With National Mailbox Improvement Week taking place from May 18 to 24, the U.S. Postal Service is encouraging customers to inspect, maintain, and upgrade their mailboxes to help ensure safe, secure, and efficient mail delivery.

 

“Customer’s mailboxes are the first point of contact for receiving birthday cards, letters, and important documents,” said acting Postmaster and CEO Doug Tulino. “A well-maintained mailbox helps to ensure that every package and parcel makes it to its intended destination safely and efficiently.”

 

USPS officials said each year, USPS designates the third week of May as Mailbox Improvement Week to encourage customers with box-on-post-delivery to examine and, where necessary, improve the appearance of their mailboxes. They said that through regular mailbox maintenance efficient mail delivery, enhanced neighborhood curb appeal, and improved postal service operations are better ensured.

 

The postal service calls attention to Mailbox Awareness Week annually because of the wear and tear they say occurs to mailboxes throughout the year. They said some of the typical repairs homeowners may need to carry out include:

• replacing loose hinges on a mailbox door;
• repainting a mailbox that may have rusted or has started to peel;
• remounting a loosened mailbox post;
• replacing or adding house numbers; and
• keeping security top-of-mind.

 

They said USPS partners with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to keep postal employees, the mail stream, and the American public safe, prevent incidents through education and awareness, and enforce the laws that protect the nation’s mail network.

 

They said tips to secure your mail include:

• promptly picking up your mail​ and trying not to leave letters and packages in your mailbox or at your door for any length of time.​
• reporting mailbox vandalism​ and if you see someone actively tampering with a mailbox, immediately report it to the police; and​
•  reporting acts of mailbox vandalism if you know of someone who committed such acts to postal inspectors at 1-877-876-2455.

 

They also provided the following tips on how to set up and mount a mailbox.

 

Finally, with “Informed Delivery,” they said customers can see photos of their mail before it arrives and receive notifications when it’s delivered. Customers can also get “Daily Digest” emails that preview their mail and packages scheduled to arrive in the near future.

 

Additionally, Informed Delivery allows customers to track and manage their packages in one convenient place. Informed Delivery is free, simple to set up and available to all customers who have a residential, business, or PO Box address in an eligible ZIP Code. Learn more here.