pile of dishes overlay
Posted in How-to, Moving Tips&Tricks on April 5, 2021
Madison Rogers

Born and raised in Houston Madison is a content writer who loves traveling. She has lived in different states and is always eager to share her knowledge with others.

You Ask How to Pack Dishes for Moving, We Answer

You decided it is time to find a new home and get a fresh start. Every change in life is hard and challenging, and relocation is certainly one of them. Knowing how to pack dishes for moving is one of the relocation crucial steps since you’ll unpack and start using the kitchen items first. Check out our suggestions on how to make this whole process go swift and easy for you.

You’d think a dish is the last thing you should think about while relocating, but fragile items require a bit more attention while preparing them for the relocation. That way, you’ll have them safely transported and ready to use once you move in. Follow these simple steps and have every dish in one piece.

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Why Is It Important to Know How to Pack Dishes for Moving

No matter the reasons for the relocation, planning a long distance move can be very difficult to do by yourself, so learning some relocation hacks is a good start. Thinking you’ll just put all the things in boxes and avoid all the stress during relocation might be the worst thing you could do. Packing dishes for moving is undoubtedly one of the most important steps. You should consider it so you won’t get out of the boxes broken pieces of your dishes and have to buy brand-new ones.

Mugs and places in a wooden basket
You'll want to enjoy a bite and a sip in your favorite pieces after the move

The First Step Before Packing Is to Organize

You’re preparing yourself for the move because you found a new job, or you’re relocating for love, or just want to reorganize your place, and you’re asking yourself, what is the fastest way to pack for a move? The answer would be creating a checklist of all the things you need to prepare before the whole relocation process. The same thing is for the dishes. Take time and make a checklist of all the dishes you want to bring to your future home. Notice: every dish counts, so be aware of every little thing you want to load.

A girl with the notebook
Without a checklist, every job is more challenging

How to Pack Dishes When Moving – Gather All the Supplies First

Whether you’re wondering how do you pack large serving bowls for moving or how to store dishes and fragile items, the essential thing is to have the right material for filling them. Why is this so important? Well, we all know we can’t predict if our things won’t break during the transport, so you need to make them safe as much as you can. If you want to save some money with any sort of material already used, you risk damaging all the fragile pieces you want to store. Check out the following list of supplies you’ll need and make sure you have all of the supplies more than enough:

  • Cardboard boxes with dividers and the regular ones, medium or small size,
  • Packing paper,
  • Bubble wrap,
  • Tape,
  • Blankets or any other soft material,
  • Permanent marker,
  • “Fragile” and “This side up” stickers.

Once you calculate how much of them you need, get twice as much. It’s always better to have unused supplies than be without any in the middle of wrapping up your things.

Avoid Newspaper Because You’ll Be Cleaning Afterward

Maybe you’re thinking the newspapers are the most affordable alternative and cheaper than wrapping paper when it comes to protecting your breakable belongings. Think twice. The newspapers are dirty, and they could leave stains, so it’s not such a great substitute. It’s best to avoid them because you don’t need a single dirty dish on your checklist.

Newspapers
Using the newspaper for this task it's not such a wise choice since you already cleaned everything

Affordable Packing Tips When You’re Relocating to a Future Home

If you are planning on relocating alone to another state or decided to live on your own, you might want to save some money on expensive and high-quality supplies because you’re on a limited budget. Let’s face it, boxing up supplies can be very pricey. Try to find some free things. You could start by asking your friends and family, even coworkers, if someone was recently hiring professional cross country movers. They might have some packages and materials they don’t need anymore. Another way to get free packages is to check your local stores. You can also find or buy cheaper flimsy boxes and secure them on the walls and the bottom with some tape and cardboard.

How Do You Pack Dishes for Moving Without Paper

Other free and also effective alternatives are soft clothes and cotton pieces, cloths, or towels. Here is the list of things that  can be used instead of paper:

  • Cloths,
  • Socks,
  • Underwear,
  • Towels,
  • Sweaters,
  • Sweatshirts.

Don’t forget you can always check online on Craigslist for some free stuff.

Plate in a bubble wrap
There is another alternative - the bubble wrapping method is a great one

How to Pack Dishes for a Move – First Clean Then Pack

Before putting your breakable things into storage, it is essential to make sure every dish is completely clean. Turn on the dishwasher or do the hand wash until they are clean with no food or drink leftovers. That way you can use them as soon as you relocate to your future place.

A shelf with kitchen items
Cleaning everything first will save you a lot of time after the unpacking

Essential Tips on How to Wrap Plates and Dishes for the Relocation

Wondering if boxing up a bathroom is easier than wrapping up all the little details from the kitchen or even from packing shoes? Not necessarily, but they can all go much smoother with a bit of good planning and organization. In order to keep fragile stuff from breaking, it is important to understand what is the best way to store the dish for shipping. Let’s see the practical things you’ll need the most after gathering needed materials.

Decide What You Don’t Need and What You Shouldn’t Store

Wondering what is the first task when relocating to a new apartment? Begin with decluttering. There is certainly a plate or a mug you don’t use, so why bring them to the future home? Decide what goes to the storing packages and what is

not. It is not an easy task but if you’re struggling with wrapping pans and pots that are already old, you might want to give them away and order new ones directly to your future address. It is a great opportunity to sell or donate other kitchen stuff you don’t need anymore.

It will take some time but you’ll have much more free space for the other belongings. And it is an excellent excuse to buy some stuff for your kitchen you wanted for a long time. Wouldn’t that be a treat, eh?

Here are some tips on what is the best way to pack dishes and prevent them breaking:

Tip 1: Prevent Plates from Breaking

Rule number one: start with the largest and heaviest items first. Learning how to store plates will save you a lot of time. Start wrapping with paper or anything you’ve decided to use and put each plate in the box vertically. If you lay them flat, the weight from the top will likely crack them during transportation.

Tip 2: Protect and Store Bowls

The bowls go next. Do the same technique you did to store the plate, wrap them in paper or bubble wrap, and put them vertically. When you’ve finished the layer, add more protective material.

YouTube video

Tip 3: Wrap Glasses

Learning how to store glasses will save you a lot of trouble during cross country moving. The most important thing is to put them last in a truck since they are the lightest of all dishes and to secure the glass with some protective material inside and around.

YouTube video

Tip 4: Secure Pots and Pans

We might think our pots and pans don’t have to be protected and can go directly into the box. But, it’s also essential to protect them and prevent scratches during the move. Wrap each pan and pot like bowls, for example.

Pans hanging
Wrapping pans and pots will protect them during the relocation

Tip 5: Safely Store Knives, Forks, and Spoons

Tape up your pantry things and put them in one box if possible. Seal the pointy ends of knives and forks with the tape to protect yourself during and after the move.

A set of knives
Knives can be very dangerous, so place them in protective material

Here Are Some Additional Tips You Can Use Any Day

We’re all struggling with the same things every day in the kitchen, so here are some additional advice how to store other dishes and kitchen stuff:

  • When you’re packaging bottles full of liquid, always remember to use plastic wrap to seal them, so the liquid doesn’t get spilled everywhere during transport. Remove the lids, put some plastic over the bottle, and then close the lid,
  • Avoid filling packages to the top and making them too heavy,
  • Seal the box twice with the tape,
  • Wrapping china separately before bundling will save you a headache during and after the move.
A woman is using a wrapping device
Run twice with the wrapping tape

How to Pack Dishes for Shipping – Don’t Forget Labeling Boxes

After all the hard work you had to do during the wrapping up and cleaning process, one more step could seem an impossible task to do. Still, labeling has to be on your checklist. It will be a lifesaver during wrapping up and the unpacking as well. It is important to put a label on the sides of each box, not on top, and write what is in it. That way, if you decide to hire professional long distance moving services, you don’t have to worry because movers will see the label “fragile” and will handle it with care.

Woman with packages
It's important to label the packages on the sides, that way you don't have to worry about how you're putting them

Choose Long Distance Moving Company or DIY

The relocation is a challenging task if you decide to do it all by yourself, especially when relocating with pets or children. It will take some extra steps, so if you don’t have a limited budget, call your friends or family and ask them who are the best long distance movers near me. Get some free quotes and check the moving insurance and packing services covered, as well if storage facilities are on offer. With no worries about boxes and packing supplies, you can relax and enjoy the future home and all the dishes you moved safely with you.

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