Keeping It Organized: How to Not Lose Sight of Small Things When Moving

Keeping It Organized: How to Not Lose Sight of Small Things When Moving

22 May 2018
 Categories: , Blog


Bet you cannot guess what is lost most often during a move? No, it is not your pet gerbil, but you are sort of close. Really anything small can become lost in the shuffle of moving. That actually happens more than you know. You can lose everything from your favorite hair barrette to your best socket wrench.

So, where does it all go? Usually, small things get lost because they land in places you would not expect, or they are left behind by accident. If you want to make sure everything stays together and is moved simultaneously, you need to keep it all organized.

Here is how a moving company would suggest you handle it.

A Big Box of Small Things

You have a junk drawer, right? Most people do. It is that catch-all drawer in your kitchen where you toss tools, pins, hardware, scissors, and objects that you know you are supposed to keep but you do not know why or what for. This is the same concept you will apply for all small objects before you move.

  1. Get a really big plastic tote, preferably a clear one so that you can see inside it.
  2. Every small item that is the size of a hammer or smaller you toss into this bin, unless the item already has its own storage (e.g., a toolbox for all the tools and the tools all fit).
  3. Everything from Barbie doll shoes to clothespins to needlepoint needles should be in this bin. 

Now label the bin "Small Odds and Ends" or "Mini-Misc," or something to that effect. Leave this tote off of the moving truck until the very end. That way, anything else you find that is small can still be tossed into this bin.

Multiple Small Bins Inside a Big Tote

For a variation on the above tip, try purchasing several shoebox-sized clear totes with lids. Label each and every one of these for specific objects (e.g., sewing supplies, doll accessories, wooden toy trains, toy cars, etc.). Then fill these bins as you are packing up the rest of the house.

As each smaller bin is filled and closed, place it inside the larger clear tote. Now you are not only placing all of the small and easily misplaced items in a clear, large tote, but you are also organizing it perfectly as you go. This will help when your son wants a specific toy car or your daughter wants something for her doll and you do not want to unpack everything to get it.

​Contact a local moving company, such as Wheaton World Wide Moving, for more moving tips.