A Filing Cabinet Spills Its Drawers
A loaded filing cabinet is 100+ lbs, and the drawers slide out mid-carry if not locked. Here's how to move it.
Lock the Drawers
If the cabinet has locks, lock every drawer. A drawer that slides out mid-carry dumps files and hits the carrier. If it doesn't lock, tape or strap the drawers shut.
Remove the Drawers If Possible
A filing cabinet with removable drawers is far lighter to move. Remove each drawer (most lift out), move the cabinet, then move the drawers separately. Reinstall at the new place.
Don't Carry by the Drawers
The drawer pulls are not handles. Carry the cabinet by the sides or with a dolly strap around the body. A drawer pull pulled off is a broken cabinet.
The Dolly
A filing cabinet is a dolly move — strap it to an appliance dolly and tip. Two people. Don't drag it; the feet scratch and the cabinet warps.
Keep It Upright
A filing cabinet on its side spills the drawers (even locked ones can shift) and the files fall out of their folders. Upright, always.
The Contents
If the files are important (tax, legal), consider moving them in a banker's box separately — a cabinet that's dropped is a cabinet with damaged files.
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