A file cabinet and / or a plastic / rubber storage bin
will pick up difficult to remove tape residue
if you use packers tape with the sticky side down
to double secure its latched cover for moving.

Instead, stand the bin on its short side and secure it by reverse winding the packing tape (sticky side out first - not allowing the sticky side to touch the bin's finish).

Then, make the second tape pass in the regular way (turning the tape back over) - in effect welding the two sticky surfaces together as is shown in the picture above. This makes both sides of the tape nonsticky (somewhat like creating a tape strap, so to speak).

Using this technique the tape is tightly wound around the bin so that it won't slip off and so that the latched top is secured without leaving sticky tape residue on it. If you don't quite weld the two sides evenly then just twist the tape to do so. If that doesn't work use another piece of tape to patch up over and around the twisted part that has exposed residue. This tape strap removes easily after your done moving the bin by a simple cut.

When reverse wound taping has been done properly,
the mover gripping the bin is not exposed to the sticky side
to irritate him by making his hands sticky.

Just as the old saying goes which says that there are many ways to skin a cat, so it is with packing and moving. An alternative to tape as a means to double secure the lid on this plastic container is to plastic wrap it using a few layers as shown on the right. The plastic wrap has inherent gripping power that makes it a very good means to secure items like this without leaving any tape residue.

You can also plastic wrap a big or small file cabinet like the one pictured on the left because again - the plastic wraps inherent gripping power will hold the drawers shut without getting tape residue all over the file cabinet. You can also reverse wind tape around each drawer if you don't have any plastic wrap available. As much as possible in any move, you do not want the misery of sticky tape residue on anything. But if it does occur, we recommend rubbing it off with isopropyl alcohol and / or the commercial product Goo-Gone which can be found in hardware stores.

Further instruction on how to best wrap, protect and secure items will be made available to you when you become a member.