How to Protect Yourself From the Coronavirus While Moving

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on many people's day-to-day lives and long-term plans. Unlike a vacation, however, individuals who had plans of relocating during the summer are unable to just reschedule. To ensure that you and your family are able to stay healthy and till keep the move as smooth as possible, here are a few tips to follow.

Request an Online Estimate

Talk to your moving company about conducting a virtual survey of the contents in your home to provide you with an estimate instead of coming to your home and doing it in person. In addition, although relocation may be considered an essential service, moving services will be unable to move belongings in and out of a senior care or assisted living facility until given direct orders by governing authorities.

Talk About Hygiene Policies with the Moving Contractors

Talk to the moving company to find out if the employees have been screened for the coronavirus and what their specific policies are regarding general hygiene. You want to ensure that these policies—at minimum—consist of using 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer regularly and washing their hands for 20 seconds. In addition, the movers should be wearing masks and gloves to keep from spreading unnecessary germs.

Try to Not Get Family Involved in the Moving Process

While you will want to oversee the move as much as possible, you will want to try to keep as much of the family out of it as you can. This is particularly true if the moving company does not need additional help. If you have at-risk loved ones, such as elderly individuals or those who have respiratory problems, you should have them waiting in a different area as boxes are being loaded and unloaded. In addition, make sure that you are aware of the location of a hospital in your new city in case of an emergency situation.

Keep Hand Sanitizer and Disinfectant on Hand

During each stage of the move, make sure that you have plenty of hand sanitizer with you so that you can keep your hands clean. You should also have some disinfecting wipes so that you can wipe down doorknobs and other surfaces that are touched frequently as the movers are working.

Disinfect After the Move

For safety purposes, you will want to give your new home a good wipe down before you unpack to ensure that you are not exposing your personal belongings to dust, dirt, germs, bacteria, and grime. This is something that you should always do, but it is that much more important now. As you start to unpack your stuff, disinfect all of your belongings and pay close attention to those items that are handled often, like TV remotes and telephones.

If you need to move during the COVID-19 pandemic, contact a moving service in your area and keep the aforementioned tips in mind.