Packing itself takes a lot of planning and skill. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not as easy as just throwing things into boxes and taping them up. Unless that is, you like to live dangerously and hope for the best.
Packing your fragile items takes planning to another level, requiring special attention to ensure it’s done properly. If you want to ensure your glasses and dishes arrive intact, make sure you pack mindfully. We put together a few tips to help pack your dishware for safe transport.
Collect the Right Packing Materials
The best place to start with a good packing strategy is by collecting the right packing materials. After all, your things are only safe if you can secure them properly. Packing dishes and glasses isn’t as easy as collecting what you can and shoving it in. While you can get away with any boxes or repurposed suitcases for your clothing items, dishes need extra care.
For dishes, pick up specialty dish boxes. These boxes are extra sturdy thanks to double walls on all sides. Some dish boxes also have dividers that provide a cushion between plates. For glasses, you can pick up boxes specifically designed for packing glassware. You can also use cell pack inserts for standard dish boxes.
Make sure you pick up padding, too. Packing paper and bubble wrap are great items to have on hand. Newspaper can serve as packing material but bear in mind that the ink may transfer to your dishware. For particularly porous items, the ink may stain. At a minimum, you’re liable to add more time to the unpacking process when you need to clean the dishes afterward. Avoid packing precious items and fine China in the newspaper – it’s not worth the risk.
Tips for Dishes
Start by collecting all of your dishes and laying them out in front of you. This will help you get an idea of what you have, and help you organize your items. Lay all of your dishes out on an open, flat surface.
Assemble your dish boxes, and be sure to use an extra amount of packing tape to secure the seams and bottom. Opt for the heavy-duty tape to be safe.
- Line the bottom of your boxes with enough packing paper to pad and secure before filling them
- Wrap each dish individually to avoid friction
- Group similar items together to save space and stay organized
- Start with heavier items on the bottom and keep lighter items for the top
- Be mindful of the weight of your box – it’s better to underfill than to risk weighing them down and increasing the likelihood of dropping or damage
- Once the box is full, fill the space with more packing paper, bubble wrap, or rolled-up kitchen linens
- Seal the box well and be sure to label it with its contents
- Mark the box FRAGILE on top and sides – boxes often shift and rotate while moving
Packing dishes is easy with the right preparation.
How to Pack Glassware
Glasses come in many shapes and sizes, and they have different needs when it comes to packing and supporting them in transit. Start by gathering your glasses together and assessing your collection.
Assemble your dish or glassware boxes and, as before, reinforce the sides and bottom with tape. Insert the cell packs, or line the bottom of the boxes with towels or packing paper.
- Fill glasses with packing paper
- Pad handles of mugs by wrapping with crumpled packing paper
- Wrap items individually with multiple layers of packing paper or with bubble wrap
- Pack glasses upright in the boxes in rows, starting with similar items to save space
- Add a second layer of glasses if there is space, but be sure to use padding in between, seal the box with tape, and clearly label the contents
- Mark the box FRAGILE on top and sides – boxes often shift and rotate while moving