Moving Home During COVID: What to Know & Keep in Mind

By Victoria Robertson on August 7, 2020

The coronavirus has completely changed the way we go about doing even the most mundane of things. As we continue adjusting to the changing times, it’s important to understand what you should and shouldn’t do, as well as how to stay safe when moving back home.

For that reason, this list of tips and tricks will not only help you understand what you should know when moving during a pandemic but also teach you how to stay safe amongst even the craziest of times, during a stressful transition.

Photo Via Pixabay

1. Wear Masks

Moving is a challenge, especially if you live any higher than the first floor. You’ll likely get sweaty and feel hot as you move your belongings out, but with the changing times, it’s more important than ever to wear a mask.

For this reason, it’s easier to get overheated, so make sure you allow yourself as much time as needed to get everything out. You should also consider wearing gloves and other protective gear as you’re moving. While you won’t feel comfortable, you will be protecting yourself and those around you.

2. Do It Yourself

Some individuals hire moving companies, but during a pandemic, if you’re able to move out on your own, you should. Gather close family and friends that you spend a lot of time with and take your time in getting everything out of your dorm or apartment.

Basically, this eliminates the potential for others to touch all your belongings, making sure that the only germs you’re exposed to are ones that you’re typically around anyway.

3. Clean Shared Items

If you live with a roommate or roommates, you’ve likely shared quite a few things over the course of the school year. For that reason, you should consider cleaning all shared items that you’re bringing back with you.

For instance, if you supplied the kitchen table that people have been eating on for the past few months, it doesn’t hurt to wipe it down with disinfectant wipes before and after moving the piece of furniture back home. Basically, it’s much better to be safe than sorry when it comes to cleaning, so if you shared it, you should probably clean it.

4. Avoid Pit Stops, if Possible

Sometimes, this isn’t a realistic goal. But if your school or university is only a few hours down the road, try as best you can to avoid making any pit stops once you’re on the road.

This not only makes the trip shorter for you, but it also eliminates the need to walk into a shared building and increase your exposure to germs. In addition, this way, no germs will migrate to the belonging that you have stored away in the car. Again, this is an extra, maybe unnecessary precaution, but one you should consider taking.

5. Organize in Advance

Moving is a pain a lot of the time, but it’s made a lot easier if everything is done before moving day. This means that your belongings should be packed away and organized before you begin physically moving boxes out of the apartment or dorm.

Any belongings going with you should already be wiped down, stacked and ready to go so that your only concern is getting everything out and into the car. Organization is key when it comes to moving, so the more pre-planning you do before the move, the better off and smoother your move is going to go.

6. Keep Things in the Family

Last, but certainly not least, as mentioned above, you should keep things in the family, at least as much as possible. This means that everyone assisting you should be close family (and potentially close friends) and you should limit your exposure to anyone outside of that group.

Keep the group small, make sure everyone is protected with appropriate gear (i.e. masks and gloves), and ensure you’re all working efficiently and quickly to avoid prolonged exposure.

Again, moving is a sweaty, difficult job, so there’s a lot of potential for the spread of germs. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so take all the precautions you need to, even if they feel a little extreme.

COVID has taken over the world as we know it, and nothing has been the same since. For that reason, to assume that everything will go back to normal isn’t accurate, as we’re likely going to be dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic for years to come.

For the immediate future, however, there are plenty of things to do to keep you and your family safe, even amidst major undertakings such as moving. The above six tips and tricks are a great starting point, but make sure you are taking as many precautions as possible and always overestimate the virus’ power rather than underestimate it.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format