When packing for a move, sooner or later you’ll get to packing a few cables here and there within the house. In most cases, those cables will be power cords of electronic devices and electrical household appliances but you’ll also get to packing connection cables of various peripheral devices, and extension cords as well. Let’s not forget about packing charging cables of smartphones, tablets, and laptops that in theory, serve as power cables too.
Packing cables for a move looks like a pretty straightforward task that can easily prove to be one of the easiest things you do during the packing process. However, you shouldn’t underestimate it because while it seems like a no-brainer, it does hide a few risks (see below) that you’d rather not take. After all, chances are that you’ll have plenty of other things to worry about during a house move.
Read on to learn the best way to pack cable for moving without running any risks of damage to the cords themselves or even to the devices they belong to.
Risks when packing cables for moving
Whether you realize it or not, there are three major risks when packing power cords, charging cables, and communication cables during a house move:
- Cable damage. Packing cables improperly can lead to damage (breakage) to the wires inside the cords due to the extra pressure applied when they are being folded, coiled, and wrapped for transport.
- Wasted time. You may lose a crazy amount of time after the move while trying to figure out which cable goes where and attempting to untangle an unattractive mess of cables. That wasted time can be easily prevented by labeling properly the cables when unhooking the device they are attached to and packing those cables correctly. Read on to find out how to do it.
- Device damage. Hooking up the wrong cables after the move could potentially damage the electronic equipment they belong to. In most cases, the cords will be easily identifiable and their ends should only fit the electronic piece they belong to, but you shouldn’t rely on that as it’s not always the case. There are several things you can do to avoid that major risk, so see below for more information.
How to organize cables when packing for a move
Before you can start packing up any cables, you’re going to have to sort out those cords first. In fact, organizing the cables before packing them for a move won’t take much of your time but it can really save you loads of time and potential troubles when you’re hooking up your electronic equipment and electric appliances in the new home.
Take photos
Take photos of the way your electronic devices are wired up on the back before disconnecting the cables. As you know, a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s especially true when various cables go in and out of various cable sockets. You will use those reference photos when you’re re-connecting those cords in the new place.
Remember that no matter how confident you are in your technical skills, mistakes are never out of the question, especially during an extremely stressful event such as a house move.
Label the cables
Label the cables so that you know which cables belong to which device and the correct cable sockets they should be plugged into. Here’s how to do it:
- PURCHASE small colored stickers and white stickers that are a bit larger in size;
- PLACE a colored sticker on the end of a cable that is hooked into a device;
- PUT a sticker of the same color next to the corresponding cable socket BEFORE pulling out the cable from the electronic equipment;
- ATTACH a white sticker to a power cord you just unplugged and write on it the device that cable powers, e.g. PC, TV, Blu-ray player, etc. If a cable connects two devices, then write down on the sticker the names of those two devices, e.g. TV/Blu-ray.
See also: How to pack electronics when moving
How to pack cables for moving
The correct way to pack cables for moving will depend primarily on whether the cords are fixed, detachable, or retractable.
We’ll take a closer look at each scenario and give you some tips on how to pack those cords safely so that they are not damaged during the haul and do not cause bad accidents on Moving day – usually in the case of cables that are fixed to the device or appliance.
How to pack fixed cords for moving
Most small kitchen appliances (microwave ovens, toasters, blenders, coffee makers, juicers, food processors, etc.) come with fixed power cords that cannot be removed. The same is true for bigger electric appliances such as a refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher, cooking stove – their power cables are not detachable in any way.
The power supply cable of your TV will also be fixed to the unit.
Here’s how to pack fixed cables for moving:
- UNPLUG the power cable from the wall socket to cut the power supply to the unit;
- DO NOT WRAP the power cord around the unit because that may result in damaged cable – pinched, creased, or split. Instead,
- FOLD IT UP carefully in an elongated loop the way brand new cords are folded when you take an appliance out of its original box right after purchasing it;
- USE a couple of rubber bands to secure the loop and prevent the cable from unfolding during transport;
- WRAP the metal prongs of the plug in a piece of bubble wrap, then use tape to secure the small bundle;
- WRAP the cable loop in soft packing paper, then secure it with tape;
- MAKE SURE the looped-up cord does not get crushed under the appliance when the latter is packed into a cardboard box of the right size.
Good info: Packing paper vs. Bubble wrap
How to pack detachable cords for moving
Before you pack up your electronic devices, you should remove all detachable cables and wires from those units. Why? That safety measure will help prevent any damage to the delicate cable connectors and tips during the move. If a unit is transported with its removable cables attached to it, then the risk of damage to both the cords and the device is much greater if the unit gets squeezed or pushed around during the haul.
Most often, detachable cords will be data cables that enable the communication between the main unit and a number of peripheral devices: for example, TVs with media players and sound systems and desktop computers with monitors, printers, scanners, and speakers, and so on.
Your laptop AC adapter is a detachable cord as well.
Here’s how to pack fixed cables for moving:
- ALWAYS DETACH cords that can be detached safely. This way, you’ll prevent any sudden pressure to damage the cable at the point of contact with the unit.
- FOLD the detached cords carefully in a loop without pressing them too hard to avoid tearing the wires inside.
- USE elastic rubber bands to keep the cable loops in shape without adding too much stress on them.
- PLACE the bundled cables into Ziploc bags (sandwich bags) to keep them secure.
- CHECK to see whether those cables have been pre-labeled. If not, then label the plastic bags by writing down the two devices a cable connects – e.g. PC/printer.
- SEAL the plastic bag and pack the cables either together with one of the main units it connects or into a separate box that’ll contain other peripheral cables as well.
Read also: How to pack a computer for moving
How to pack retractable cords for moving
Some units may have retractable cords – for example, an iron. The good news is that retractable power cables are easy to pack for moving – you only need to do the following three steps:
- RETRACT the cord fully;
- SECURE the plug with its metal prongs into the special cable storage compartment. If there’s no such storage area, then wrap the plug with bubble wrap and secure it with tape.
- USE a few pieces of painter’s tape to secure the protected plug to the device.
Must-read info: Should you hire professional packers?
