Packing Tips
How to Pack Books When Moving House
Packing Tips
How to Pack Dishes and Glasses When Moving
- Published: Jan 28/2019
- Last update: Nov 30/2022
- 6min read
- Views: 467
The most important thing when moving home is to ensure that your belongings are transported safely and securely! Packing them correctly and with care is the key to achieving this.
Our Fantastic Services team has put together this handy guide to packing the most fragile items, like plates and crockery.
No matter the item you’re about to pack, there are a few general rules to follow. Knowing these would make any packing day easygoing and maybe even fun.
Shop for your packing supplies as if you are moving an entire army. Dedicate a day to just gathering what you need. It may sound like a time-waster, but our main objective is to reduce stress on the big day as much as possible. You will need double-wall, small boxes. That’s right, small. You’ll find out why in a bit. However, ensure they are bigger than the radius of your largest glassware. Additionally, you’ll need cell dividers for glasses, packing tape, bubble wrap, stretch wrap, packing paper, a marker or a stack of sticky labels. Or both.
Now, why do you need small boxes? Well, the experience of many people who moved properties has proven that if the item you are transporting is heavy, the box needs to be small. Dishes, glassware and anything ceramic or porcelain are heavy. If you put them in a large box, they will have space to jiggle and might break on the way resulting in a disaster.
Even if you’re using small boxes, this doesn’t mean you can go overboard with overpacking the heaviest items. Every box has a limit, and it’s usually around 30 pounds. Have a scale nearby to measure your boxes before closing them. Never exceed the box limit. It’s not just bad for the box, but it’s going to be hard on your back as well.
Once a box is full, it will probably have empty gaps around the edges. During transportation, your glassware might be unstable, thus increasing the chances of damage. To avoid this, fill the gaps with whatever you have. You might use packing supplies such as packing paper or bubble wrap. You can use crunched newspapers or an old piece of fabric for your household items.
Labels are important not just for your plate and glassware boxes but for all of your belongings. Once you close the box, you can quickly forget what is where, and unpacking would turn disorganized. That’s where labels come in. You can use a permanent marker to write on the box, or you can label by room and by item. You can even use a colour-code system if you have too many boxes. And, of course, don’t forget to label everything FRAGILE.
When it’s time to load the packed boxes in the moving van, it’s tempting to pile them up one over the other to conserve space. The general rule is to place the heavier boxes on the bottom and the lighter boxes on top. However, boxes loaded with glassware are better left without anything stacked on top of them. They shouldn’t be placed on top of anything either since they might fall off and break.
Here is the easiest way to pack plates by using nothing more than packing paper. Old newspapers will do the same job if you don’t have packing paper.
View the rates of packing services of our Fantastic Removals in London!
Cups and bowls have different shapes, so logically, the packing technique will also be individual. Coffee cups usually come in a cardboard box with a cup separator inside. If you have kept that box, you can use it for your move. If not, here is how to pack them:
Just like with the plates, prepare the box ahead of time by laying several sheets of crumpled packing paper or soft cloth on the bottom and walls. The box should be wide enough to contain about three rows of coffee cups and two rows of small bowls. Or, one large bowl.
Use the same flat surface you used for the plates and wrap each cup with a sheet of packing paper until the ridges are covered completely. Don’t shove too much paper on the inside of the cup since other cups will be stacked into a bundle. For that, you might have to cut a smaller piece of paper.
Use the same flat surface you used for the plates and wrap each cup with a sheet of packing paper until the ridges are covered completely. Don’t shove too much paper on the inside of the cup since other cups will be stacked into a bundle. For that, you might have to cut a smaller piece of paper.
Both cups and bowls should be placed upright and stacked together one over the other. Don’t stack any more than 3 or 4 dishes at a time. Three rows of cups, two rows of bowls, or one large bowl should be easy enough to fit in a single box.
Since you’re packing dishes of different shapes and sizes in one box, there might be more gaps than with the plates. Make sure to fill them up with crumpled paper or other unusable soft clothes. Seal with packing tape and label.
You must be extra careful when packing fragile items such as glasses and cups when moving kitchen items. Here are some easy steps for packing your glassware to ensure that all of it arrives in one piece.
Juice glasses come in different varieties, but all in all, they don’t differ that much about the space they would take up in a box. They’re easy to pack. In fact, the most specific thing about them is that you’ll have to count a bit.
Wine glasses are tricky since their shape is extremely fragile. They often get broken during transportation. You would benefit greatly if you saved the original box they came in. It’s just the right size and has the right cells, keeping them stable and secure. If you didn’t save it, here is how you can wrap wine glasses with your packing supplies.
Beer mugs are heavier than standard glassware, which poses a problem for cardboard boxes. If you have more than two beer mugs, we suggest that you use a plastic box instead.
Book your service in minuites!
Image source: antoniodiaz/shutterstock.com
***
Did you find our article on packing dishes helpful? Why not share your thoughts with us in the comments below?
The only home improvement newsletter you will ever need!
We will never spam you. Pinky promise!
For more information, check out our privacy policy.