For better or worse (understand worse), heavy lifting will always remain an inseparable part of the house moving process.
The thing is that even if you’ve made up your mind NOT to move any heavyweight furniture pieces and household appliances to the new home, you’re still going to have to lift heavy boxes (correctly!) and carry those cardboard containers out of your home and all the way to the moving vehicle to be loaded for transport.
When using the services of a moving company, you won’t have to worry about how to correctly lift heavy objects simply because the moving professionals will take care of it all. After all, that’s exactly why you’re paying the movers, right?
However, when you’re moving without using professional moving services, it’s critical that you know how to lift boxes correctly and safely in order to prevent possible injuries – most often, a back injury of some sort due to using the wrong way to lift heavy objects.
Stay SAFE by knowing how to lift moving boxes SAFELY.
Don’t make boxes too heavy
The very first advice on how to properly lift boxes is a safety measure meant to keep you protected on the day of the move: never make moving boxes too heavy to lift and carry.
As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t make a cardboard box heavier than about 40 pounds. If a box gets heavier than that reasonable safety limit, the risk of the container breaking under its own weight becomes greater (a broken box equals likely damage to whatever’s inside it) and the risk of sustaining some kind of a personal injury suddenly increases as well.
No, you’re not expected to weigh each and every box you’ve packed to make sure it falls within the 40-pound limit. Instead, you can try to lift it slightly off the ground to gauge its approximate weight.
Are you able to lift the box off the floor fairly easily and comfortably, without straining yourself too much?
If yes, then the task of lifting and carrying boxes on the day of the move should go both damage-free and accident-free.
Read also: PACKING TIPS
Lift heavy boxes together with a helper
It’s important to remember that lifting and carrying heavy boxes is not something that you’re recommended to do on your own without any assistance of any kind. Even if you keep your moving boxes manageable in terms of weight, it’s the repetitiveness of the task (the average number of cardboard boxes needed for a move is approximately 60) that will tire you too quickly when you’re playing it solo. And once you get tired, each subsequent box will seem much heavier than it is in reality.
How many boxes do you need for a move?
Ask at least one reliable friend of yours to give you a hand with lifting boxes and carrying them to the moving vehicle. Don’t underestimate the small and medium-sized moving boxes because they are the ones that are supposed to be the heaviest of them all.
One of the major packing rules states that light and voluminous items should be packed in large boxes while heavier things (books, for example) should go into small to medium containers.
Good advice: How to get friends to help you move
Use a moving dolly
There isn’t a single reason why you shouldn’t use a moving dolly to wheel your boxes out of your home – quickly and safely.
Picking up and carrying your packed boxes on hand, one by one, is a back-breaking task, especially when you’re taking too many items with you and have packed too many boxes as a result.
The appliance dolly – the L-shaped lever with two wheels and an upright handle – is ideal for moving boxes because of 1) its heavy-duty ledge that serves as a lifting mechanism, and 2) the possibility to stack cardboard boxes vertically thanks to the additional support provided by the metal frame of the dolly, and the straps.
- STACK several (3-4) heavy boxes one on top of the other. Keep the heaviest one on the bottom.
- GET the ledge of the appliance dolly underneath the first box in the stack – the one in contact with the floor. Make sure the upright frame of the dolly touches all sides of the stacked boxes.
- PULL back the dolly to balance the load on its two rubber wheels. Have a helper support the boxes until they rest firmly onto the appliance dolly.
- USE the straps of the moving dolly to secure the cardboard boxes.
See also: How to use a moving dolly like a pro
Bend your knees while keeping your back straight
Lifting boxes off the ground should not be underestimated – it’s a highly repetitive physically-demanding action that can become dangerous if not done properly. Therefore, it’s vital that you use the proper lifting techniques to prevent any types of injuries and possible damage to the items packed inside those moving boxes.
In order to lift boxes correctly, the most important principle is to use the strongest muscles in the human body – the leg muscles. That’s right – your lower limbs should act like a powerful lifting mechanism that will reduce the pressure from the back muscles and will keep you from a bad back injury.
- KEEP your back straight at all times. NEVER bend or arch your back because you do not want to strain your weak back muscles.
- BEND your knees until you squat down next to the box you wish to lift, then use your leg muscles to get back up once you’ve taken hold of the cardboard container. Have your upper back straight during the entire box lifting operation – this can’t possibly be stressed enough.
Even when using the right lifting techniques, you should be careful not to lift more than you can handle. If you feel like a box is too heavy for you, just leave it be and either get a helper to give you a hand, or use a moving dolly to lift it up and transport it.
Must-read: 10 Proper lifting techniques
Ensure a good grip
Knowing how to lift heavy objects during your move will increase the overall house moving efficiency and will help you stay out of trouble. Using the strong muscles of your legs is critical but you should also make sure you have a good grip on each box before you lift it up in the air.
- WEAR high-quality work gloves to improve the grip on the boxes and keep your hands protected throughout the move.
- LOOK for and use any box handles or side openings to ensure a firm grip on the cardboard containers. If none are available, tuck your fingers underneath the box bottom to hold it tight. Always use both your hands at the same time when lifting a box off the ground.
No matter how careful and well-prepared you are, there’s always a certain amount of risk of bad injuries when lifting heavy objects during a move – heavy items such as packed boxes. So, don’t risk your health – do yourself a favor and hire experienced packers and movers to handle all the heavy lifting like true professionals.
Good to know: Should you hire professional packers?
