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 storing workout equipment

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Workout equipment is not something that should be stored permanently. However, on certain occasions, you might need to store your equipment for a certain amount of time.  When you are moving, for example, or remodeling your home. Now, even though barbells, dumbbells, and treadmills are made for building strength and resilience, they are delicate and expensive pieces of equipment that should be properly taken care of. And one of the situations in which they can be especially vulnerable is when they are improperly stored. Properly storing workout equipment is not hard, though. All you need to do is prepare your gear, pack it and find a proper self storage Seattle facility that can safeguard your workout equipment.

What type of equipment do you have to store?

machines in a gym
Regardless of the type of equipment or exercise machine you want to store, you will have to watch out for the same things.

When we talk about working out, we all immediately think about weights, treadmills, maybe an elliptical machine, or an indoor exercise bike. However, there are hundreds of different pieces of equipment that can be used for an abundance of different types of workouts. Still, all those items are similar in construction materials and have similar properties. Therefore, you can use these instructions regardless of the type of equipment you use.

Things you will have to think about when preparing your workout equipment for storage

As we already mentioned, you have to focus on three things when you are storing workout equipment:

Generally, your main focus will be to protect your items from moisture. Of course, there are other things that can damage your workout equipment. It can suffer from physical damage, dirt, even excessive heat. However, more than 50% of everything related to working out is made from iron and other types of metal. And we all know what happens with metal in wet environments. Therefore, moisture is the biggest enemy here and the thing you need to watch out for the most.

Start by finding a proper storage space

Since finding proper storage space is the most time-consuming part of this process, you should deal with it first. Maybe it turns out that your friend has an empty garage that you can use for the time you need. Or you may find that renting self storage Shoreline containers that are kept in temperature-controlled conditions is the best way to go. If you have to rent a storage unit, it can happen that you need a lot of time to find one that is suitable for storing workout equipment. Simply because you are looking for a clean, dry, temperature-controlled, and safe place – and this is not always easy to find, as simple as it might appear.

All you need to do is to use Google and type Seattle storage companies near me. You will get a ton of available storage facilities in your vicinity. Pick a few that look promising and prepare yourself to pay them a visit.

How to pick a good storage facility?

storage units
You need to find a clean, climate-controlled, and safe storage

Every storage company will look great online. Unfortunately, that is usually far from the truth. That is why, in order to find a perfect company that can store exercise equipment properly, you will have to do some footwork. Your goal is to find a company that is clean, has a temperature-controlled facility, has no problems with moisture, has a security system, and provides storage services Seattle that you need.

When it comes to services, you need to make sure that this company offers short-term or long-term services (depending on your needs), and can provide you with enough storage space to accompany your entire workout inventory.

Clean and disassemble your equipment

Once you find a perfect place for storing your exercise equipment, you can slowly start with preparation. Your first assignment is to clean your items thoroughly. Hopefully, you are doing that regularly after a workout. But still, germs and bacteria can easily multiply even if you are taking good care of hygiene. That is why the first thing to do is to clean and sanitize your items. While you are sanitizing, you will probably have to disassemble certain items or parts so you can reach deeper. If you were doing that, leave it disassembled. Because that is what you will have to do after cleaning nevertheless.

Prepare these packing materials

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Make sure that you use a lot of bubble wrap

Clean and disassembled workout equipment is ready for packing. However, you need to have proper packing materials in order to this right. For this you will need:

  • Cardboard boxes
  • Plastic bags
  • Bubble wrap
  • Cloth
  • Packing tape

Of course, since you will be packing very heavy items, you need to make sure that you use quality packing materials. This is no time for used boxes or newspapers. Visit a local store or ask your storage company whether they can provide you with proper packaging.

Packing workout equipment for storage

When packing, your goal is to make your packages waterproof. Every piece needs to be individually wrapped in bubble plastic while making sure that it stays air-tight and resistant to moisture. In certain conditions though, such packages could be prone to condensation. Especially in places where there will be significant temperature oscillations. If you found a climate-controlled storage facility then you do not have to worry about this too much. If not, make sure that you wrap your items with some cloth before you wrap them with bubble plastic. Use duct tape to make sure everything stays in place. And your items are good to go.

It doesn’t take much to properly store workout equipment

As you can see storing workout equipment is not a difficult thing. Since you are working out and you are in good shape you will have not problems with investing a little effort into protecting the same items that got you in that shape in the first place.

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