8 Glass and Dishware Packing Tips by Newport Beach Movers

When you’re preparing to move, you may be dreading the packing process. If Newport Beach moving companies’ packing your home goods is out of the budget, then you’ll just have to do it yourself. Packing your own home isn’t rocket science. It just takes time and some good tricks.

So before you start packing your home on your own, read through these eight tips for packing the most difficult-to-pack items in the house – your glasses and dishware.

Before You Start

Before you begin packing, be sure you’re clear with your Newport Beach movers of choice what you’re supposed to pack and what they’re going to pack. You can likely set up a custom package so that the movers pack your most fragile and valuable items and you pack the rest, if you prefer.

However, be sure to ask about insurance coverage. Many moving companies have different levels of coverage for different situations. You’ll likely get the most coverage if you allow the moving company to pack your items, too. This will ensure that everything is packed properly, so they’re more likely to protect those items.

1. Choose better moving boxes

For some items, secondhand or cheap moving boxes are find. But when it comes to your fragile, heavy glasses, dishes, and dinnerware, you’ll want to invest in something better. Trust us. It’s better to spend a little more on boxes than to have to replace your entire kitchen’s worth of items because your cheap boxes broke.

So begin with heavy-duty packing boxes. They’re often called crates. You can get them from some Newport Beach movers and from local shipping stores. These crates are made from heavier cardboard, which will stand up to more abuse and will absorb more impacts that might otherwise break your favorite coffee mug or wine glass.

2. Buy packing paper

When it comes to padding material, packing paper is a great option. It’s cheaper than peanuts, and less messy. Plus, if you want, you can just use used newspaper for a truly cheap solution that works.

Unfortunately, though newspring will get ink on your hands and on the items that you’re packing. This can be a pain to have to wash every dish as you unpack it. You can always avoid some of this problem by using newspaper only when it doesn’t directly touch a dish or glass, so you can get the benefits of both options.

Either way, be sure you have plenty of packing paper on hand before you get started.

3. Prepare each box

Another thing you may want to buy before you start packing is a tape gun and sturdy packing tape. That’s because you’re going to want to tape the bottom of each box that you pack with heavy items like glasses and dishes. This will keep the box from popping open when you’re moving it.

Another way to properly prepare each box is to put crumpled paper in the bottom of each box. This adds yet another layer of protection to the bottom of the box, which is most likely to take an impact during the moving process.

4. Wrap each item separately

The best way to make sure that every item in your box is protected from breakage is to wrap each item separately. This ensures that each item is properly and thoroughly padded from rubbing up against other items.

With things like bowls and plates, start by sticking a corner of packing paper inside, and wrapping the paper all the way around the item – preferably twice. With bowls, make sure even the inside is wrapped, but give them enough shape that you can stack the wrapped bowls inside a box.

5. Use paper plates to pack plates

So that you don’t have to wrap every plate in your kitchen, buy some paper plates. Then, make a stack of alternating plates and paper plates. The paper plates – if they’re close to the same size as your regular plates – will be excellent padding. Plus, they’re easier to use than wrapping each plate in paper. And you can use them to eat off of when you’re settling into your new home.

6. Use your ears

Each time you set an item into a box, use your ears. If you hear a clink or a dull thump, you probably don’t have enough padding between that item and the one below or beside it. Wrap it in another layer of paper until you no longer hear these sounds.

Why? Sounds when one object hits another mean that you’re getting way too much contact between the two objects. What you want is a totally quiet moving box, where everything is packed tightly and separated from everything else.

7. Pack heavier to lighter

Your Newport Beach movers will love it if you pack boxes this way. Start with the heaviest items on the bottom, and work your way up to the lighter-weight, more fragile items. This way, the lighter items will be less likely to get crushed. And the box will naturally stay more upright during the moving process.