Packing Dishes for the Move

Packing dishes for the move and other household items safely should be your top priority when preparing for relocation. By following these simple guidelines, breakable kitchen items will reach the new home intact. Some people would say that all the fuss about packing and moving the kitchen is overrated.

Although it seems like a small unit, there are a lot of cupboards and drawers containing numerous tiny items that need special attention. With all the items you have in your kitchen, it’s easy to lose track of everything you need to pack. As a result, you will need a lot of effort and time to sort your dishes and pack them properly for the move. Once you clean and sort out your dishes, the next step should be getting packing supplies and wrapping them safely. If you have never moved to another home, don’t let the number of household items and breakables frighten you. Even the most fragile items can be easily handled if you follow our suggestions.

Which packing supplies to use for packing dishes for the move?

When it comes to packing fragile items, you can never use too many packing supplies to secure them. Some of the things you should make sure to use are some sturdy moving boxes that you can get at a local moving company. Since dishes can break easily and need to be packed separately, you will also need some soft fabrics and materials. Here’s the list of the packing supplies you should prepare.

Packing paper

You can use a lot of it to pack every dish individually. Also, you can crumble it to minimize the space around dishes in moving boxes. After you finish packing a box, avoid leaving any voids inside and fill them with packing paper. This will prevent items from shifting inside during transit and keep them from breaking.

Bubble wrap

It can work as well as packing paper, but it is a bit bulkier, so it adds extra support. Use bubble wrap and packing paper together for best results when you have extra fragile items. You can also replace paper with bubble wrap and use it as well to fill in empty space inside the box.

Fabrics and soft goods

If you’re not able to get proper packing supplies, you can be creative and use some of your household goods. You can use paper towels, cloths, pillow covers, and clothing if you need to pack last-minute. These are not the best supplies you can get, but they’ll serve the purpose last minute and any sort of protection is better than no protection.

Sturdy moving boxes

If you have the original packaging it’s always best to use it because it will be a perfect fit for the item you’re moving. But if you don’t have the original packaging anymore, go ahead and find cardboard moving boxes. It’s extremely important that you use only the sturdy ones and that are in good shape because dishes are heavy and can easily break the box that’s not sturdy enough. These boxes will make sure to minimize the movement of your kitchenware during transportation.

Packing tape

For extra security of your dishes, you can use packing tape to fix and bind dishes together. Also, you should make sure to tape and secure each moving box.

Labeling device

Since packing dishes for the move is a time-consuming process, you should mark the boxes as “fragile” and secure them for the move. You can use a special tape to wrap it around the box or simply get sharpie markers and write “fragile” on each side of the box. Don’t skip any sides because it will make it less visible in case those boxes get mixed up with other boxes on top of them. Even though labeling takes some time, always go through this step because it will make it possible for movers to know which boxes to handle carefully.

Packing dishes for the move – how to do it, right?

Use enough packing supplies

Have enough packing supplies and protective material on hand-packing paper, dish boxes, packing tape, bubble paper, towels, etc. Dish boxes are specialized moving containers designed for packing dishes for the move, as well as moving fragile kitchen items. Dish boxes are more durable with thicker walls than regular cardboard boxes, and as a result, they are more expensive.

Make sure to use as much packing paper as you can to wrap every glassware item. You should also cover the bottom of every box and fill a space inside the box with it to make sure that items cannot move around before putting crumpled paper, tape the bottom of the box properly to reinforce it. Do not overpack the boxes – if you make them too heavy, you’re risking breaking them and destroying all your precious dishes. Always add an extra layer of the packing paper at the top as well as inside where empty space is left.

Wrap dishes individually

To ensure the best protection, wrap each item individually, pack bigger items first, and light items at the top of the box. If the box is too heavy, it’s better to mix items and pack some dishes at the bottom and other household items on top. Also, while packing dishes for the move, make protective cushioning inside and out the dishes. While lifting the box, if you hear the clunking sound, know that there is still a free space between the items that need to be filled with crumpled paper. Do not hesitate to do double-wrap more delicate items like porcelain, crystal, or stoneware. Furthermore, although the item is already wrapped in paper, put an extra protective layer of bubbly paper over it.

For securing your dishes for the upcoming move, you can also use a bubbly, so you can either use a crumpled paper or bubbly paper to make a soft base for your items. Once packing dishes for the move is over, place once again protective padding material at the top and close boxes with tape.

Additional tips for packing kitchen inventory

Here are some of the useful tips you may need to read before packing dishes for the move:

Small kitchen appliances

It’s helpful to use a dish box for packing small kitchen appliances, but not necessarily, since those boxes are designed for delicate and breakable items like bowls, plates, glasses, cups, vases, stemware, etc.

Pots, pans, plastic kitchen items

Items like pots, pans, and plastic kitchen items don’t need to be packed in a dish box. Use a regular cardboard box instead, since similar items are not so delicate.

Moving budget

Make sure to include other dish packing material costs in the moving budget. Some of them will cost extra money except the plain cardboard boxes (which can be found for free). If you are about to exceed the budget, use some alternatives every household has – newspapers, old towels, and any kind of fabrics which can be used as padding material.

Label

Label each moving box so that your movers know the content of the boxes and where each of them belongs. In case you have additional instructions for the people responsible for transporting them, write them down. Even though your boxes will be labeled, do take a moment to let your movers know which boxes require special attention.

Handle with care

Be very careful when packing dishes for the move and loading the boxes into the moving truck. No matter how much the items are protected, one careless step while loading the boxes can cause a lot of damage.

Hire professionals

If you are uncertain as to how you will manage the packing of extra fragile and valuable items, consider professional packing services provided by your movers or any other company specializing in packing for the move. Consider paying for expert packing services in NYC. Professional movers will know how to secure your dishes in the best way possible. Moreover, packing can be a part of a full home moving service. Even though professional packers or full-service moving companies may seem like an extra expense, hiring professionals to handle your move often pays off when you look at the big picture. Some of your dishes may be too valuable to you to risk damaging them, and with hiring professional assistance, you can have peace of mind knowing that they have the best equipment and experience to handle your relocation.

Insurance

Last but not least, always purchase proper insurance when moving, especially when moving fragile items. You want to make absolutely sure that you’re covered in case any of your items get damaged or lost.

What are the costs of moving your home?

When it comes to moving your home, packing all of your inventory will take just a small part of your moving budget. Before you start planning the relocation day, you should consider all the other moving costs. The overall cost of your move will depend on the distance of your move and the number of moving boxes you’ll have. However, there are some easy ways to calculate your moving costs and plan your budget in the right direction.

Before packing dishes for the move, you should check a few moving companies and see if they offer a moving cost estimator. This useful tool is a form on the company’s website, and it can help you find out the cost of moving services. Depending on the details you fill in, you will see which service you can afford to pay. Another way of calculating your moving budget is by telling movers more about your moving plans. A professional moving company will always consider your budget and other limitations and suggest the best moving plan.

Get ready to organize moving assistance

One of the most time-consuming tasks is packing dishes for the move. If you want to save some time while preparing your household for relocation, make sure to look for trustworthy moving companies. Local movers can offer help with the transportation of your fragile inventory and provide many specialized services. Packing fragile items is something moving companies specialize in. So, before you start packing dishes for the move, consider hiring professional moving assistance and forget about the moving troubles! Contact Dumbo Moving and Storage and get a free quote.