Are you one of the 32 million people expected to move within the USA this year? If so, you’re probably starting to feel some of the stresses associated with this life-changing event.
Part of the anxiety caused by a move revolves around the logistics of the operation. How to go about decluttering your home, whether you should hire a moving company to assist you, and when and how to pack for moving.
Put your mind at ease with these tips on how to pack dishes for moving.
Gather Your Packing Materials First
It’s disappointing to arrive at your destination and start unpacking only to find some of your dishes and glasses have broken in transit.
Often, this happens when you pack in a hurry, run out of packing materials, and cross your fingers hoping for the best. The easiest way to avoid these sub-standard packing slip-ups is to ensure you have enough of the correct packing materials to start off with.
These are the items you’ll need to pack your dishes securely:
- Dish boxes
- Medium-sized boxes
- Packing paper
- Packing tape
- Markers and labels
You can use newspaper when you’re packing dishes to move, but the ink’s bound to rub off on your plates and dishes and it can stain. So, unless you want to spend time scrubbing everything as you unpack it at your new home, rather use packing paper.
Dish boxes are re-inforced to manage the extra weight of dishes. That means they won’t break when fully packed, ensuring your crockery makes it to the other side intact.
How to Pack Dishes for Moving Step by Step
Packing dishes isn’t difficult, but there’s a right way to do it if you want to avoid breakages. Follow these steps to ensure your plates and dishes have a safe trip to your new home:
- Place a piece of packing paper on a flat surface and position a dish in the center of it.
- Pull the corners of the paper over the dish and wrap it securely.
- Repeat this process for each dish.
- Stack four similar-sized wrapped plates one on top of the other, turn the stack upside down and place it in the center of another sheet of packing paper.
- Wrap the stack by pulling the corners of the packing paper over it, and securing them with tape.
- Prepare a small box by placing a thick layer of packing paper at the bottom.
- Place your wrapped stack of plates vertically in the box.
- Add additional bundles until the box is full and pad any spaces with extra wrapping paper.
- Tape the box shut securely and label it, ‘fragile – this way up’, with a marker.
If you’re using a moving company, they’ll know that they need to handle and pack these boxes with extra care.
Short-term storage container rentals offer the opportunity to pack your own goods securely. So, if you’re nervous about a moving company mishandling your goods, this is a good choice for you.
More Helpful Advice
Now you know how to pack dishes for moving, take a look at some of our other blogs for more useful tips about packing and moving.
We’ve got plenty of good advice about negotiating an office or residential move with the least hassle possible.
