to your devices when you use proper packing tape for sealing the box.

You can safely pack and move your electronics by taking extra precautions ahead of time. Use these tips before moving your valuable devices.