When it comes to moving, the kitchen is easily the toughest room. There’s so much stuff that has to get packed up and so many items that are irregularly shaped or fragile. There are also a lot of odds and ends which makes packing even more challenging. However, you can make packing a kitchen a lot easier if you have a plan. Here’s how to pack a kitchen without losing your mind.
First, Get Organized
Go through your kitchen and get rid of items you no longer use or need. There’s no reason to pay to move them. This can be particularly difficult because there’s always that voice saying that even though you’ve never used that fondue set before, you might want to use it in the future. However, if you’ve had it for more than a year and you’ve never used it, chances are you’re not going to. You can donate the supplies you don’t need or sell them online.
Gather Your Supplies
You’ll need heavy-duty boxes in lots of sizes, packing paper, plastic wrap, packing tape and labeling markers. You might want to purchase specialty dividers specifically designed for packing and stacking items, like stemware.
You’ll probably need more than you think.
For a family-sized kitchen, have at least five small boxes, 10 medium boxes, five large boxes, three extra-large boxes and about three rolls of packing paper (four to five pounds total).
Set Aside The Essentials
First, pack up items that you will need as soon as you get to your new place. Every member of your family will need a plate, glass, bowl and flatware. Include dish towels, dish soap, a sponge and any appliances you’ll need like a coffee maker. Pack these and label the box as Kitchen Essentials and load it into the van last.
Get Started
Don’t get overwhelmed. Just pick a drawer or cabinet and get started. Clear off your countertop and spread out your packing paper and get to work.
Pots and pans: Use a large or medium box. Stack the pots and pans with the smaller ones nestled into the larger ones and a small piece of packing paper between them. Add support around them by stuffing paper or dish towels into openings to keep them from moving around in transit. Pack the glass lids in packing paper and place around the pots and pans or in a separate box.
Glasses and stemware: Use specialty dividers that fit into standard boxes. Wrap each item in packing paper and don’t stack anything on top. Glass is too fragile to support a lot of additional weight.
Plates and bowls: Wrap each plate and bowl and stack them for easy packing. Keep stacks together by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap. Use the space around your plates and bowls for odds and ends.
Flatware and serving utensils: Use plastic wrap to wrap around the tray and then place it flat inside a box. Add any additional serving utensils on top, either loose or wrapped in a bit of packing paper.
Knives: Wrap each knife in packing paper and then wrap a dish towel around them and secure the whole thing with a rubber band. Pack them on their side—never facing up.
Food items: Start with the spice cabinet, using a small box to safely store them. Wrap a small bit of packing paper around any spices in glass jars. Get rid of anything that’s expired in your pantry. Make sure everything is well sealed and then pack them up either in a medium box or in canvas grocery bags. If possible, use a cooler for transporting perishables from the fridge and pantry.
Appliances: Pack small appliances in as small of a box as you can, using packing paper to completely secure them in the box. Fill in any gaps around them to prevent shifting. If you’re moving your larger appliances, you’ll need to prepare them ahead of time by unplugging them, removing any hoses and taping all doors shut.
Everything else: Pack your other kitchen items like cookbooks, mixing bowls, baking sheets, oven mitts and food storage containers the same way you would pack items from any other room. Keep like items together to make unpacking a bit easier and don’t make the boxes too heavy.
If this sounds overwhelming, you can always have your professional mover pack up your belongings.
Cowboy Moving & Storage has more than 55 years of experience helping Coloradans move to new homes. With more than 2,400 five-star reviews on ReviewBuzz and other online review sites, you can trust your belongings with Cowboy Moving & Storage. We offer a complete array of moving services, including packing and unpacking. Call 303-789-2200 today.
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