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.

Tips for safely storing old electronics

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The speed at which technological advancements are made nowadays is truly amazing. You could buy a gadget only for it to become substituted by a newer model in a matter of months. So once you buy too many gadgets, it’s safe to assume that you will decide to store some of them. Since the last thing you want is to damage your items that were worth a lot of money, you’ll need to learn everything there is to know about safe storage. And we here at PortaBox Storage Seattle will be more than happy to provide you with some essential tips for safely storing old electronics.

First things first – find an appropriate storage unit

Everett self-storage PortaBox container
Don’t hesitate to invest some time in the process of finding reliable storage.

There is nothing that’s more important than putting your items in a safe and clean storage unit. You could opt for improvised storage in case you have plenty of extra space in your home. However, a majority of people will decide to go out and find the best Bellevue self storage units around. You should know that not every storage unit will do the trick. Electronics are a group of items that are best kept inside temperature-controlled storage. Truth be told, these units do come at a slightly steeper price than regular self storage. Then again, every penny you spend on it will be well worth it.

So don’t hesitate to shop around for reliable residential or business storage Seattle (depending on your needs). The good news is that storage is a multi-billion dollar industry, meaning you have plenty of different providers at your disposal. Your job is finding the one with the best services and the most competitive prices.

Safely storing old electronics begins with you reading the manuals

We hope that you kept the owner’s manuals close by because this is the moment when you will need them. Every piece of electronic equipment comes with an owner’s manual. This manual includes specific instructions that tell you how to handle your item in many different situations.

Moreover, these instructions come from the manufacturer, so it’s safe to say that you will be getting instructions from someone who knows how the item works the best. If you are lucky, the owner’s manual will also include instructions related to long-term and short term storage Seattle or, more precisely, how to put the item in storage so that it remains completely safe.

There is no need for panic in case you accidentally threw away the manuals. We live in a digital age where you can find everything you need to know online. Most manuals can be found in PDF format on the manufacturer’s or retailer’s websites. Additionally, we here at PortaBox Storage have plenty of experience with storing all types of electronics, making us the perfect entity for distributing tips on this topic.

Take out all the batteries before placing old electronics in a box

Batteries to take out in order to safely store old electronics.
Whether or not you throw away the batteries mostly depend on whether they were made for the item.

It doesn’t matter which pieces of electronics you are about to store – almost all of them need batteries. And most of the time, they need alkaline batteries which will leak after a certain time. You don’t need us to tell you how much damage and corrosion to the inside of the device even a small leak can cause. That’s why the first step is always removing the batteries out of your laptops, mobile phones, cd players, etc.

However, you don’t want to throw away these batteries. If they were made specifically for the item, then you need to give them special care and attention during the process of storing old electronics in a safe manner. Place them in a plastic bag that you will keep in a safe place, as well. Preserve your items and you won’t have to invest in new batteries once you take the items out of storage. However, take notice that self storage facilities don’t accept batteries or anything even remotely harmful or dangerous. So, you will need to find a safe place at home to store those away.

Clean your electronics before placing them in safe storage

How long your electronics will last mostly depends on how much care you give them while getting them ready for storage. Unfortunately for you, the process of safely storing old electronics does require some time on your part. And at least a portion of that time should be spent on cleaning the items properly. It’s of special importance that you dust your old electronics before wrapping them in any type of protective packaging.

In case you aren’t familiar with all the dangers of storing dusty electronics, know that dust particles can harm lenses in devices, cause damage to circuitry, and attract bugs and critters. If you want to avoid all of these dangers, then get your electronic devices clean and ready for storage.

Gear up in order to safely store old electronics

A desk full of electronic devices.
Keep your electronics nice and safe by using plenty of protective packaging.

You went out of your way to find the best storage solutions in your area. You read the manuals, cleaned your electronics, and got everything ready for storage. Now’s the time for you to add the finishing touches and that’s wrapping all of your pieces in protective packaging. What we advise you to do is get plenty of blister packs which will provide perfect protection for your electronic pieces. And don’t be afraid to use a double layer of protective packaging – you can never be too safe.

Don’t overstuff your boxes

You are probably feeling quite relieved now that all of your items are ready to be placed in a box. And you should be, as you got most of the work out of the way. But you still have to make sure that you place the items inside the boxes in such a way that you provide them with optimal chances of survival inside a storage unit.

What you don’t want to do is to overstuff your boxes. Too many devices inside one container can cause the container to break/tear over time, leaving your items exposed to the outside elements. It’s much better to invest in high-quality containers and have some peace of mind. Peace is certainly what you will feel once you are sure that you were successful in safely storing old electronics.

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