Guide on How to Pack Your Dishes and Glassware When Moving

Whether you are moving across town or across the country, the process of packing dishes and glassware can be daunting. Many people just want to get it over with and pack everything up without worrying about what’s in their cupboards and drawers.

Sometimes, they forget to even check if they have all the pieces for their dishes or glasses before heading out to purchase them at a second location. Here at Texas Movers Group we’ve seen it all.

This guide will help you pack your dishes and glassware when moving so that you don’t have to spend hours stressing about it. Let’s get started! 

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Pack Your Dishes and Glassware When Moving

Start by Sorting Your Dishes and Glassware

When you begin packing dishes and glassware, the first step is to sort them. This way, you can be sure you have everything for the next move. If you own china sets and antique glassware, you’ll need to separate them first.

If you have flatware in addition to dinner plates, place the flatware in the upper section of your cupboards. You may want to put glassware in the lower sections, as these items tend to chip if they are exposed to heat and light.

If you have dinner plates and bowls in a dish towel rack, separate them before you pack them. You can label the dishes using stamps or tape to avoid any mix-ups.

If you have a larger set of dishes and glasses, you may want to remove one layer of dishes and put them into storage boxes.

Pack Fragile Items Carefully

Before you pack delicate items like flatware and platters, it’s a good idea to purchase packing boxes and tape them down securely. These boxes will help contain the delicate items and keep them in one place.

Bring Along Your Extra Dishware and Glasses

When you’re only living in one place, you don’t need to take your entire set of dishes with you. Instead, bring along some of your dishes, glasses, and flatware when moving to your new place.

It will help ease the transition. Pack perishable items like food When packing your fragile food items, make sure they are either in their original containers, sealed in a ziplock bag, or in a sealable container.

You’ll need more space to store your perishable items and won’t have time to finish cooking your meal.

Begin Packing Dishes and Glassware

This can be daunting because you have to go through each item and make sure it has been cleaned properly, but with a little time and care, everything will be ready to go when your new place is ready to greet you.

The first thing you have to do is make a list of everything that you own, or plan to own in your new place. Now, we know that this might sound like a lot to list, but a lot of items fall under a category and some are even combined.

All we are saying is, this list is not just words on a page.

Make a Few Big Boxes

Depending on how much you are able to pack up, you may have to make a few bigger boxes. Not only are these easier to carry and transport, they are also less expensive to buy. You can use boxes with drawers to store your dishes and glasses.

Bubble Wrap, Newspaper, or Clothes?

We suggest packing dishes and glasses in bubble wrap, newspaper, or clothing. Bubble wrap allows your dishes to retain their shape, and it prevents your dishes from moving around while they are packed.

Newspaper is a great option, as it can be left over for the next day when you’re sleeping. It is ideal if you have long trips ahead of you.

Clothing is a great alternative if your dishes have long tentacles. Clothing can be used as a makeshift type of padding for dishes.

You can also create a makeshift clothing rack by putting your dishes into long lines. As long as you don’t have small glasses, you can easily balance plates and glasses on clothing and hang your dishes on the line.

Choose Paper or Plastic

These days, most things are made of plastic or some sort of disposable material that can be tossed in the trash when you’re done. Many people choose to throw their dinnerware in the paper recycling bin, but some homeowners don’t want to end up disposing of household items like wine glasses or antique dishes.

So, plastic is the way to go. Pick the pieces that you’ll use Before you start packing up your dishes, make sure you know what you’ll be using them for.

Do you use them for serving a salad or a small amount of food? Do you want to keep them for casual entertaining or serving special meals to friends?

Take a moment to think about what your regular use is like. If you’re going to be a casual dinner guest, keep it simple and take just a few plates, glasses, and cups.

Keep Dishes Together

As much as it might seem that you are too good to put dishes in a cupboard, chances are you will forget about certain ones. For instance, if you own a really pretty wine glass, but your everyday drink glass is clear, you’ll most likely reach into your cupboard for the clear one to drink your wine out of while you work on your computer.

Therefore, you might not remember to bring the other one with you. Having a way to keep your dishes together can be a good way to prevent you from getting distracted and wandering into the kitchen when it is time to cook a meal.

By keeping all of your dishes in one box, you can make sure that you can find them all in one place when unpacking.

Packing Glasses

When you do decide to pack your dishes and glasses, they will need to be in a way that makes sense for shipping, so you may need to pack them vertically or horizontally depending on the size.

The packing should be separated by flatware. Do NOT pack glasses with a saucer or on top of a dish for safety reasons. Be sure to label and mark your packing material as it will be needed for shipping.

Packing China

The container will need to be sealed and tied to prevent spills and leakage. A cover is usually used to protect the piece when transporting. Dishes and glassware should be put in a pillowcase or a box that is suitable for the occasion and the item’s type.

Wrap Dishware in Paper Towels for Extra Protection

When packing dishes, you need to protect them from mold and mildew. Luckily, many dishware brands make inserts for glass dishes that keep the dishes from breaking.

For the pots and pans, we recommend having a pair of tongs that you can use to pack the items with extra care.

Wrap glassware in bubble wrap for extra protection. Plastic is a good choice for glassware, but if you have a favorite set of a particular glassware, wrap the glassware in bubble wrap before you pack them. You don’t want to ruin your favorite glassware by packing it improperly.

Make Sure To Pack All the Pieces of Your Dishes and Glasses

Whether it’s the rice bowl or the cereal bowl, make sure to pack all the pieces of your dishes and glasses and make sure you pack enough of them to cover the total space needed for packing.

Sometimes, you may even have to pack your dishes ahead of time, before actually moving to make sure you have enough space for packing. If you’re unsure of how much room is left, it’s always a good idea to ask your landlord or a family member that lives close by.

The last thing you want is to run out of space in your new home and have to pay more money to replace everything.

Wrapping Up (Pun Intended)

We hope you enjoyed this Guide on How to Pack Your Dishes and Glassware When Moving. With just a bit of planning, wrapping materials and time, you should be able to make sure all of your dishes and glassware get to your new home safe and sound. If you ever need assistance with your packing or moving be sure to contact Texas Movers Group. Happy Wrapping!