Tips for Packing Your Kitchen when You Move

Packing the kitchen means paying special attention to your most breakable items. Not only do you have to worry about places, glasses and silverware, but you’ll also need to pack large appliances, such as your crock pot or your toaster oven. One of the best ways to go about packing your kitchen is to find specialty packing boxes at U-Haul or Ryders stores. This will help to keep all of your kitchen items safe as you transport them to your new home.

Packing Your Kitchen: Start By Washing All Dishes

Although you will need to wash your dishes again when you arrive at your new home, don’t pack dirty dishes to begin with. Either run several loads through the dishwasher or wash everything in the sink and set it all out to dry. This will make packing much easier and will make washing them again less overwhelming. You should also be sure to wash your appliances, such as the coffee pot, the blender, the can opener and the toaster oven

Packing Your Kitchen: Purchase Cell Kits and Dish Barrel Boxes

To ensure that your dishes don’t break during transit, your best bet is to purchase cell kits and dish barrel boxes. A cell kit is a set of cardboard placeholders for your glasses, stemware, plates and bowls, while the dish barrel box is a proportioned box meant to hold the cell kits. You can purchase them for less than $6.00 each and they come in handy regardless of the size or shape of your dishes. The alternative, if possible, is to use the boxes that your dishes came in, but how often do we really save those?

Packing Your Kitchen: Cover All Furniture

When you move your kitchen table and chairs, make sure to cover them with drop cloths or blankets that will protect them from scratches during the move. Since tables and chairs are often breakable because of their long, unsupported legs, you might also want to wrap them in bubble wrap for additional security. If the table has leaves or can be “broken down”, you might want to do that first.

Packing Your Kitchen: Store Silverware in Plastic Bags

If you don’t want to have to wash everything in your kitchen once you arrive in your new home, you can pack silverware and cooking utensils in plastic Ziploc bags before they go in boxes. Make sure they are sealed properly and try to find the heavy-duty bags that will be less likely to tear when you pack knives and other sharp instruments.

Packing Your Kitchen: Dig Through Cupboards

I can’t tell you how many times I have moved and left things in apartments and rental homes. Usually, this is related to the kitchen because there are so many ways that things can get stuck behind appliances and in the backs of cupboards. Make sure that you go through each cabinet and remove all personal items before starting to pack. This will make the process go faster and will ensure that you don’t leave anything behind.

Packing Your Kitchen: Stack Items When Possible

Most people purchase sets of cookware when they need pots, pans and other items. Whenever possible, stack those items to save valuable space in boxes. You can always pack the lids separately or place them inside the topmost pan. You can also save space by packing things inside your toaster oven or microwave oven or even your refrigerator (after it has been disconnected.

Packing Your Kitchen: Tie Doors Shut

Any appliance in your kitchen that needs to be moved should be tied shut. The doors to your refrigerator, for example, should be locked into place by weaving a piece of twine between the handle bars. You don’t want doors flying open when you hit a rough patch in the road, and the suction on your refrigerator doors just isn’t enough.

Packing Your Kitchen: Pack a Cooler

You should also pack a cooler with any food items you want to take with you. Cans and other non-perishables can be packed in boxes, but frozen or refrigerated items will need to be kept cold if you want to travel with them.