How to Easily Pack Dishes and Stop Breaking Plates (Keep them Safe!)
Vertical or horizontal? Bubble wrap or paper? And the fastest way to pack. Our team does a LOT of packing and moving. And here’s our tips on how to easily pack dishes – and stop breaking them when moving.
When moving, one of the most common mistakes is not securely packing fragile items. Kitchen goods are probably some of the most easily breakable items in the house. If you pack your dishes incorrectly or with not enough protection, smashed glass or broken China and ceramic pieces could go everywhere.
This can be particularly devastating when these goods are expensive or have sentimental meaning. Below we discuss the best way to easily pack dishes and plates to avoid breakages. Plus see tips on how to move a refrigerator.
Best way to pack dishes for moving
Get the correct moving supplies
Before you begin packing, make sure you have moving supplies that will help you avoid these breakages. To ensure your dishes do not break, you will need sturdy cardboard boxes, packing partition kits, packing tape, and dish wrapping paper. If you are able to get hold of some bubble wrap or foam pouches to put in-between the dishes, then even better. Read our guide on how to choose the right boxes when moving home.
After you have gathered all the materials, ensure that the boxes are put together in a robust way that will be able to handle the pressure of the weight. Place the dish packing partition kits inside which are designed to separate and protect individual dishes.
Start packing your dishes for moving
Once all your boxes and materials are assembled you are ready to start packing your items.
For plates and bowls, it is a good idea to wrap each in one or two pieces of packing paper. Place the dish at the end of the wrapping paper and wrap it around several times. Secure the packing paper with tape. You can also place the dishes inside bubble wrap or foam pouches instead of using packing paper. Once you have protected the dish, place it inside one of the partitions. Make sure to fill any gaps with extra packing paper so that the dishes will not be able to move about in transit. Close the box and tape it up shut.
Any china or crystal you have will need to be packed with extra caution, due to the valuable nature of these items. It is best to use extra packing paper, bubble cushioning, or foam pouches when wrapping these items. If you still have the original boxes that the china came in, then it is recommended that you use those.
Should you pack dishes vertically or horizontally?
For plates, always pack them vertically. As in lying flat on their bottom, like it would on a table. Why? Because when you’re moving and the vehicle bounces or vibrates, it’s going to apply the most pressure int eh direction of gravity (i.e. downwards).
So, if you plates are stacked horizontally (which is what most people do to save space), all the pressure of impacts and bumps hit straight onto the fragile edge of the plate. No, stack them vertically so the more-robust bottom of the plate can absorb any bumps.
How to pack Cups, Mugs, and Glasses
Start by filling your glass or mug in with packing paper. You can then wrap the outside of the mugs and cups with packing paper, starting at one corner, and wrapping at an angle. Fold in any excess paper for added protection. Place the cups and mugs into a box and fill in any empty areas with some padding or more paper, to stop them from sliding around, which could cause them to break.
How to pack pots and pans
When packing your pots and pans you will need to use plenty of packing paper to protect them. Although pots and pans are more robust than glasses and dishes; they can still break in transit and can be expensive to replace. Wrap your pots and pans in wrapping paper, those with glass lids need to be wrapped more times, and then fill the inside of them with padding.
Label the boxes as fragile
People will be more careful if they know it’s fragile!
Whilst packing the dishes be sure to label the box with what room in the new home you want the box to be placed in, and write what is inside the box. This will make it easier to know what is inside when you are at the new house. It is highly recommended that you also write ‘FRAGILE This Side Up’ on the box so that when you or the removal workers are lifting it and placing it in the van, they will know to be extra careful. It will also let them know to ensure that the boxes are places in a secure place on the van with no other boxes on them that could cause damage.
Pro tip: Hire professionals to pack dishes for moving
Even better!
If you are still worried about how you should be packing your dishes, then you can always hire your removal company to do the packing for you. Most removal companies have a service where they can provide moving boxes for sale and packing materials where they actually come in and do the packing for you. It will be at a slightly higher cost but will mean that you can relax knowing that your dishes are in the best hands and won’t get broken in transit.
How much will it cost?
Getting your removal company to pack for you is a great way to ensure that it’ll be packed right – they do this every day! And, you won’t have to worry about sourcing the right packing materials, they have it all. PLUS: You relax, it’s all taken care of.
And no need to guess how much it will cost, you can get a fast, free to compare right here:
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