HELOISE: Labeling system eases moves

Dear Heloise: My wife and I just completed our 13th move. But moving doesn’t become any more fun. I thought I’d share with you her system of labeling boxes and furniture. It makes things a lot easier.

Pack for the house/apartment you’re moving into.

Use different colors of duct tape to label boxes and furniture for each room. For example, yellow duct tape was kitchen and dining room; white for basement, etc. For fragile items, we used bright-orange tape and wrote “fragile” on it.

Use a permanent marker to label the colored tape.

For furniture, we stuck a piece of blue masking tape on first (the kind you use for painting; it comes off easily) and then duct tape.

Draw a diagram on poster board of your new residence. Label each room with colored tape. Place that on the main moving entrance.

Draw a diagram for each room with the location of furniture. Place this diagram on the door frame of the specific room.

For us, we only had about 10 boxes out of place. We were unpacked and set up within three days (just the two of us).

Neal and Sue in Nebraska

A few good moving hints indeed!

Heloise

Dear Heloise: To keep my file folders from overflowing, especially the appliance, electronic and warranty files, I discard anything not in my language.

Judy R., Madison, Ala.

Yes indeed, this cuts down on bulk. I do the same, and oh my, so many pages!

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I’ve seen many suggestions for things to use as filler when sending packages. I use the cardboard rollers from toilet tissue and paper towels.

They are sturdy and next to weightless. I collect them in a bag so they are handy.

I do get a few chuckles from recipients the first time they receive a package from me!

Bernie in San Antonio

Dear Readers: Pre-moistened towels are a must-have when traveling, but the prepackaged ones can be expensive. You can make them by simply moistening cotton pads or paper towels with a mixture of half rubbing alcohol and half water. Stow in a small pill bottle or plastic sandwich bag. However, if you are going through security at a travel point, they may be a no-no.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I threaded the bottom hem of my queen-size top sheet on a 3-foot piece of elastic and pinned it at each end. I made the bed as usual. I was happy to find out it holds fast and gives me a little more toe room. I’m not bothered with hospital corners coming loose, and it leaves a couple inches of length at the top. What a great find. I’ll do this with all my top sheets.

Mary Alice in Pennsylvania

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate