Packing up the kitchen — along with the rest of the house — is no easy task. It can be time consuming, and if you don’t use quality materials and proper care, it could lead to broken items. That’s why it’s essential to get started off right. From how to secure each kind of drinking glass to ways to ensure the crystal stays intact, there’s a lot to consider — especially when time is short or there are kids underfoot.
To help make packing for your upcoming move easier, here are some pointers on how to pack dishes for a move from the professionals.
Materials You Need Before Getting Started
Before you pull anything from the shelves, you need to have the necessary supplies on hand. After all, these dishes, glassware, and china are fragile. Using plenty of the right packing materials will give them extra padding and help ensure they make it to the new house unscathed. Supplies you should stock up on include:
- Sturdy, medium-sized boxes, such as dish boxes and banker’s boxes
- Packing paper
- Packing tape
- Tissue paper
- Bubble wrap
- A marker for labeling
If moving expensive china or other fragile items, it’s best to use a dish pack. Typically made of corrugated cartons of double-wall construction, these boxes are designed specifically for the job.
Step-By-Step Guidelines for Packing Up the Kitchen
- Set aside dishes to use during the move. You don’t want to be caught unprepared when it’s time to eat the night before or the morning after the move. To avoid this, create a “mess” kit with a plate, bowl, utensils, and drinkware for each person. Be sure to use “everyday” pieces. You could also opt for biodegradable paper plates and cups to minimize cleanup.
- Clear out unwanted items. Do you have old plastic cups or worn cookware you never use anymore? Moving presents the perfect opportunity to purge these items. Plus, getting rid of stuff at the beginning means you’ll have more space to work with and less to pack. Be sure to donate what you can and recycle the rest if possible.
- Wrap each dish in packing paper. The best way to pack dishes for moving is to keep them separate. If space allows, take all the items out of the drawers and cabinets sorting as you go. Then, create a flat workstation to carefully wrap each one in packing paper.
- Plates: To begin, lay out a stack of the paper on the flat surface. Starting from a top corner, wrap the paper diagonally and fasten the corner under the opposite side of the plate while tucking in the overlapping edges continuously. Do this until the plate is completely wrapped and use tape to secure any loose ends. For fine china and crystal, add an extra layer just to be safe.
- Bowls: Use the same technique for all your assorted bowls. For added protection, you can nest like-sized wrapped items together, but be mindful of material. You don’t want to stack a heavy piece of crockery on top of a wood salad bowl just because it fits.
- Drinkware: How to pack glasses for moving comes down to the material. Porcelain coffee mugs and breakable glassware typically need to be wrapped individually. A double layer of packing paper should do the trick, but bubble wrap is also an excellent route. Plastic cups can just be stacked inside of each other, no need for paper.
- Stemware: Particularly fragile, stemware needs extra care to minimize the risk of damage. A great option is to use wine boxes from your local store or to procure box inserts designed specifically to separate each glass with cardboard dividers. Wrap each glass carefully and place it in its own slot so it won’t bump into anything else. To make it even more secure, use bubble wrap or packing paper for more padding between the layers.
- Silverware: Packing silverware usually works best by bundling it into small groups, wrapping it with paper and taping it shut. The same goes for serving utensils. You could also keep silverware inside its tray and wrap the entire thing.
- Cookware and gadgets: Any cords should be coiled around the item and the entire appliance wrapped and taped closed. Pots and pans should also be wrapped with any glass lids being packaged and kept separate.
- Pack items strategically. There are right ways and wrong ways to pack. One of the most important to remember is to place the heaviest items at the bottom of the box. You may also want to add additional layers of padding between items. Crumpled packing paper, foam peanuts, and even old towels all work well as filler for padding the contents of each box.
- Create an inventory. As you pack, either keep a mental note or jot down where things are, how many there are, etc. Doing so is helpful in case of lost or misplaced boxes down the road.
- Tape the boxes closed and label everything clearly. Once filled but not too heavy, apply layers of quality packing tape to keep each box tightly closed. Lastly, label it “fragile,” list the contents, and mark it with the destination in black marker and use easy-to-read writing.
Rely on the Experts at Big League Movers & Storage
Here at Big League Movers, we offer a wide range of services, including unpacking and packing. You can trust our professional staff to treat your belongings with care as they wrap and box them at point A and unpack them at point B. Plus, we only use quality packing supplies and reliable techniques to safeguard even your most fragile items. You won’t have to worry about all the tedious, hard work of packing when we’re on the job.
Whether you’re moving locally or taking the whole family across the country, we’re here to meet all your relocation demands. Give us a call today to learn more about us or to request a free quote!