Founded in 1890, Hansen Bros. Moving & Storage the parent company of Portabox has successfully weathered many history-changing events including the Great Seattle Fire, WWI, the Spanish Flu of 1918, the Great Depression, WWII, the 2008 recession, and 9/11 among many other public crises. We are taking the current COVID-19 threat very seriously and will promptly adhere to any and all directives from local, state and federal government officials. Hansen Bros. and Portabox have been categorized as an essential industry business (moving & relocation) within the current mandate established by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee.

As essential services, we will maintain normal operations until such time as either company management determines we must close our offices or we are directed to do so by a governmental authority. We are taking extensive precautionary measures including the adoption of all CDC guidelines and the establishment of our own policies intended to minimize health risks for all customers, employees, contractors, vendors, and community stakeholders. We are proud to be able to support the needs of our customers during this crucial time but are prepared to quickly change course as required.

Stay safe together with Hansen Bros. and Portabox

The COVID-19 crisis is fluid and there are many uncertainties and factors outside of our control that may, with little or no advance notice, impact our delivery of moving & storage services. Please be aware the current crisis could potentially result in small inconveniences such as a delayed project start time or significant inconveniences such as the complete rescheduling of services.

Although there are many unknowns to be navigated, you can be certain that Hansen Bros. and Portabox will be timely and transparent in our communications regarding servicing your moving & storage needs, and our professional relocation consultants will work diligently to offer creative solutions in the event your project is impacted by the current health crisis.

Steps We're Taking:

  • Company-wide Implementation of all precautionary measures recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
  • Office staff and crews are being monitored daily for symptoms and/or known exposure by management and asked to go home, contact their healthcare provider, and self-quarantine as directed. Staff that experience symptoms and/or aware of exposure when not at work have been directed to stay home and notify their supervisor.
  • Office staff and crews are receiving daily briefings on precautionary measures and have been directed to follow them on and off the job.
  • Office staff and crews are being instructed to maintain appropriate “social distance” of 6 feet minimum between one another, customers, and all other people.
  • Office staff and crews are being provided with appropriate hand sanitizer and surface disinfecting supplies. They have been directed to disinfect truck cabs and moving equipment between each move to the best of their ability. These supplies will continue to be replenished as we are able, based on availability from retailers.
  • We are limiting visitation to our branch offices. If you wish to purchase moving boxes or supplies, please simply call in your order and we will happily deliver to your vehicle outside.

We are all in this together.  The team at Hansen Bros. and Portabox is proud to continue offering our services in accordance with the necessary precautions outlined above. We are here to make the process of storing belongings seamless & safe for you.

Guide to storing Christmas decorations safely

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No matter if you like to keep your Christmas tree up until February or prefer to take it down as soon as the holidays are over, you will need to find a solution for storing your decorations. If you are storing Christmas decorations in your attic or perhaps a portable self storage West Seattle option, you will need some guidelines on how to store them safely. No one likes to open their decorations the next year only to find them broken – ornaments, Christmas mugs, ceramic figures, all in absolute chaos. You don’t want to ruin the happiness of decorating your home and feeling the holiday spirit. We came up with a couple of tips that will help you with storing and packing.

Ornaments on a Christmas tree
Decorating for the holidays is the best part of winter, but storing Christmas decorations afterward is almost as important

Properly organize your decorations

You may not have had quite this tragic experience unpacking your Christmas decorations, but pretty much all of us have been frustrated by improperly packed Christmas supplies. Several reasons account for this, including decorations’ inherent difficulty to organize and pack. Their fragile nature and wide range of odd shapes make them extremely hard to handle. If you don’t pack your decorations correctly or carefully, you may encounter problems in the future. Here are some steps to follow if you want to organize your decorations like a professional.

  • divide fragile items
  • prepare storage containers storing Christmas decorations
  • untangle strings for easier use
  • throw away what you don’t need
  • separate items by type

Even if you are unsure if something is breakable and fragile, better to be safe than sorry. Decorations made out of glass and ceramics are definitely on the list. Separate them from other items and keep them grouped. You should organize your Christmas decorations into piles based on the type and use they are intended for, as well as their fragility. This way, you will get a very good sense of how many and what kind of boxes and containers you’ll need. Once you have them properly packed, you can use the portable storage Boise offers, and the storage unit will be delivered to your doorstep. This is one of the best ways for storing Christmas decorations safely.

Decoration on Christmas tree
In order to keep your holiday decorations safe and intact, organization is just as important as packing.

Organizing your holiday decorations efficiently has a lot of benefits. Rather than keeping items together, make it easy to find exactly what you need by keeping them separate. By separating them, pick the ones you will no longer use and throw them away, or gift them. We all have a habit of keeping too many decorations anyways. This is the perfect time to declutter your home. Another organizational tip, string lights should not be piled up. Make sure to avoid any tangles on your Christmas lights so they will work for you for years to come. Packing them correctly is better than having your lights wrapped around nothing.

Tips for storing Christmas decorations

This system is for you if you’re as passionate about packing as we are, or just want to make sure you don’t lose anything or break it. Here at PortaBox Storage, we came up with a couple of really good storing tips for your possessions.

Packing and storing Christmas tree

One of the most popular tricks to pack your artificial Christmas tree is shrink-wrapping it. This trick will keep your artificial tree clean throughout all seasons. No matter if you store it in the garage or in on demand storage Seattle has, this hack will protect your tree. You can decorate it next year by just cutting the sides with scissors and fluffing the branches into shape. Another tip, to make bags for your artificial tree’s top, middle, and bottom, use dust sheets. Then you won’t have to worry about them getting flat or dirty all year.

Storing Christmas decorations and ornaments

Red Christmas bulbs
Ornaments and bulbs are very fragile and prone to be broken, so if you want to use them next year, store them properly

There are many ways to store Christmas ornaments, like bulbs or ceramic figures. Use clear gallon bags from your kitchen to keep all your ornaments together, but sorted by color. You’ll have no trouble assessing your stash next year. Keep your ornaments safe during storage with plastic cups leftover from holiday parties. Glue each cup to a piece of cardboard to protect delicate decorations. In a plastic bin, you can stack multiple layers on top of each other. Some people use egg cartons- just use your imagination.

The best way to store string lights

Keep your lights tangle-free by wrapping them in cardboard scraps. You will probably have a lot of cardboard from presents, so this is a great way to use them. The great thing is, if you want to store them safely, you can stack or layer them in a box. In addition to wrapping them around a coat hanger or a cardboard tube, you can also wrap them around a coat hook. If you don’t want to use any of the DIY ideas, you can buy a storage reel.

How to pack fragile decoration

There are many Christmas ornaments that are extremely fragile. When they’re in storage, they may be damaged or broken if they’re not properly packed. If you’re packing them, you’ll want to make sure you do it carefully. You can achieve this by using numerous materials like tissue paper, packing paper, bubble wrap, etc.

If you don’t want to spend extra on packing supplies, storing Christmas decorations can also be a DIY project. You can use old clothes, socks, old curtains, or anything soft that will prevent your ornaments to break. When you pull out your decorations next winter, you don’t want to find little broken pieces or an ornament that has been chipped or cracked. Christmas is a time to celebrate, and you will be at ease knowing that your decorations are safe and waiting for you until next year.

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Locations Served

LYNNWOOD PORTABOX

2902B Lincoln Way Lynnwood, WA, 98087

SEATTLE PORTABOX

10750 Aurora Ave N Suite B Seattle, WA 98133

NEWCASTLE PORTABOX

6868 Coal Creek Pkwy SE Newcastle, WA 98059

BOISE PORTABOX

103 N Curtis Road Boise, ID, 83706