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.

Low-quality packing supplies to avoid using

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When preparing items for storage, one of the most important things that you need to think about is packing your items the right way. And that might seem like an easy task. Still, a lot of people make mistakes in this regard. Especially when it comes to choosing the right type of packing materials. Some do it due to a lack of understanding while others do it to try to lower their storage costs. Nevertheless, whatever the reason for choosing low-quality packing supplies is, the outcome will be the same. The items you stored will not last long, regardless of whether you rent the poorest storage you can find or use the best portable storage containers Seattle. In order to help you avoid this, we have created a list of low-grade packing materials you should avoid using.

Use the most durable boxes you can find

When comes to packing, either for moving or for storage, the first thing that comes to people’s minds is cardboard boxes. However, there are many types of cardboard boxes on the market. Not only when it comes to their shapes, sizes, and purposes but when it comes to durability as well. Of course, the cheapest and most common are single wall boxes. And, as you can imagine, these boxes provide the least protection for your items.

corrugated carton
You would be wise to avoid using single wall boxes if you can.

You can also find double wall boxes that are a bit stronger and, naturally, a bit more expensive. As well as triple wall corrugated carton boxes that are most durable. And can provide the highest level of protection for your valuable belonging.

Unfortunately, triple wall boxes are the most expensive and most difficult to come by. If you can acquire them, great. If not, at least try getting double wall boxes. They will provide your items with at least some level of protection. Unlike single wall cartons that won’t do much when it comes to protecting your stuff from physical harm or poor storage conditions that a lot of storage facilities have trouble with. So, to conclude, make sure that you use more durable boxes for your stuff and use reliable movers if you are moving or find quality Mill Creek self storage solutions.

Avoid used boxes that you can find online

Another thing that is becoming popular these days, when it comes to the usage of low-quality packing supplies is utilizing free moving boxes. The internet is full of advice on how you can save money by finding free cardboard boxes to pack your stuff.  You can find boxes that someone else used before you on many websites. These boxes might have been of good quality once. However, they are most of the time already damaged and weakened by their previous users, which, of course, can put your items in danger as they can easily tear up under pressure caused by the weight of your items.

Another factor that you need to think about when using these boxes, especially for storage, is that those cartons usually have small puncture holes through which moisture, dust, and pests can easily crawl in. And this can damage your stuff even if you are using quality short term storage Seattle services.

Do not use free boxes that you can find in grocery stores

used boxes
Avoid boxes from grocery stores

One more dangerous trend that many websites dealing with moving and storage propagate is using free cardboard boxes that are not intended for storing and packing items during a move or storing but for transporting different kinds of goods. You can find much advice on how you can visit your local grocery store, bookstore, or liquor store and ask them to give you the boxes in which the goods were delivered to them. And while most of these stores will be more than happy to hand over these cartons, we urge you not to risk it.

Those cartons are usually of poor quality and are more than beat up to serve you any real purpose. Of course, if your main goal is to lower your moving or storage costs in any way possible, you can take your chances with such poor-quality packing solutions. However, do not expect that your items will not suffer harm or damage, except in cases where you are able to secure top-quality moving and storage services Seattle.

Regular trash bags are considered to be very low-quality packing supplies

trash bags
Trash bags are for trash

You will see a lot of people who use standard trash bags for packing their stuff as well. Be aware, though, that these bags are not intended for protecting your items. These bags are made for trash. They will easily snap under heavyweight, as you probably already experienced while trying to carry it full to the trash bin. If you want to make sure that your items are protected from moisture, use plastic wraps that are made for packing. Or heavy-duty bags instead of simple trash bags.

Do not use packing peanuts for padding

Another common packing material that you will often see in many packing guides is packing peanuts. They might seem like a good option for providing padding and filling empty voids in your boxes. However, they are difficult to reuse and recycle. Additionally, they create dust and microparticles that are dangerous for the environment as well as your items. Instead, use packing paper or pieces of cloth to stop your items from moving while inside boxes. And providing extra padding.

Invest in quality packing supplies – it is not that expensive at all

As you can see, there are many low-quality packing supplies that you easily end up using if you are not careful. Be smart. You can easily find quality packing materials Seattle can offer at low prices. And there is no real need for you to risk the well-being of your items by trying to find alternatives when it comes to packing materials.

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