Monthly Archives: January 2016

Stretch Wrap Dispensers are a Must

If you deal with stretch wrap then odds are that you deal with the stretch wrap dispensers. If you don’t, let me give you a few reasons for why you should (just keep in mind that they aren’t listed in order of most to least important, because they are all equally important). And now, reasons why stretch wrap dispensers are a must:

There are many different sizes. Just because you use a certain kind of stretch wrap doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have a dispenser. El contrare! There are actually stretch wrap dispensers for mini stretch wrap, the bigger ones are adjustable, and they even have a dispenser for bundling wrap. Also, there is an extended handle which allows for packaging and bundling taller loads, and it also eliminates the need to bend over when wrapping the bottom of the load.

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Using stretch wrap dispensers offers a tighter wrap, and that’s exactly what you want. When wrapping or bundling by hand you are susceptible to hand fatigue and just awkwardness in general. Those stretch wrap rolls are pretty stinking heavy, and they are either too big or too small to handle effectively.
By wrapping tighter, the chances of whatever you are shipping arriving in its intended state increases exponentially. Otherwise, all manner of obstacles and impediments could cause the load to shift and the product to be damaged, even beyond repair.
If you think that you are saving money by cutting the corner of using stretch wrap dispensers, I would stand to reason that you aren’t. Saving money, that is. Dealing with stretch wrap manually often results in a lot of waste since unrolling the wrap is harder to start and stop without the dispenser. Not to mention the wrap is not as tight as it could be, resulting in more stretch wrap being used than is necessary for the job.
If the actual stretch wrap dispensers seem like overkill to you and exceed your needs, there are other options. Consider the double handle wrapper. When using this, you don’t have to spend unnecessarily on extended cores; this rod goes through the regular core and allows you to hold onto both ends securely. Last but not least, if you absolutely refuse to invest in any type of dispenser, consider the handi-ring set. Quite simply, these are two plastic rings that fit into either end of the roll and makes for wrapping by hand quite a bit easier.

The Best Packing Supplies for the Best Moving Experience

Packing supplies can really make or break the whole moving experience. I have moved numerous times. Like, a lot. Sometimes it was just a dorm room, and then sometimes it was just a one-bedroom apartment, and then a two-bedroom apartment, and then a house, and most of them was more than once at each kind of place. Thankfully, I have not yet had to move now that I have children, but I know that it’s coming. And, thankfully, I have had plenty of experience so that I will know how to make the best of it when that time comes.

Packing Supplies

It goes without saying that the best moving experiences I have had were invariably linked to the best packing supplies. Granted, the one at the top of the list also came with an entire crew. They wrapped big things up in heavy duty brown paper. They wrapped everything else up in brown paper too, and put them in boxes. They came with the boxes that have the sections for kitchen materials. They came with the boxes that have the hanging metal rod so you can just transfer your clothes right from the closet to the box. Not only did they come with the packing supplies but they did all the packing and moving and transporting, too. And the unloading.

So, yeah, that is not the type of experience most people will have, and it was a one-time thing for me too. But the thing I learned from that time is that the materials are a must. This is because I have tried to be super cheap and I wound up on the verge of a breakdown. So not worth it.

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When I say that I was trying to be cheap I mean that I was using hand-me-down packing supplies, all of which were some sort of awkward shape or size and I found myself playing a virtual Tetris game in the back of the moving van. The last thing you want to do after packing boxes and carrying them down three flights of stairs is move them all around trying to figure out how to make them fit and also best utilize the space of the moving van since you were too cheap and got the smaller one (another way that I was trying to be cheap and just wound up shooting myself in the foot).

I’m not suggesting you go in debt buying the highest quality products, especially since you are more or less just going to be getting a one time use out of them. I am suggesting you take the time to figure out what type of packing supplies are the best for the job at hand.

Cardboard Storage Boxes and Other Storage Ideas

Cardboard storage boxes are quickly taking the front seat when it comes to organizing and storing. There are several reasons for this. At the top of the list is a two-in-one: you can buy the “paper” version in bulk, and at a fraction of the price for the “plastic” version. This is the route that a lot of businesses take, specifically for this reason, and it seems that the common household has caught on to the secret.

Of course the largest complaint is that cardboard is not nearly as durable as plastic, and no one would argue that; but when using a proper technique the cardboard storage boxes will last just as long, if not longer, since they would have been treated well from the beginning. I know for myself that I used to buy the biggest plastic totes and bins that I could find, and stuff them full and stack them on top of each other until they were bowing and bending and the lids couldn’t fit properly anymore.

Once I heard about the “paper” system, I started at the first step: shelving. I know people who have gone all out and bought some serious-business wire systems (because that’s exactly what they were. Elaborate systems that required some pretty specialized tools and YouTube videos to put together). Apparently the more frustrating something is the more expensive it is, too, because they were spending upwards of four hundred dollars per unit.

Well, my husband and I decided to go with the old tried and true method and we bought some boards and nails from our local home improvement store. (We didn’t even need to use a handsaw because someone had given him a circular one for his birthday last year.) Within a couple hours, and for about a tenth of the cost, we had constructed a really decent set of shelves. We were then able to maximize the space using the cardboard storage boxes, which fit together like a perfect solid wall.

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Once the boxes have all been packed, it would behoove of you not to forget the second crucial step: labeling. Do not blow off this part of the process as something only Type A people need to do. Properly labeling the cardboard storage boxes will keep you from needing to mess with more than the box you are looking for, thus greatly minimizing the wear and tear (both on the boxes and your body). So be sure to write the contents on an index card, put it in an envelope and tape it to the front of the box.

The Christmas of the Cardboard Box

If you would have told me that my life would change because of a cardboard box, I would have definitely scoffed and rolled my eyes. I would have chocked it up to the human propensity for melodrama, or at least the Western need for it. And if this hypothetical situation had actually taken place, what with you telling me this and with me making fun of it, the next part would have been that it really did happen.

That my life really did change because of a cardboard box. Only no one prophesied it, and I never had the chance to scoff at said prophesy, it just happened. It was Christmas Eve, and I opened my front door, and there was a cardboard box. I wasn’t expecting anything from anyone, and it was nighttime besides, so the likelihood of deliveries being made that late in the day, and on the day before Christmas, was pretty slim indeed.

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So when I looked down and saw it, I had this ludicrous thought that Santa had come. Of course I don’t believe in Santa, because I’m an adult, and because the entire concept is just plain weird, but in the randomness of the moment this is what my brain produced as a plausible explanation. Quickly, I shook the thought out of my head and swore to never tell a soul. How embarrassing. It didn’t take long for the daydream to fade away completely when the box started moving. And crying. I say again, the cardboard box even started crying. I looked around quickly. Was anyone nearby? Was anyone running down the street?

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Was anyone hiding on the side of the porch trying to film my stupid facial reactions? The coast seemed to be clear, and it was freezing cold, so I didn’t want to leave whatever was in the box exposed any longer. I took it right inside, because if it was only a tape recorder wrapped in a towel I wasn’t going to give whomever the satisfaction of recording my grimace.

I set the package on the table, and took a couple deep breaths before getting up the nerve to open it. Sure enough, it was a baby. And the letter I found, warm to the touch by the heat from his small body, said that he was mine. My son. Just like that, my life changed because of a cardboard box… Best. Christmas. Ever.

Bin Liners for Industrial Purposes

I always thought that bin liners were just regular trash bags with a fancy way of saying it. It kind of seemed like trying to dress up something that just can’t be dressed up. Like calling the toilet the porcelain station or something like that. It’s true, but it’s a little glorified. Trash bags are meant to be seen as something disposable. It seemed like calling them bin liners made you feel like you had spent too much money on something that is just going to get thrown out. You would think, “No, not my bin liners!” as if they were made of silk or something like that.

Bin Liners for Industrial Purposes

On a domestic level, bin liners are definitely trash bags. On an industrial level they are so much more. Since they are used for packaging materials, it actually gets very interesting. The most amazing thing about them is that they are form-fitting to whatever particular container they are designed for, allowing the manufacturer to take full advantage of the space. The most obvious use for bin liners would be that of protecting the product from moisture, or pests, or leaking. They allow the least amount of residue for liquid products (usually stored in drums from fifty-five gallons all the way up to over three hundred, I might add.

Bin Liners for Industrial Purposes

Can’t even wrap my mind around that). They also allow for a speedier dispensing of dry products. I’m thinking gigantic cereal box… Perhaps the most interesting thing is that these bin liners actually allow for less waste. By lining cardboard bins, the bins can be reused over and over. Also, they reduce mass amounts of water and cleaners used to wash out the plastic containers. So if you were thinking about turning your nose up at giant plastic bags, consider that bit of information. Not only does the design improve efficiency and help cut costs and waste, there are many variations as well. You would think “plastic bag” is all that would be necessary.

Bin Liners for Industrial Purposes

Think again! There are special bin liners with anti-static properties, or they can be stretchy, or they can be extra durable. Perhaps someone wants their bin liners to be extra clear. Who are we to judge? What if they wanted theirs to have pink polka dots all over? Again, this is also an option. I’ve already mentioned the insane range in sizes. It turns out that bin liners are actually a useful tool.