There is no better way to relax than with a glass of cold beer or wine after a long exhausting relocation day once you finally get to your new home. The only problem is that if you don’t know how to pack glasses for moving, some of them might break and won’t survive the process. Don’t worry – with our tips and tricks, you’ll learn how to pack glassware for moving in a few simple steps.
How Do You Pack Glasses and Plates for Moving?
Relocating across the world requires a lot of work, planning, organizing, and, unfortunately, may cause a lot of relocation stress if you don’t prepare properly. Once you find enough reasons to move, you have to gather all the important documents and decide what to get rid of and what to keep. The last thing you want to worry about is the fact that you don’t know anything about packing glassware and waste precious time wondering how to pack glasses for shipping.
Packing fragile objects is one of the most challenging tasks of the relocation process. Before relocating, you probably never thought about how many kitchen appliances you have or how you know nothing about packing glasses or how to pack knives and plates. This process requires proper knowledge and equipment, but there is no need to worry now that you have found this article. We’ll explain every step of the process, and you’ll be more than satisfied with the final outcome.
Step 1. Find Proper Packing Materials to Protect Fragile Dishes From Breaking
If you want to move abroad and take your belongings with you, the first thing that you have to do is to find the proper equipment and materials you can use to protect your possessions. When talking about fragile objects, your focus needs to be on the highest level since every item requires equally good treatment during the wrapping process. Some materials you definitely have to get if you’re relocating to another country are:
- Medium-sized cardboard boxes,
- Packing paper,
- Bubble wrap,
- Tape.
Getting Free Containers From Local Stores Can Be an Ideal Solution
Best containers for relocating these objects are actually the ones you get when you buy a new set. If you don’t keep them, like most people don’t, there is no need to worry. You can just go to a nearby liquor store and ask them to give you a container they don’t need. These containers usually come with cardboard dividers inside, so you don’t have to worry about items hitting each other inside and breaking during the relocation process.
Ensure Every Box Is Secured and Tape the Bottom
Once you get all the materials from your relocating abroad checklist, it’s time to secure the cardboard boxes. This is especially important if you’re reusing old ones in case you’re relocating on a low budget. The pre-used cardboard might be flimsy or easy to open, so you have to tape them and ensure they don’t open during the process by reinforcing them. Also, always make sure that the boxes you’re using for relocating dishes are clean.
If You’re on a Budget, Find Some Alternative Materials at Home
Apart from reusing old containers, you can find other stuff that will be helpful in the process, and you don’t even need to spend a dollar. For example, the newspaper is definitely one of the best alternatives for packing paper. You just have to be careful because the ink from the newspaper can transfer on dishes and stain your cups.
Other things you can use for cushioning are cloths, socks, and old clothing pieces made from soft fabrics. You should ensure every piece is wrapped individually and covered from all sides. You can also use soft fabrics as dividers to prevent objects from clinking in a box.
Step 2. Make Sure Everything Is Clean and Dry
In case you have a last-minute move, it might be hard for you to think through this step, but cleaning dishes before the move is essential. You don’t want to waste time washing dishes once you finally get to your new home when you can simply do this on time and avoid unnecessary complications. Cleaning glassware is not an exception, especially if you are planning to start living overseas – believe us, you’ll have many other things on your mind, so ensure you do this in advance.
Once You Wash Everything, Ensure Every Glass Is Dry Before Packing Them
No matter if you are using a dishwasher or washing everything yourself, ensure that at the end of the process, everything is properly dried out. You can simply go over wet dishes with a dry kitchen towel and prevent the worst-case scenario. What are the potential complications, you may wonder?
Well, cardboard doesn’t really go well with water, so in case you pack a bunch of wet dishes inside the cardboard containers, there is a high risk that you’ll damage them. The cardboard might break down or get moldy. No matter how quality or how secured the container is, all of your precious and carefully cleaned and packed dishes could fall out and ruin your whole relocation experience in a second. Don’t let this happen by simply leaving everything to dry properly.
Step 3. Start With Wrapping Big and Heavy Glasses First
What to pack when relocating abroad? After you decide which glassware items are going to your new home with you, you’ll have to categorize them by size and shape. For example, big and heavier pieces are something you want to wrap first. Place a sheet of paper, newspaper, or cloth on a flat surface, put a glass on top of it and wrap it from all sides, stacking the excess in the middle.
Fill the inside of the glass with extra cushioning. After you’re done, you can put an additional layer of bubble wrap on top of it and secure it with tape. This is one of the best ways to protect fragile objects, especially if you wonder how you pack glasses without dividers.
You Can Pack Two Identical Pieces Simultaneously
In case you have a large sheet of paper, the trick to saving packaging materials is to wrap two pieces of the same size together. Start by placing glasses on two opposite corners of the paper, then wrap them towards the middle of the paper. Stuff the extra paper in holes and tape it all to prevent unwanted opening.
Step 4. Fill the Boxes With Previously Wrapped Objects
Once you secure the moving boxes for glasses, as we already recommended, it’s time to start filling them out with previously secured fragile objects:
- First, place some cushioning on the bottom of the box,
- It is recommended that you insert cardboard dividers and make separate compartments for each item,
- If you don’t use dividers, you can place additional cushioning between the objects,
- Put heavier and bigger items on the bottom and lighter and smaller ones on top of them,
- Add more cushioning on the top,
- Secure the top of the box using tape.
How to Pack Wine Glasses for Moving?
Pieces with stems require special treatment. They are differently shaped than regular glassware, thinner, and more fragile. This is why you have to be extra careful with them and apply some additional protective steps:
- Ensure you wrap the stem of the glass first once you lay it on the wrapping material (this step will ensure that the most fragile part is well secured).
- Once you’re done with securing the stem, put more wrapping material on the upper part of the wine glass.
- Add an additional layer of bubble wrap on top of the whole piece and secure it with tape.
- You should protect each of these pieces individually (don’t rely on the previously mentioned technique for saving material, or you are risking breaking your glassware).
Check out this fun video tutorial and learn how to protect your delicate inventory in just a few easy steps.
Step 5. Ensure All the Containers Are Properly Labeled
Labeling is one of the most important parts of the process. If you forget to label your containers, no matter how carefully you wrap everything inside, you risk something getting broken along the way. No matter if you’re relocating with kids and they are helping you with some of the items, or you’re hiring a professional international moving company to move overseas, everything needs to be labeled. If the container isn’t labeled and whoever is helping you doesn’t handle it with care, objects inside can get broken.
For labeling, try to use some loud colors – red is highly recommended, and the writings should be clearly visible from all sides, in case it gets between other inventory you’re relocating as well. You should also mark which side of the container goes up and which goes down.
If You Still Don’t Know How to Pack Glasses for Moving Hiring an International Moving Company Might Be a Good Solution
Finding out how to live in another country is stressful enough, especially if you’re relocating alone, so why put all the burden on yourself when you can simply get professional assistance and enjoy all the positive sides of your move? With an experienced international moving team, you can move efficiently and effortlessly in no time.
You just have to go through your relocation checklist and decide what things you want professionals to relocate. They can offer you amazing international relocation services and assistance with packing household inventory at an affordable price. You can also get additional relocation insurance, so you can stay relaxed, knowing any potential losses will be refunded. If you want to find out how much these services are going to cost, all you have to do is request a free quote. After getting a free quote, it will be easy for you to calculate potential expenses and decide which service works for you and your budget.
