Packing your kitchen can be one of the most time consuming aspects of getting ready for your move. There’s so much to pack – from large electrical appliances to tiny packets of herbs, and everything in between! What’s more, you may have fragile wine glasses, sentimental coffee mugs, expensive knife sets and other items that require special care. The most important thing to remember is not to rush anything, as it is much better to spend a little extra time making sure each of your belongings survives the journey and is in one piece when you get to your destination. Follow our advice below for packing different types of kitchen items so that your professional home movers can safely and securely transport everything to your new destination.
- Kitchen appliances – Many people don’t keep the original packaging and boxes for their kitchen appliances. Sometimes this is a space issue, sometimes you just don’t see any reason to hold onto them. However, if you’re planning to move, packing your kitchen appliances back in their original boxes is the best way to keep them as safe as possible during the move. If you don’t have the original product boxes – never fear! All you’ll need is some bubble wrap and medium sized packing boxes. Make sure you remove any fragile components, such as mixing bowls, and ensure that appliances are completely dry before packing, with electrical cords unplugged from the appliance. If you have the instruction manual, putting it in the box with the appliance is a great way to ensure you can easily re-assemble your item once you have relocated. If you’re in a last second moving frenzy, don’t stress too much about this, as most user manuals are available online.
- Pots and pans – These are relatively straightforward to pack, though they do take up a lot of space. Find a box that is large enough to fit your largest pot/pan and place others inside it. Beware that these boxes may become quite heavy – it is helpful for your home movers if you label the box as such, to avoid injury. It’s easiest to keep the lids with the pots and pans that they belong to, though if lids are made of glass they should be wrapped in bubble wrap first. To save space, pack lids upside down on the pot/pan they belong to, or on the side of the box beneath the handles. You can add extra bubble wrap or tissue paper to fill in the gaps if you are worried about excess empty space.
- Silverware – Though it may be tempting to empty your silverware drawer directly into a box, this will be time consuming and frustrating to unpack. If you have a silverware holder, you can cover it with paper towel or cling wrap and then tape it closed to keep your items separate. Alternatively, you can remove them from the holder, separate each item by type (i.e. keep all the teaspoons away from the butter knives!) and secure each set with a rubber band. Depending on how much space you have, this may be more efficient than keeping items in the silverware holder itself for the move.
- Ceramics – Plates, bowls and mugs are some of the most fragile kitchen items when it comes to packing for a move. Even though it seems time consuming, carefully wrapping each item in tissue paper or bubble wrap will do wonders to ensure your precious kitchen belongings arrive safely (and in one piece!) at your destination. Make sure you completely cover the item, including the handles of mugs, and ensure some bubble wrap is placed inside bowls. It’s okay to stack items, so long as each one is wrapped securely. You may want to tape the bubble wrap so it doesn’t come loose during the move. Especially if you are moving interstate or are using long distance residential movers, the careful packing of your fragile items can make all the difference. Ensure that each of the boxes containing these items is marked “fragile” – even the best home movers don’t know what’s inside your box! You may also want to line these boxes with bubble wrap to provide additional support. Of course, ensure boxes are transported in an upright position for the duration of the move.
Kitchen gadgets usually make life easier, unless you’re packing for a move! As long as you put in the time to ensure your kitchen items are carefully packed, unpacking should be a breeze when you reach your new home, and there’s certainly something very satisfying about setting up a brand new kitchen.
