How to Unpack After Moving Like the Pros

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Unpacking should be the best part of the entire moving process. No, really!

You’ve already coordinated all of the logistics of renting a truck and hiring Helpers, you’ve packed everything up, moved, and unloaded your rental truck. Now all that’s left to do is go through all your boxes and get everything in its place so you can enjoy your new home!

So why do some people still dread unpacking? Well, imagine sitting amongst a mountain of boxes with no clue what’s inside any of them or where everything will go. When you put it like that it does sound pretty awful! But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some tips on how to make the process a lot easier than you might be dreading.

First Things First: Pack Better To Make Unpacking Easier

Why is unpacking after moving so hard? Well, we all know the quote, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” If you’re not prepared, it won’t go well. Proper planning before your move is the most important step to a smooth unpacking experience

It turns out, there’s much more to packing than randomly throwing items into boxes and calling it a day. You actually can plan the unpacking process to make it easier.

 

“…[H]ow long does it take to unpack after moving? If you work diligently, you can unpack completely within a few days to a week, depending on how much stuff you have”

 

How do you make unpacking after a move easier? Here are some things you should do before moving day to prepare and make your unpacking process as smooth as possible.

1. Take photos Before You Start Packing

Before you touch anything, we want you to take out your phone and have a little home photo shoot. 

Here are things you especially need photos of:

  • Bookshelves
  • The back of your TV
  • Kitchen drawers
  • Desk area
  • Toolshed

We urge you to snap pics of the areas in your home that you love! We know all too well how long it can take to get a shelfie looking just the way you want it. By snapping some reference pics now, you’ll be able to replicate that look in your new home in no time.

2. Create a Number and Color-Coded System for Your Boxes

Organization is the key to how to unpack after moving. After the photo shoot, gather all your packing supplies (boxes, paper, packing tape, washi tape, scissors, markers, etc.) and start packing boxes like a pro.

Try to pack items only from one to two rooms inside every box. This will make your life much easier when it’s time to unpack later.

Got a bunch of stuff on shelves? Create a numbered system to remember where everything goes. That way it’s easier to get them unpacked and into their new permanent spots.

And we can’t forget our favorite tip of all — our color-coded box system using washi tape! You can get the full, step-by-step rundown from this post, but the short version is that you need to separate your boxes by the room, marked with bright washi tape so your movers know exactly where to deliver them. If you need an alternative, you can use colored masking tape or colored markers.

3. Make It Much Easier to Unpack Essentials

There are 7 items you’ll want to have on hand for moving day, but we also think you should create a box of moving day essentials.

Imagine the first night in your new home when you’re tearing open boxes trying to find pajamas, your toothbrush, and your medication for the night. Sounds like a disaster.

To prevent that nightmare scenario, this is what should go in your “Moving Day Box” so you don’t have to tear through your moving truck:

  • A change of clothes
  • Utensils
  • Toiletries
  • Prescriptions
  • Phone charger
  • Shower curtain and rod
  • Towels
  • Toilet paper
  • Bedding

Be sure to label this box and keep it near you!

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Clean The 5 Most Important Things

We know you have approximately 10,000 things to do to get your rental deposit back. But trust us, now is the time to give your new place a thorough cleaning because it’s empty. You simply put items in place rather than cleaning and unpacking at the same time. Want to know the five most essential things to clean?

  • Kitchen cabinets
  • The Refrigerator (and refrigerator fan)
  • Bathtub and any tub jets
  • Outside (and Inside) the stove
  • Washing machine

Unpacking Tips

You’ve done the prep work (even the cleaning, you rockstar, you!), and now it’s time to think about how to unpack after moving. Even if you hired help for your unloading (great call), you can still do things to make unpacking time a little easier.

1. Don’t Unpack in a Dirty Room

We know you’ve got thousands of things to do to get your rental deposit back at your last home. But trust us, now is the time to give your new place a thorough cleaning because it’s empty. Want to know the five most essential things to clean?

  • Kitchen cabinets
  • The refrigerator (and refrigerator fan)
  • Bathtub and any tub jets
  • Oven and stove
  • Washing machine

2. Place Your Boxes in Rooms by Color

It may sound easier to just have your Helpers pile up all of the boxes in one spot of your new place, but unpacking will be a lot easier if you follow your color-coded box system and have your unpacking help place each box in the correct room. If you followed our washi tape tip, you should have each door in your new place marked so the Helpers can easily drop the box in the right spot!

Pro Tip: Get your “Moving Day Essentials Box” opened right away so you have everything you need to make it through the next day or two.

3. Use Washi Tape to Figure Out Your Furniture Layout

As long as your movers are there, have them get your furniture in the spot where you want it! We love the idea of using painter’s tape to mark out the layout of furniture right on the floor.

Before you move (or even while your movers are bringing things in and out), go around your place and put tape on the ground to outline your furniture. That way, the movers will know exactly which wall to put your bed on and where that long dresser goes. You can always move things later on, but getting items in the correct space will make your life a lot easier in the coming days.

4. Unpack Only One Room at a Time

While unpacking, it’s easy to feel like you’re climbing an endless mountain. But instead of hopping from space to space, we suggest tackling your rooms in order of importance. Don’t move onto another space until the one you’re on is done, and keep a steady pace. Checking rooms off your list will be satisfying and motivating. 

The kitchen, bedrooms, and kids’ rooms should be high on the priority list, while the guest room and garage may not need TLC right away. Also, make sure you have furniture where you can sit and/or eat and appliances set up before you get too carried away going through boxes.

Did you remember to clean your counters? You’ll also want to have spots to put your items as you whip them out of the boxes, so having counter space, cabinets, shelves, and dressers ready to go is a must!

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5. Unpack the Bathrooms and Bedrooms First

Here’s a vital unpacking tip: Moving day will be exhausting, so if you’re going to unpack anything immediately, make sure it’s your bed and bedding. Once your movers get the mattress into place, find the sheets, comforter, and pillow and make your bed. If you have kids, do theirs too. Having a comfy spot to sleep at the end of a long day will feel amazing!

Unpack your bathroom boxes, too. That way you’ll have all of the toiletries and medications on hand for the night and morning. A fresh shower after a long day of moving will be heavenly, trust us!

6. Save the Kitchen for Tomorrow

When strategizing how to unpack after moving, remember that the kitchen is the most time-intensive room to unpack, due to the amount of tiny and heavy items, so don’t unpack it on moving day.

You might want to take a few appliances out (like the coffee maker or blender if you’re into smoothies for breakfast), and enough dishware to eat a few meals, but the rest of it can be saved until the morning after your moving day. 

7. Avoid Distractions

A calico cat sits in a half-unpacked cardboard box

While a playlist of music or a podcast to keep you energized as you unpack might be a good idea, you probably shouldn’t get your TV set up and turned on right away. You may find yourself sitting on the couch to watch a movie instead of unpacking. 

But are there other distractions to watch out for besides the temptation of entertainment? A few! You’ll want to make a plan for your pets when you’re moving and unpacking, so they don’t get underfoot, and the same goes for kids. Have a plan to keep them occupied or if you can, drop them off at grandma’s house so you have uninterrupted time to unpack. 

So how long does it take to unpack after moving? If you work diligently, you can unpack completely within a few days to a week, depending on how much stuff you have. It’s all about keeping the distractions to a minimum so you can devote enough hours to get your house in tip-top shape.

8. Break Down Boxes as You Go, in Real Time

As you figure out how to unpack after moving, it may be easy to just throw empty ones in a big corner. But trust us, that pile will quickly get out of control and soon you won’t be able to walk around your house without an empty box tumbling down on you. 

 

“…you need to separate your boxes by the room, marked with bright washi tape so your movers know exactly where to deliver them. If you need an alternative, you can use colored masking tape or colored markers.”

 

Take one box and make it the designated paper box. As you unpack boxes, crumple up the packing paper and shove it into that box. Then, be sure to break down boxes as you unpack. You’ll want to have a utility knife on hand so you can do this quickly.

9. Don’t Unpack More Than You Have To

There may be some boxes that don’t actually need to be unpacked (we’re looking at you, Christmas decorations!). Make a large pile of items that may be heading to storage or the garage. Then be sure to get those items to that space asap to clear out some space.

What To Do After Unpacking

You’ve made it! You survived moving day and every box in your place is unpacked. You should be feeling pretty darn good about yourself right about now, but the fun isn’t over just yet. There are still a couple important things needed before you can truly settle in.

First, let’s deal with those leftover boxes. If you’ll be moving again soon, then you should hang onto some of the boxes that are still in good condition. Organize your boxes and find a spot to neatly tuck them away. If not, consider turning them into fun projects — like the following:

But if crafting isn’t your thing, this searchable database will let you know the closest place to recycle anything (including moving boxes!). Just be sure to set a deadline for yourself to get those moving boxes out of your new place, so they don’t stay piled in the garage forever.

Similar to the unpacking process, a helpful approach is to focus on one room at a time. Spend half an hour or so every day on small organizational tasks, like getting your desk set up in your home office, organizing the bookshelves to your preference, or hanging up posters and artwork. Breaking it up makes the process manageable and feel less overwhelming. 


If you’re still not thrilled at the thought of doing all of this yourself, no worries. Some movers also offer packing and unpacking help for an extra fee. But hopefully you’re feeling a lot less dreadful and considerably more confident with all these unpacking tips in mind.

How Often Should You Clean These 20 Household Items?

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Cleaning the house is one of those things that most people just don’t like to do. Getting out the rubber gloves, smelling all of the chemicals and spot cleaning with a toothbrush isn’t exactly the most appealing activity.

However, different areas in your house can be a breeding ground for bacteria, mold and fungus. Places you didn’t know were hazardous like your kitchen and bathroom sinks can become some of the most disgusting places.

So how often, exactly, should you clean each area of the home? We’ve got your answers!

 

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How Often Should You Clean Your Living Room

Living Rooms

Your living rooms are naturally some of the cleanest parts of the home. However, we can track dirt in or kids and pets can make spills, so it’s best to keep up with this area fairly often. Here’s how often you should clean things in your living room.

Carpet

Once a week: Your carpet is a place where dust, dirt and allergens tend to hide. Giving your floors a weekly clean with a good-quality vacuum cleaner is super important. In places with constant foot traffic, you may want to vacuum more than once a week.

Protip: If you need to spot clean a stain, you can mix a teaspoon of liquid dish detergent with a quart of warm water and ¼ teaspoon of white vinegar. Apply this mixture on the spot and then rinse and blot dry!

Couch

Once every two weeks: Most people don’t realize how much dirt, dust, fur and oils your furniture absorbs. It can host allergens and other nasty things if left unattended. Regular cleaning can help extend the life of your furniture, which means a surface cleaning every couple of weeks using the upholstery attachment on your vacuum.

Protip: You should also plan to have a professional clean the upholstery about once a year, depending on how much you use the piece of furniture. If you develop a stain in between cleanings, put your iron on the “steam” setting and wave it back and forth over the problem spot.

Windows and Blinds

Once a month: The windows and blinds in your house can accumulate dust and dirt. To keep the mess at bay, you should try to wipe down your windows and blinds at least once a month.

Protip: When cleaning your blinds, you can use an old sock dipped in a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. Stick your hand inside the sock and swipe it over each blind for a quick and easy clean.

Ceiling Fans

Once a month: Have you ever had dust accumulate on the blades of your ceiling fan? Since it’s so high up, many people forget that it’s up there until the dust bunnies have already taken over. To prevent the dust buildup, dust the top of your blinds once a week.

Protip: You can prevent the dust from falling everywhere if you use a pillowcase to dust your fan blades. Simply slide each fan blade into the pillowcase and enclose the case around it, then slide it off. The dust will stay inside the pillowcase and you can easily throw it in the wash when you’re done!

Baseboards

Once a month: Your baseboards can collect dust and dirt, but most homeowners don’t see cleaning the baseboards as a priority. If you keep up with cleaning them once a month the task won’t be too time-consuming.

Protip: Use the brush attachment on your vacuum to swipe the top edge where the dust settles. If there are scuffs or spills, wipe them away with an erasing sponge.

How Often Should You Clean Your Bedrooms

Bedrooms

Your bedroom may accumulate more germs than you realize. Since you spend a good amount of time here (approximately one-third of your life), it tends to accumulate germs. How often exactly should you clean your sleeping quarters? We explain here.

Bed Linens

Once a week: Bed sheets can accumulate a serious collection of sweat, body oils, dirt from outside and more. When they get too dirty they can become a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. Those are not things you want sharing a bed with you! While most people wash their sheets only every four weeks, experts recommend washing them once a week.

Protip: If you have white sheets, toss a squeeze of lemon juice in the washer. It’s a natural brightener without the chemicals in bleach products.

Duvet Cover

Once a month: If you use a top sheet you can get away with washing your duvet cover once a month. If you don’t, you may want to wash it every two weeks just to be safe. Like pillows and bed linens, duvet covers can be a breeding ground for bacteria, fungus and dust mites.

Protip: Changing a duvet cover is on most people’s list of top annoying things, but did you know there is a simple hack to make the job easier? Use the burrito method for an easy switcharoo. Turn your duvet cover inside out and place comforter on top. Roll it up, tuck it in, and unroll it—it’s magically on!

Bed Pillows

Every three months: While you should be washing your sheets (and pillowcases) once a week, you should be washing the pillows themselves once every three months. Pillows can play host to critters and debris like dirt, oil, skin cells and even dust mites.

Protip: Most down-alternative pillows can go in the washing machine, while feather pillows need to be dry cleaned. Buy down-alternative to ensure cleaning is easy and frequent.

Mattress

Every three months: Your mattress is another thing that can accumulate sweat, dust, dust mites and allergens quite easily. To keep the bacteria and fungi at bay, clean your mattress with the seasons. You can use the upholstery attachment to vacuum the mattress, and clean its cover (if it has one).

Protip: Spot clean oil stains or food spills with a mix of baking soda, salt and water. Cover the stain, let it sit for 30 minutes then wipe it away with a damp cloth.

Closets

Twice a year: It’s usually a best practice to do a full-closet cleaning and purge twice a year. While it can seem like a daunting task, having a clean closet full of clothes you actually wear can be a game changer for your morning routine.

Protip: When purging, keep basic, classic items and toss anything trendy you haven’t worn in over a year. You can also ditch duplicate items or things you don’t feel comfortable in. Your closet should be full of only things that make you happy!

How Often Should You Clean Your Bathroom

Bathrooms

We all know the bathrooms can get pretty gross, but most people probably still don’t clean them as often as they should. Things like bath towels and bath mats can accumulate mold, while your toilet and sink can be a bacteria breeding ground. Here’s how often you should clean the things in your bathroom.

Toilet

Every day: Toilets have a reputation for being the dirtiest place in the house, but the average toilet is cleaner than you think. To make sure your toilet stays sanitary, it’s best to give it a light clean every day, then give it a deep clean once a week.

Protip: Want to keep toilet stains at bay? Pour vinegar in the top of your toilet and let that sit while you spray vinegar around the seat and clean.

Bathroom Sinks

Every day: Did you know that your bathroom sink is even dirtier than your toilet seat? The bacteria travel from your hands onto the sink every time you wash your hands, so it’s incredibly important to disinfect your bathroom sinks every day.

Protip: You can use disposable disinfecting wipes daily to make sure the area stays sanitized. It’s easy, and you can throw the whole mess away afterward!

Bath Towels

Every three or four uses: Towels are tricky, because the more you use them, the more often you will need to change them. If you take more than one shower a day, or if you have multiple family members using a towel, it may need to be cleaned once every couple of days.

Protip: On the other hand, if you’re the only one using it and you shower at the gym three times a week, you may be able to get away with washing it weekly. Be sure to wash your towels in water that is at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) so that you kill all of the bacteria that’s inevitably breeding them.

Shower Grout

Once a week: Your grout can be one of the most annoying things to clean in your bathroom. However, it can also make the most impact on how clean your bathroom looks. Nobody likes a shower with dirty grout, so keep up with cleaning it weekly.

Protip: To clean, dip a toothbrush in bleach and scrub any discolored areas. Every once in a while you will need to seal your grout so that water and mold can’t seep in.

Bath Mats

Once a month: Bath mats that have rubber backing can wear out faster if they are washed more than once a month. However, mats that don’t have a rubber backing, or that are in a frequently used or extra-dirty space like the kids’ bathroom can be washed more often.

Protip: If a rug doesn’t have time to dry out it can harbor all kinds of mold and fungi. To kill all signs of life, wash the rug on high heat. Rugs with rubber backing should be air-dried.

How Often Should You Clean Your Kitchen

Kitchens

Believe it or not, your kitchen is the dirtiest place in your house. This is pretty unsettling considering we cook our food here. But, that’s precisely why it’s so dirty! Germs like e.coli can stick on cutting boards, hide in your fridge and set up camp in your sink. Here’s how often you’ll need to clean to maintain a safe and sanitary cooking environment.

Kitchen Counters/Sink

Every day: The kitchen sink and counters can be another place that germs accumulate. Since you’re often cutting meat and dealing with food products, the kitchen sink can actually end up being one of the dirtiest places in the whole house.

Protip: To keep your eating area sanitary, use one tablespoon bleach in one quart of water and spray down the sink daily. You can also use disposable disinfecting wipes here.

Sponges

Every week: Unfortunately, the trend is to keep your kitchen sponges until they smell and fall apart. Letting them get this bad means that they’re teeming with bacteria, funguses and things that can potentially make you sick. You should be cleaning your sponge weekly, and replacing them every two to three weeks.

Protip: For their weekly cleanings, mix ¾ cups bleach in one gallon of water and let your sponges soak for several minutes. Then just rinse and you’re done!

Oven

Once a month: Many people think that cleaning their oven is something to save for a special occasion, but the longer you wait to clean it, the harder it will be. Keeping up with monthly cleanings is the best way to make sure your oven stays in good working order.

Protip: A trick to making the process easier is to put a bowl of water in the oven and turn it up to high for 20 minutes. This will help loosen some of the dried dirt and grease. Then, wait for the oven to cool before wiping it clean!

Dishwasher

Once a month: Most people don’t realize that their dishwasher can accumulate all sorts of gunk and grime. It cleans the dishes you eat off of so you will want to make sure you give it a routine cleaning once a month (and a deep cleaning once or twice a year).

Protip: Place a cup of vinegar inside the dishwasher and run it on a hot water cycle. This is a great way to routinely clean your dishwasher and keep it in tip-top shape.

Refrigerator

Four times a year: A clean fridge is a safe fridge, yet nobody likes to deep clean it. While it’s best to give it a wipe down daily, you should only need to give it a deep clean about four times a year.

Protip: When you’re getting ready to clean the fridge, purge it of any ingredients that are past their “use by” date. Remove and soak the drawers in warm water while you wipe down the rest of the fridge. It’s best to work in sections so that all of your food doesn’t get too warm!

How Often Should You Clean These Household Items

7 Things I Learned When Downsizing From a House in California to a Shoebox in NYC

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Full disclosure: I’m a child of the suburbs. I grew up in sprawling northern California, where trips to used bookstores and the mall are practically pastimes. There wasn’t much spatial constraint when it came to accumulating things. If I picked up a tchotchke, there would definitely be a place for it somewhere in my home.

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