How to Pack a TV for Moving Like a Pro

November 13, 2021 / Posted in Before the Move
Kate Holland

A true grunge and rock music fan born in Seattle, Kate has moved across the country and started writing about her experience.

You are on the move! And yes, your excitement might deteriorate a bit once you realize how many things you have to take care of. But nonetheless, you ain’t leaving without your TV set. But how to pack a tv for moving and not lose your mind worrying about it all the way to the new home?

A television set connected after cross-country moving
TV made its debut in 1939 at the World’s Fair in NY

It’s true; our telly isn’t the only thing fragile in our lives. Besides our mom’s china set, our self-esteem when we were in our teens, our dear electronic devices also count as breakable. Well, how the heck are you going to watch your favorite Netflix show if the tube gets broken? That’s some adjustment insomnia material right there. So before you contact cross country movers and invest in their long-distance moving services, secure that bad boy for safe travels. Otherwise, you’ll be going out of your mind the moment you start unpacking.

Our Television Sets Are Still Our Modern Hearths

Humanity has gone a long way. From sitting around the fire, telling stories, and looking at the sky to see the stars, we now gather around our TVs and watch the stars perform. And although recent years have shown the rise in the number of people using other gadgets, streaming platforms, sports, and blockbusters still look better on big screens. And don’t ever forget that your favorite Playstation game looks exquisite on that 60″ telly. Besides, are you going to move in with your significant other? Your SO probably expects that your tube arrives alive and well. So all you electronics lovers out there, gather around and listen to some advice for securing your screens, even if you are last-minute relocating. You can’t just toss it in the back of a van, you know?

How to Pack a TV for Moving in Easy Steps

First of all – when should you even start considering how to pack a television for moving? Since you’ll be using it, it’s too early to have it boxed before the long-distance movers drop by your house to estimate the value of household goods. Depending on how regularly you use it, it may be among the last things you take care of, but since your goggle-box is a bit tricky to secure, give yourself enough time to do it thoroughly. According to Statista, it is estimated that in 2021 the US adults will spend more than three hours daily in front of the screens, so it’s essential to keep your goggle-box intact in transport.

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Supplies You Might Require to Secure Your Telly

It’s pretty obvious that the best way to secure a telly before you send it on its way with a car shipping company is not to place it into a garbage bag, so you’ll be needing to hop over to the store. If you have the original packaging, you’re going to move efficiently, and if not, stock up on proper boxes first and be more than certain they are sturdy enough.

Different packing materials you’ll require also include some packing tape (don’t be stingy and decide to go with the plain ol’ duct tape, it won’t hold.) Bubble wrap has always been the king of cushioning materials, it’s flexible and protective, and you can reuse it. Who would have thought that it was initially designed as a groovy wallpaper? A Jedi needs his lightsaber, and you’ll be needing a box cutter, a tape dispenser, and a marker. We’ll tell you later why it will come in handy.

Mind the Position of the Cables

Are you familiar with the term “cable hell”? We’re pretty sure you have it behind your PC and positive you’ve got one living somewhere under the telly. That’s one of the things that makes relocating electronics such a burden. But worry not fellow movers, there’s one fantastic trick so full of awesomeness, it should stand in the hall of fame of relocating hacks.

You probably have a few HDMIs there, perhaps a VGA (who knows,) maybe a lan, and connections to your other gadgets. Before you detach all the cables, take your other most important electronic device, which is precisely your phone, and snap a picture of the connections. And voila! There you have it, your secret hack to a swift reattaching in your future home.

What to Do With Detached Cables and Accessories?

If you forget to take care of the cables and other accessories that were connected to your tv, they might end up forgotten in your old house. You can stick a label on each cable (it kinda rhymes, too.) The easiest way to pack for a move when it comes to cables is to grab a bunch of ziplock bags and carefully place them inside. Label each bag accordingly for easier managing afterward so that it’s easier for you even if you get additional packing service that will get a load of work off your back.

Cleaning Before Packing Is Important

Some of us loooove to clean and tidy and scrub and make everything sparkly. And some of us, well, just don’t. But before we start packaging efficiently the rest of the house, there’s going to be some cleaning. There’s no way around it; each item should be wiped before you wrap it with cushioning materials and package it.

With a dry soft microfiber cloth in hand, and gently wipe in a circular motion. You’ll clean off any dust and other debris from the surface of your screen. If there are any stains that are hard to remove, you should moisten your cloth with distilled water or a solution made of mild dish soap and distilled water. Be 100% positive you’ve left it enough to dry before you stuff it into its box. You don’t want it to get moldy, do you? It won’t work then, and you’ll need it, especially if you’re relocating to another state alone.

A woman wiping the screen of a TV
Wipe your telly gently with a clean microfiber cloth

Use TV Packing Hacks to Your Advantage

Do you require some more relocating tips? Let’s answer “how do I protect my TV when moving?” If you’re worried about how the long-distance moving company team will handle your goggle-box, there’s one simple thing to prevent damage. To avoid your telly being laid down on the bottom of the truck with boxes stacked like they were playing Tetris, you should take that marker we’ve mentioned earlier and label the package. Write down stuff like FRAGILE, and add THIS SIDE UP. Yep, it’s the easiest way to have a stress-free move.

Use the Original Packaging to Protect the Television Screen

Our telly is an important part of our lives, it’s true, and there’s no chance that packaging it will be among the things you forget to do when you move. Most of us tend to keep the original packaging, and our moms have taught us not to throw away stuff that can be reused. That’s where all the clutter comes from, in case you were wondering.

So, one of the greatest relocating interstate tips when it comes to electronics is to put them back into their boxes. If you’ve managed to keep the original styrofoam, too, you’re in luck because there’s no better way to secure your preciousss tube than in its packaging. However, you need to be completely certain the lids are tightly sealed on both ends, so you don’t get a nasty surprise while you carry it. But let’s get back to cleaning – if your flat screen has gotten dirty, here’s a how-to from a pro in the video below. And remember where to wipe and how.

Do You Know How to Move a Flat Screen TV Without a Box? Here’s How

Are you relocating to a city alone? Then a tv set, flat-screen or OLED, is one of the things you need for your first apartment. But you’ve thrown away the original packaging, so instead, you must secure it without its cardboard protective cover. Here are the steps on your to-do list if you are in this nasty situation:

  • Start by dismounting it from the wall or by unscrewing and removing the stand. Remember to keep all the hardware in a separate, sealed bag. These tiny, yet essential things, are usually among the most commonly forgotten things to pack.
  • Detach each cable (remember to snap a photo before you do!), fold them, and store them away into bags. Don’t move to another state without them!
  • Wipe it clean, just like you’d do with any other piece of electronics. Check if it’s dry before the next step.
  • Use the tape, sticky side upward. Envelop your tv thoroughly (watch the sticky side!)
  • Grab some bubble wrap and put a few layers of it over the sticky side.
  • A furniture blanket will do the trick to make for the lack of styrofoam and the original packaging. Cushion it like you mean it.
  • Place it into a cardboard package similar to its size. If it’s a bit too large, use the cutter and shape it until it closely fits.
  • Does it have any free space inside? Stuff the inside with some handy packing materials, such as foam peanuts, crumpled paper, or household softies. Finally, that worn-out t-shirt might find its use.

Flat-screen TVs are a bit more fragile than the old, heavy models. And now, the question that you’re probably asking yourself is – Can you lay a TV down when moving? With the original packaging, you may. But if you have a plasma or an OLED, it’s best to load it the same way it would stand when unpacked.

A man with boxes
Our TV sets are important, and they even broke race barriers in the "The Dick Van Dyke Show" in the 1960s

How Do You Pack a TV for Storage?

The next stop – how to pack TVs for moving into secured storage units. Although we couldn’t possibly understand how anyone could part with their tube (watching the 6th season of Lucifer just isn’t the same on small screens,) here’s what you need to know. Protecting items in storage units has some basics, and as we’ve mentioned before, the most important thing to do is to clean and dry an object. The same goes for a TV or any other electronic device. Remove dust, debris, and stains with a soft cloth. If you have to use a solution, leave it to dry completely. You wouldn’t want a moldy object, anyways.

A couple wrapping a device
Take care of your TV before you send it to be stored

If You’re Not Sure How to Move a TV, Contact Professionals

In the end, however handy you believe you are, hiring movers is your best choice. They are as handy in taking care of electronics as you are in Mortal Kombat. Remember that anything that’s packed with professionals when you move to a new home will guarantee that each object arrives safe and sound. The moment you move in and your stuff is unloaded, you can connect your TV set and stream some music. But also keep in mind that you should binge-watch less if you want to have enough time to meet neighbors.

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