How To Pack Dishes When Moving
Packing is a daunting task, particularly when you have to pack delicate items such as dishes. Many people have been heartbroken upon arriving at their destination to find their dishes destroyed – not the way you want to begin a new life in a new home! Fortunately, there is a right way and a wrong way to pack dishes, and while there are few guarantees about anything in life, this is a way to be relatively sure you will protect your dishes during a move.
First, remember it’s best to pack your kitchen essentials last, unless they are ornamental only. Why? You use them the most. The last to go into the moving truck is also the first to come out of the moving truck, which means that you’ll be able to unpack and use your dishes right away in your new home. Be sure to give yourself ample time to pack, and perhaps invite a friends or two, as kitchens should take about eight hours to pack if done correctly.
Things You Need To Pack Like A Pro
- packing paper
- boxes
- sharpie pens
- shipping tape
While moving stores specifically sell boxes designed for dishes, you don’t need them. Any secure box will do.
- Take your dish and place in directly in the center of a sheet of packing paper.
- Pull the corners of the paper up to securely wrap it.
- Repeat this process with three more plates of the same size.
- Stack your four plates together, then carefully turn the stack upside down in the center of another sheet of packing paper.
- Wrap the four plates together, securing with tape.
- Place the dishes in a small to medium box, and place them on their side, with a thick layer of wrapping paper underneath them. (Vertical dishes are far less likely to break!)
- Repeat the process, adding additional bundles until the box is packed snugly. The less room they have to move around, the less likely the dishes will break.
- Stuff more packing paper on top and sides of the dishes, then securely close and tape the box.
- Label clearly – “FRAGILE – DISHES – THIS SIDE UP.”
- Use the same process for bowls of similar size. You can nest smaller ones inside of larger ones if need be.
Stemware Can Be Tricky
We love our wine glasses! Packing can be a little trickier, but easily manageable with a few hacks.
- Stuff cups with packing paper, but don’t force too much inside. Gentle is the key.
- Wrap stems and handles with paper, crinkles gently, then wrap the entire piece in packing paper.
- In a box lined with paper, pack all stemware and glassware in an upright position, stuffing the empty areas with wadded-up packing paper. Again, it should be snug but not unreasonably tight.
- Don’t place any glassware on their sides or upside down.
- If all glassware is of similar size, you can stack, using packing paper as a layer in between.
- Tape the box and label “GLASSWARE – FRAGILE – THIS SIDE UP”
Fortunately silverware is not as fragile, but you need to exercise care because it can be sharp. Wrap all knives several times in packing paper and place in a box that says “CAREFUL – SHARP ITEMS” so that there are no injuries during your move.
Pots and pans can be wrapped and nested, placing smaller pans inside larger ones, and then place them in a box upside down. Be sure to tape securely and label. The same is true with cookie sheets and mixing bowls, teapots and small mixers. You may want to wrap and pack larger items like toasters and blenders individually and label them as such.
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