The U.S. is huge. There are endless opportunities and new experiences available in each state and city. With that being said, many Americans take advantage of their wanderlust by moving from state to state to enjoy different experiences. In 2013, mobility in the U.S. was approximately 11.7%. Knowing how to pack when moving will make your life a lot easier. There is nothing more annoying than having to deal with damages and other problems. In particular, this article will focus on what you should do with the batteries you have thanks to demand of battery-operated electronics.

Remove Batteries to Avoid Letting Them Sit in the Electronics

Look around you. Batteries power a lot of the tools and equipment you rely on like the remote control for your television, the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in each room and the scales in your kitchen. When packing any items with batteries in them, make sure to remove the batteries, as they can become damaged during the moving process and will leak. If the acid leaks from the batteries, the acid will not only destroy the batteries, but may also damage the item.

Remove the batteries and store them separately in a sealed plastic container or place them in a plastic bag. This way, the item itself will not be affected even if the acid in the battery does leak out. You can keep the batteries in the plastic bags in the same box or container as the item it is used for. This will make your life a lot easier when you are unpacking everything. You simply put the right batteries in, and voila, it's good to go.

Keep Spare Batteries in Sealed Plastic Containers and Away from Metal

Although spare batteries aren't plugged into anything, they can still emit an electric charge and current. If stored in metal boxes or near metal, the metal may cause the batteries to drain, as trace amount of electric current may run from the battery to the metal. To prevent your batteries from draining, keep them in sealed plastic containers, which are great insulators.

The sealed plastic containers also keep the spare batteries in a stable and constant environment. This also helps prevent the batteries from getting drained or from reacting with anything in the air. Sealed plastic containers tend to maintain a constant relative humidity. Keep the sealed plastic containers away from sunlight when packing them.

Store Different Batteries Away from Each Other

Last but not least, keep batteries that are different from one another away from each other. Storing used batteries together with new ones is never a good idea. Used batteries are likely to react with new batteries. This will cause both batteries to drain quickly. There's nothing more annoying than popping in new batteries only to find that they do not work.

In addition, consider the type of batteries that you are storing together and the chemicals that are in them. For example, lithium-based batteries should not be stored with rechargeable batteries. Once again, different chemicals are likely to react with one another, especially if the batteries are stored together for long periods of time. This can either cause the batteries to either drain or the acids within to leak out. Neither scenario is good.

Conclusion

Batteries can be expensive. You definitely don't want them draining or becoming damaged before you've gotten full use out of them. Properly storing them is important, especially when you need the batteries regularly. Batteries are much more fragile and delicate than what you may think. They need to be stored in a secure container away from sunlight, high levels of humidity and other chemicals. 

For more moving tips, work with an experienced moving company.