Use Moving Blankets to Cushion the Blows of the Moving Process

Whether you're moving down the street or across the country, moving blankets (also called moving pads) belong on your list of moving supplies. They're special blankets that are usually quilted and filled with cotton or polyester padding. Use them to protect your belongings from dings and scratches during the drive and to protect your floors and carpets while you transport furniture and appliances out of the building.

To protect furniture, make sure you wrap the blanket tightly and completely around each item before you place it in the moving truck or van. To ensure that your moving blankets don't come loose during travel, secure the blanket with packing tape or mover bands.

Moving blankets are extremely affordable, especially considering the amount of protection they provide. Although you can rent moving blankets, you will usually have to pay almost as much to rent the blankets as to buy them. You can buy a 12-pack of 72x80 blankets (the standard size) for less than $60, or only about $5 per blanket.

After your move, you'll find many uses for your moving blankets, so the money you spend can be considered an investment. In addition, if something happens to one of the blankets during your move, you don't have to worry about losing a rental deposit or having to pay an often-inflated replacement price.

Here are just a few ways you can use moving blankets:

- Insulation and soundproofing. If you have a garage band or a child who plays the drums (loudly), moving pads can provide a cheap and easy solution to your noise reduction problems.

- Pet bedding. The soft quilting makes a comfortable sleeping pad for your treasured companions, and the pads are machine washable, so pet messes aren't a problem.

- Child-proofing. A moving blanket placed on a coffee table with sharp corners can keep tender little heads from getting bumped.

- Protection during remodeling. Cover furniture and other belongings to protect items from paint splashes and debris.

- Furniture padding in garages or self-storage units.

- Tent/sleeping bag padding. When you go camping, put a pad under your tent and/or under your sleeping bag to provide extra cushioning from the hard ground.

- Frost protection for plants. Place blankets on the ground and around plants that could be harmed by winter freezes.

So stock up on moving blankets for your move. They'll come in handy during the move, and after you're moved in, you'll find plenty of ways to use them.

An experienced owner-operator, Scott Brunson helps members of the transportation industry each day as a product specialist for US Cargo Control, an online retailer of logistic straps and other cargo securement products. Find what you're looking for at US Cargo Control today.