Have you ever wanted to move a bookshelf full of books, but didn’t want to unload and then reload it? Or, have you ever been in the situation where you were excited about moving the living room around, but didn’t want to wait to move the sofa until your husband got home from work? Yeah, me too.

In 34 years of marriage and a husband who has worked many 12-hour shifts, there have been many occasions when I wanted to surprise him with a “new look” to the living room, or I was busy trying to organize the school room by moving desks and books around.

Somewhere along the way, cardboard became one of my best friends when it came to moving big and heavy things from one place to another.

My tip is simple: Take a flattened cardboard box or simply a big piece of cardboard and place it under the leg of the sofa or the end of the bookshelf. The cardboard will then give you a surface of little resistance when it comes to moving heavy objects around on carpeting and other flooring surfaces.

After placing the cardboard under one end or the legs of the object like the couch, carefully lift one end and push toward the end with the cardboard. The cardboard will “slide” along the floor and enable you to move the object with relative ease.

If you happen to have enough cardboard, place a piece at both ends of the couch and then push it to your new location.

If you desire to move a bookshelf, I like to use a medium-sized flattened box under the front edge of the shelving unit. I carefully lean the bookshelf backward just a tiny bit, use my foot to push the cardboard underneath the front of the unit, then move the bookshelf unit from side to side, working it onto the piece of cardboard until most of the unit isn’t touching the floor.

If necessary, I get down on my knees on one end of the bookshelf and then proceed to push the unit toward its new destination, walking on my knees and pushing with my arms. If going a long distance, I can usually move up into a low standing position as I continue to use my arms to push the unit across the room.

So, the next time you get ready to clean out and declutter, be sure to hang onto a cardboard box or two because, who knows? They may become that “extra set of hands” you need while your hubby is away.

I love this tip and have used it tons of time. It’s so rewarding when your husband comes home and is awed by your superwoman strength and ingenuity.