Guidance For Consumers Moving During The Coronavirus Outbreak Friday Apr 17, 2020

Updated April 6, 2020

The American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA) values the health and safety not only of our staff and members, but also consumers who have plans to move within the near future.

Moving has been deemed an essential service. The professional moving industry is open for business, working in a safe, sanitary and healthy manner for you and your family.

Many of our members are taking specific steps to mitigate risks to the health and safety of their employees and consumers.

The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are constantly updating their guidance, and we recommend checking their sites and/or following them on social media to receive the latest news and updates. AMSA will continue to monitor this quickly evolving situation and provide updates when practical.

Here is a sampling of our professional mover member’s measures for managing through Coronavirus:

• Many professional movers have the capability to provide virtual estimates rather than in-home and also offer other no-touch options; please check with your mover to see what options are available to you
• AMSA ProMovers have taken the time to reiterate the practices of good hygiene, like frequent hand washing, providing hand sanitizer, gloves and other protective equipment for their moving crews
• Many movers now wear gloves and masks. They frequently sanitize high-touch surfaces within their trucks and are following CDC-recommended protocols for social distancing
• Rather than greeting customers with handshakes, AMSA members are encouraging their employees to greet with a warm smile and a friendly hello
• Check your professional mover’s website for other ways that they are mitigating risk to you and your family and feel free to ask questions

As you plan and prepare for your move, here are some steps you can take:

• Be sure that you’re up-to-date on information for your municipality and / or state by reviewing their guidance online and listening to briefings
• To ensure everyone’s health and safety, if you or anyone within your household may have contracted Coronavirus, or are isolating due to exposure to the virus, call your moving company and explain the situation; in many cases, movers will work with you
• If you must cancel your move, ask questions about how your professional mover is managing cancellations now
• Your health and the health of your family is important. Please follow CDC guidelines for your own health and safety, as well as that of the moving crew – maintain a distance of six feet, wear a mask and gloves and wash your hands frequently
• In some cases, after the initial walk-through, your movers may ask that you limit the number of people in the house to one adult who can answer questions and provide guidance as the move is underway
• Provide your moving crew access to a sink, soap and paper towels throughout your move. If this isn’t practical, and it is readily available, provide hand sanitizer
• If you plan to prepack any items, purchase new moving boxes and tape from your mover; this isn’t the time to use recycled boxes from online sources, or from stores
• Your mover may also have plastic bins available for rental. Wipe down the interior and exterior with a disinfecting wipe before packing items in them
• If you have not already purchased food for the next couple of weeks, you’ll want to stock up on items that you eat regularly. Any shelf-stable items can be donated to Move For Hunger before your move to lighten your load, and the donations will feed people within your community
• Many movers are cleaning high-touch areas within the home after the move is completed; check with your professional mover as to their specific policies
• Consider spending time deep cleaning your new home prior to moving in to further mitigate the risk of contracting the virus

While social distancing and working from home, you can spend time decluttering. Please remember that many donation centers and resellers are closed, and won’t be able to accept your donations or consignments until after the pandemic has passed. There are services that can take these items for you, check with your mover to see who they recommend.

Article Source: moving.org

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