CBU Maintenance

CBUs are common in apartments, condos, subdivisions, and more. But how do you maintain these mailboxes, and who is responsible for maintaining them?

Unfortunately the answer isn’t a simple one. Landlords will state it is the responsibility of the US Postal Service, but the Post Office will say it is the responsibility of the customer. But who is the customer? Is it the tenants? The landlord?

Speaking to the landlord of the building is usually your best bet, so until you’re sure you have to pay to repair it, don’t do it. According to the USPS rulebook it is the customer that is responsible for all mailbox maintenance. This means if something is wrong with a CBU, the USPS will stop delivering mail until the problem has been fixed.

But if you do need to take some responsibility for CBUs, how do you do it?

First off, mailboxes need to be kept clean. All you need to keep a CBU clean is a soft cloth and a mild detergent. All you have to do is wipe down the CBU to clean off dirt, grass, and more. Rinse it off after and let it dry, so avoid doing this when it is damp outside.

But at the same time be sure to avoid using abrasive cleaners. These cleaners can cause damage to the surface of the CBU. You also want to make sure to not clean the CBU during extreme temperatures, particularly when it’s very cold. You’ll end up with a CBU covered in ice, so we don’t advise it.

CBUs that are installed in climates that see winter weather need additional maintenance. The area around the CBU needs to be cleared of snow. If the locks freeze on the CBU a de-icer will need to be used.

If your CBU is in a costal climate that brings another host of concerns. It can be very damp on the coast leading to large buildups of dirt and mineral salts on your cluster box unit. This does mean you will have to clean your CBUs on a more regular basis.

What if your CBU is tagged with graffiti? Use a petroleum-based solvent to clean it up. Please make sure you test the cleaner first before you apply it to the entire CBU. You also don’t want to leave these stronger chemicals on your CBU for very long. Once you’ve cleaned off graffiti rinse off the residue with a more mild cleaner and then rinse everything off with water.

One downside of CBUs is that there can sometimes be a buildup of trash surrounding CBUs. People may toss junk mail aside or drop garbage while getting their mail. Consider setting up a garbage can and recycling bin to prevent this from happening.

If a key to a tenant or parcel door is lost, do not attempt to pry open the door. This is illegal and Postal workers will not deliver mail to a mailbox that is not secure. Arrange for a replacement.

Overall the maintenance required for a CBU is very low. These are durable units designed to withstand the wear and tear of daily use outdoors. Giving them minor maintenance as needed will help them to last even longer.

Keep Mailboxes Clear

As annoying as snow can be for you, it is much more annoying for letter carriers, who have to work in the snow day after day. Whether you have a residential mailbox or a CBU, it’s important you keep your mailbox clear of snow and ice so it is safe for mail delivery. Mailboxes that are covered in snow are also at a higher risk of being damaged by snowplows. Save yourself and your local USPS workers some headaches by keeping your mailbox clear.

·        Clear the area around your mailbox so your letter carrier has plenty of room to get to it.

·        If you have a curbside mailbox, clear the road directly in front of your mailbox. Make sure your mailbox is visible.

·        If letter carriers must climb a porch to get to your mailbox, keep your porch clear of snow. If your porch is painted it may be extra slippery, so be sure to salt it or put down mats to make it less hazardous.

·        Keep a light on outside of your house in the evening so letter carriers can see potential hazards on your property.

·        Take turns with your neighbors clearing the area around CBUs if you have one.

·        Keep a can of deicer on hand in case the locks of your CBU freeze.

·        Keep walkways to your mailbox shoveled and salted so letter carriers don’t need to walk through the snow to get to your mailbox.

·        If there is a blue collection box near or on your property, shovel it as well.

·        Do not shovel the snow from around your mailbox into the road, as this creates hazardous conditions.

·        If you park on the street, keep your vehicle parked far enough away from mailboxes so they’re out of the way of the Postal workers.

·        Attach a flag or some other type of item to your mailbox so it is easier for letter carriers and snow plows to see.

Decorating Holiday Packages

When sending gifts through the mail, it isn’t uncommon to wrap them before placing them in a box. But there are many people who would like to decorate the box they send the gifts in as well, but aren’t sure what they can do or what is allowed.

First off, do not wrap your shipping box, even if you put the label on top of it. Almost always the wrapping paper will be destroyed during transit, creating a big mess for Postal employees. Keep the wrapping paper inside the shipping box, not outside of it.

Something you can do, however, is wrap the inside of your shipping box. USPS priority boxes can be pulled apart and reassembled, making wrapping the inside of the boxes easy. It may be easier to use glue for this technique instead of tape.

You’ll also want to avoid decorating the outside of the shipping box with anything that might catch on Postal equipment, such as ribbons. Keep that on your wrapped gifts, not on the shipping box. You don’t want your packages to be damaged while in transit.

So what can you put on the outside of your shipping box? Quite a lot, actually. The first thing you’ll want to do is wrap your box in a thick Kraft paper. This paper is designed to withstand the handling of the Post Office. It’s on this paper that you will do the majority of your decorating.

You still want to keep your decorations flat. Colored duct tape is a great way to create a design on your package without using wrapping paper. You can also add holiday stickers to decorate the outside of your shipping box…using the stickers on brown paper can create their own sort of wrapping paper! You can use stamps as well, rubber ones with ink.

And of course, you can always draw or write messages on the outside of your shipping box. If you’re an artist you can draw, and if you’re not you can use stencils. You can write a message, song lyrics, or poetry on the front as well, using different colored markers to make the message stand out.

And if nothing else, you can always invest in decorative shipping boxes. They’ll cost you a bit of money, but they look great and it shows you put some extra thought into the package you’ve sent.

No matter how you choose to decorate your shipping box, make sure you don’t obstruct any of the shipping labels! 

Holiday Shipping

The holiday season is here, and that means it is time to start shipping. Whether you’re a company selling items or a shopper giving gifts, you all have the same goal, which is that packages arrive on time. It can get hectic this time of year, so take a quick look at our tips to help out during the 2017 holiday season.

·        Keep track of deliveries with tracking numbers. If your package gets stuck in the same place for several days at a time, investigate. Packages do get lost, but keeping an eye on them may allow you to get someone to locate them.

·        Choose your shipping option carefully. This isn’t just for the carrier you use, but the type of shipping you send. You can ship earlier to save money, and some services can even get you same day shipping. Use whatever suits your needs best.

·        If you can, ship now rather than later. The USPS has announced that the busiest time to send a package will be the last two weeks before Christmas. Not only will there be long waits at the post office, but with such a high volume of mail and packages service may slow down. Get out there by the start of December!

·        If you can ship from online, do it. With USPS you are able to print shipping labels, pay for postage, and schedule for someone to pick up your package from your home. This will save you a ton of time.

·        Be sure to package your items carefully to avoid damage. Choose the right mailer or box; one that has room to add cushioning materials. The items in the packaging should not move around much, if at all, once it is ready to be sent.

·        Make sure the address is correct, and make sure it is legible. Illegible addresses can lead to lost packages, or packages sent to the wrong place.

We hope these tips help you with your holiday shipping needs. 

Should You Mail Postcards?

With the rise of social media, the practice of sending postcards while traveling has declined dramatically. That being said, there is something very special about receiving a postcard in the mail. Don’t simply post your pictures on Facebook or check in online. Postcards are an inexpensive way to express to your loved ones that you are thinking of them.

1.      Sending a postcard is more personal. Shooting your loved ones a Facebook message about your experience isn’t the same as sending a postcard. To send a postcard you have to pick one out, buy it, hand-write a message, and mail it. It will be appreciated.

2.      Postcards are a keepsake. Facebook messages get lost. A postcard is physical. Someone can save it and experience fond memories when they look at it again. It is much less likely to be lost.

3.      You don’t have to rely on cell phone service to get your message across. Depending on where in the world you are it may be difficult to get phone reception. Mailing a postcard is simple and won’t accidentally use up a lot of data.

4.      A postcard serves as a souvenir. Instead of dragging back something cheap and bulky from a souvenir shop to give to loved ones, send a postcard. It’s cheaper, more personal, and your loved ones are more likely to save it and treasure it.

5.      People love to get things in the mail that aren’t bills. Imagine you have a friend traveling abroad, and one day you get an unexpected postcard in the mail with a personal note. It’s exciting!

6.      Postcards inspire other people to travel. A postcard telling your loved ones about how amazing the place you are is, along with a picture showing where you are, will likely inspire them to travel themselves!

7.      It makes you stand out. People will remember you taking the time out of your trip to mail them something. This is much more flattering than just receiving a text message and a photo.

8.      There’s no risk of identity theft or of being hacked when sending a postcard. If you are using a public Wi-Fi connection or internet café, there’s always a chance of you being hacked, even if it is small.

9.      Your loved ones may use postcards in their home, such as taping them up or by putting them on their fridge. You can’t get that from an email.

10.   Writing a postcard creates a strong memory for you as well. Physically writing something down makes something easier to remember. Start sending postcards, and you’ll have the memory of you sitting in front of the Eiffel Tower, or of you sipping drinks on a beach as you write out words to the people you love.  

Why Snail Mail Is Great

It’s easier than ever to stay in touch with people these days because of technology, but that doesn’t mean snail mail has lost its merit! Here are just a few reasons why we love snail mail so much.

1.      Snail mail is tangible. When you send or receive a piece of mail, it is something physical that can be held in your hands. A sweet email can be saved in a folder and never seen again. You can fold up a letter and keep it in your purse or in a box under your bed. They have a way of feeling more sentimental than a letter sent via technology.

2.      Everyone is excited to get a piece of mail in their mailbox. Adults are used to getting bills and junk mail, so getting a personal letter will always feel extra special.

3.      Snail mail allows you to be more creative. Practice calligraphy or drawings on the paper, or put special design into the envelope. You can be more personal by expressing yourself this way.

4.      Writing a letter takes a lot more thought and a lot more time. It’s easy and fast to send someone a text. To write a letter you have to figure out what you want to say, write it down, get stamps, and physically mail it. This shows you put a lot of thought into this correspondence, which will make the recipient feel good.

5.      Using snail mail works everywhere. If you are in a foreign country and don’t have internet or phone access, you can always send a letter or postcard back home. Maybe you’re taking a vacation somewhere rural so you won’t have reception. Don’t worry, because you can still update your friends and family with a letter.

6.      Using snail mail forces you to slow down and indulge in contemplation. You can rush through an email, but there’s no spell-check when you are writing something on paper. It really makes you take your time, making what you say more meaningful.

7.      Let’s be honest, everyone loves looking at stationary. If you start sending physical letters you will actually use it! Pick up some fun stationary, stickers, and more!

8.      Something you will read about just about anywhere (and likely, on the internet), is that people have grown too impatient. We’ve been conditioned to want instant gratification. With a letter, you can’t get that. You have to wait days, maybe even longer, to get a reply to what you sent. This will force you to be more patient, something we could all use a little more of.

9.      A piece of snail mail is much harder to ignore. Think about all the group messages and Facebook events you are part of. When it is digital, it is very easy for your response to slip your mind. When you get some type of invitation in the mail, responding becomes a physical activity, whether this is mailing back a reply or calling the host.

10.   Snail mail forces you to keep track of where your friends and family live. As years go by with communication restricted to the internet, soon you don’t even have addresses of the people you care about. That won’t happen if you send snail mail regularly.

Why You Should Choose CBUs

CBUs are being used more and more in new developments, and there’s a good reason for it! Today we’re going to list why you should love CBUs, whether you’re a developer or just a resident.

·        CBUs in a larger development are faster and easier to install than individual residential units. Installing several CBUs simply takes less time, less work, and therefore, less money.

·        CBUs require less maintenance simply because there are less mailboxes to maintain. They are also more durable and long-lasting than typical residential units.

·        CBUs will create more neighborhood interaction. People will meet neighbors they may never have met because of this central meeting place.

·        With online shopping becoming more popular, package deliveries are only going to rise. Many CBUs have parcel lockers, taking away some of the complications of package delivery and reducing the chance of package theft.

·        CBUs allow residents to have access to their mail 24/7 in a secure setting. Unlike traditional mailboxes, CBUs are locked unless the key is used.

·        CBUs mean more reliable delivery times, and faster delivery times. It’s much faster for a Postal worker to go to several CBUs than to go to dozens of residential units.

·        CBUs save the post office money, as it takes less labor and therefore less money to deliver to them.

·        The road risks associated with mailboxes go away. Mailboxes will no longer be destroyed by snow plows, and people will not be injured while in the road retrieving mail.

·        If you’re looking for a uniform design for your neighborhood, this is the way to do it and stop owners from choosing their own mailboxes.