There’s nothing worse than hearing a crash on moving day. After all, moving can be a difficult task and the last thing you want to do is replace all of your breakables once you’ve finally unpacked the broken pieces.
Fortunately, you can move into your new home without breaking even one dish. You just need to know how to pack dishes properly and safety, and of course, how to move them accordingly. With these tips and packing materials, your current dishes will be making the trip to your new home damage-free.
Buy Proper Boxes
With all of the costs associated with moving into a new home, it can be tempting to cut some corners. However, no matter how tempting those free random boxes are at the side of the road, they’re never a good idea. Not all boxes are created equally, and you want ones that have been designed specifically for durability, strength and preferably, dishes. So, buying brand new moving boxes is the first step to packing dishes properly.
Packing Paper is the Key
Once you’ve got your moving boxes, it’s time to pick up some packing materials. With so many options it can be difficult knowing which one is the best for your dishes. Some are fluffy, cushioned, filled, foam – you name it. While each serves a unique purpose (and price), sticking with the simple stuff is often best.
Packing paper is an excellent and affordable option that won’t break the bank. You can tightly wrap up your dishes with a couple layers of protection and make sure of limited space inside of your moving boxes. To fill the voids, crinkle some packing paper into a ball and stick them in.
Add in Extra Layers of Cushion
Packing paper is great, but you may also want to add in other forms of protective layers. After all, these are your dishes you’re talking about and dishes are incredibly fragile. So, grab some cushioned packing materials and layer the bottom, side and top of your boxes. It’ll secure your dishware even more, and further decrease the risk of them being damaged during the move.
Give Each Dish Your Undivided Attention
With moving day fast approaching, the cupboards still full and your hands getting tired, you may be tempted to wrap all of your dishware together in bulk. However, this is one mistake that can easily result in damage because there’s no protection between the dishes. With all of the movement on moving day, your dishes can easily scrape, chip, crack and completely break altogether if not individually protected.
So, always wrap each item individually. It will take more time but it’ll protect your dishes, and save you from having to spend a fortune on a new set.
Never Forget the “Fragile” Label
The actual process of moving your dishes once they’re packed is just as important as packing them properly. Even if you’ve individually wrapped every dish in 3 inches of protection, if the box isn’t handled properly, your dishes could very well break.
Always label your dish box with “fragile” as soon as possible. It’s easy to forget this step, or worse, forget which already-taped-up box your dishes are in. So, have a Sharpie on hand and as soon as the box is full of your dishware, label it. When the movers come, be sure to point out which boxes have been marked as fragile.
There’s no denying that properly and safely packing dishes is a tedious task. It takes time, patience and quite a bit of effort. However, it’s crucial to never cut corners when packing your dishes, especially if you want them to arrive at your new home in one piece. You may also want to consider hiring professional packers, as they have perfected the talent of properly packing dishware. They can even supply you with the best packing supplies. It’s an option you can have confidence in and that will also save you plenty of time.
