HOW TO PROPERLY PACK YOUR DISHES FOR MOVING

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When facing a local move, packing for a move will become your only hobby in the days before the move. Ok, unless you hired your moving company to do that instead you. When it comes to moving, packing is the most arduous moving task during the entire relocation process. But what part of packing is the trickiest, the most sensitive and time consuming? Yes, you are right! Packing dishes! Don’t worry, we are here to help you with few handy tricks. Try to pack kitchen first before you run out of energy and motivation. Goal: To relocate your dishes to the new location in one piece.First step, when it comes to any packing, is to see if you want to get rid of something. If so, this is the perfect moment to do so. You don’t need those scratched plates and damaged cups. The old plates set that you got from your family friends that is just the wrong color – don’t bring it. So, let’s start with packing material. You should know it is a good idea to purchase some more packing materials than you think you’ll need. If this is your first time moving, you might not be aware that you can purchase boxes that are made for dish packing – dish box, dish barrels or dish packs. They usually have separate compartments inside for each dish, so they are super convenient. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean they are 100% safe if they are not padded correctly. Padding material inside the box is your best friend when it comes to packing dishes.There are many materials that can be used for padding – bubble wrap, packing paper, packaging foam, even the old kitchen towels, newspaper or old clothes if you run out of the mentioned. If you are moving from or within Long Beach, you can purchase boxes in The Box Zone, Home Depot etc. Dish boxes do cost a bit more than ordinary carton boxes, but they are worth the extra investment. Wrap each individual dish with packing paper or anything that we mentioned so far. Pack them in properly cushioned moving boxes and don’t try to save on that paper, use as much as you think it’s enough to prevent dishes from shifting during transit.

Plates

If you don’t want to invest in dish boxes, use them just for your most expensive and the most delicate plates. Put one layer of bubble wrap or dish towels or packing paper at the bottom of the box and before you close it, put a final layer of packing paper over the plates. Always stack your plates on end. If you pack them flat, the plates on the bottom can crack under the weight.

Glasses, cups and bowls

Glasses might be the trickiest part. You probably have different sizes and shapes of your glasses and that will make them harder to pack. Same goes for mugs. Stuff your glasses with paper and wrap the stems with bubble wrap. Put the glasses in a moving box upright, with their months facing downwards. You should place cups upside down in the moving box. Bowls should be placed inside one another.

Pots and pans

Put the biggest pot or pan on the bottom of the box. Box should be just a bit bigger than the actual item. Continue nesting smaller pots and pans until the box is full. Make sure to place a paper towel, foam sheet or bubble wrap in between each item. If you need a homemade solution for pots and pans, you can use carrier bags as an alternative for boxes.

Cutlery

First, sort your kitchen utensils by type and size and then wrap them together in a sheet of bubble wrap or packing paper, tape them and place in the small box. Make sure to double wrap knives. It would be the best to use kitchen thick towels for this. If you don’t have it, use several layers of bubble wrap. After you are done with placing the dishes in the boxes, fill out the gaps with packing paper. The more paper you use – the better. Use quality tape to triple tape the box. When that is done, gently shake the box and check if dishes can move inside the box. Lack of sound is good sign. It means that your items are safe. Don’t try to finish your packing fast, more importantly is to safely pack your dishes.

Don’t forget to mark box as fragile. Add as well “This side up/down”. That way you will make sure that your movers are going to be extra careful with them. Even though the movers will see your label, don’t be shy to mention this one more time when they arrive. The better your boxes are labeled; it will be easier for you to unpack them and organize dishes in your new home.

If you want to avoid all of this, just ask your moving company if they can help you with packing your kitchen items, in case you wouldn’t like to have a full pack service. Every local moving company can also provide you with quality packing material and dish pack, so even if you don’t want to hire them for packing, they might be willing to sell you these and bring them to you on your moving date. So, while they are moving your items, you can finish up your packing.