How clean do they need to be?
 

The container is arriving next week and our stuff is being packed. The Mover has advised us that anything that has been in contact with soil or is rusty must be made spotlessly clean. We are currently cleaning bikes, tent, tools etc. Does anyone have experience of what in practice is and is not acceptable in this regard. We appreciate the danger that Customs will cahrge to clean or charge to destroy anything which does not meet their requirements.

Richard

Re: How clean do they need to be?
 

Basicly remove any orginic goo from your goods and they should be ok .
I cleaned all my tools and detailed my dirt bike ( had been though 350 miles of mud ) and was all ok here !

Re: How clean do they need to be?
 

We cleaned, scrubbed, jet washed and steam cleaned the bikes, gardening equipment, dolls pram wheel, roller skates, skateboards, scooters and the used Virkon S to disinfect it all. We then made up labels on the computer to state how everything was cleaned and with the product used and it's batch number and applied it to the items. We made it through customs with no problems. It is hard work but worth it if it saves you money and hassle this side.

Re: How clean do they need to be?
 

It is mainly soil they are concerned about. My husband didn't clean any of his tools but we scrubbed bike and scooter wheels, outdoor toys and golf clubs. We had no issues either.

Re: How clean do they need to be?
 

It really comes down to whether you are prepared to take the chance with customs. They are likely to check anything with a label that interests them - eg christmas decorations, boots, garden furniture, shoes, tools. They are unlikely to open every box you have.
If they do find something they don't like, you may be presented with a large bill. If they don't, you might get things through that you aren't allowed!
We decided to leave a few things that were not very valuable and hard work to clean - eg an old barbeque, some old shoes. Other things we cleaned as well as we could, although I'm sure a microscope would still find particles of soil/muck.
Luckily, although customs did check a few of our boxes they didn't find any problems.

When we were unpacking, I found dog hair all over the old throws, mud on a waterproof, bits of leaves in the same waterproof... a shell that I forgot about... all things that technically should not have got through!
So the system isn't foolproof, but you take a gamble if you knowlingly pack things that are dirty/not allowed.

Have fun cleaning!

Re: How clean do they need to be?
 

All I would say is double check everything!!!! We thought that we had checked everything but alas we hadn't!!!!! Of all the things that we got pulled up with at customs were bloody pine cones!!!!! They were in the box of Christmas decorations and we had overlooked them! We were invited to pay either $300 to have them treated or $30 to destroy them, need I say any more!!
Cath

Re: How clean do they need to be?
 

Mmmm, chrissy decs are a fav target, expect them to be checked!