How to Pack Clothes For Moving | Best Way To Move Clothes

What is the most efficient, stress-free way to pack your clothes for a move?

Here at On The Go Moving, we get this question a lot and so we’ve written this blog post to conclusively answer this question once and for all! 

While some of you might think of just tossing everything into a box and slapping a sticky note on the lid, taking the time to correctly pack your clothes will make moving day much easier.

Before we get into the do’s of packing your clothes for moving, let’s discuss the don’t’s. 

A) Don’t Pack Clothing Items That You Never Wear

First off, this may sound obvious but you’d be surprised at how many articles of clothing people like to hang onto just in case. 

To make the decision of keeping or tossing easier for you, here is a list of scenarios in which you should get rid of clothing items:

1. If you are changing climates completely.
   • For example, moving from a tropical climate to a cold one or moving from the country to the city or vice versa.
2. If they are clothes that you never wear.
   • If you can’t remember the last time you wore it, get rid of it. There’s no use taking the time to pack items that you don’t wear.
3. If they are clothes that don’t fit.
   • Regardless of whether they’re yours or your kids if they don’t fit, why hold onto them?
4. If they are old, worn out, or out of style.
   • Holding onto a fashion piece until it comes back into style is going to be a long wait…
5. Clothing items that were gifts but don’t suit you.
   • Pass it on to someone else who will love it for you.
6. Duplicate clothing items that you never use.
   • Sometimes when we’re out shopping, the sales are just too tempting and we end up giving in — buying several of an item that we aren’t even sure suits us. If you have several duplicate items, consider gifting or thrifting them so others can make good use of them.

Choosing what to keep and what to part with eliminates the tedious packing process for so many unnecessary items. 

It seems like such a waste to take all that effort to pack clothing items that, once unpacked at your new destination, will never be worn. So take the time to go through your closet and part with the items that you no longer use.

B) Get Rid Of Clothes That You Don’t Want

Secondly, you have several options for responsibly getting rid of unwanted clothing items before your move.

1. Gift them!
   • Some clothing items might not suit you, but they would look great on this or that friend. Turn your extra clothing items into gifts for friends and family.
2. Donate them.
   • Sending unwanted clothing items to a thrift store is a good way to ensure that your clothes will be used. Donating to your local Goodwill is a great option.
3. Sell them!
   • Use OfferUp or Facebook Marketplace to sell unwanted clothing items that you spent a lot on or that you think you could make some change from.

C) How to Pack Clothes For Moving

1. Pack Seasonal Items To Start

Categorizing your clothes is one of the most efficient ways to pack clothes for moving. First, pack out of season clothing, preferably clothing for the opposite season that you are in. If it is summer, pack winter clothes to start and vice versa.

You can even categorize down further if you want to make the unpacking process easier as well as know exactly where all your pieces are during your move. You could categorize by material or size to help you avoid opening the wrong box should you need an item of clothing while moving.

How To Pack Clothes Efficiently

2. Consider Two Folding Techniques

There are two popular folding techniques used when packing clothes for a move. You can decide for yourself which method is most efficient for packing your clothing items.

1.  Rolling your clothes:
   Rolling clothes is a packing technique used by many travelers and movers. It is considered an efficient way to pack clothes and has the benefit of allowing you to remove items without upsetting other rolled items in the same box. While this is an efficient way of packing for travel, our moving experts think it may not be the best way to pack your clothes for moving. Which is why we recommend the next method:
2. Folding your clothes:
   We aren’t just talking any method of folding your clothes here. No, ma’am! There is an efficient way to fold your clothes in preparation for moving that we think you’ll love. Using a folding technique similar to Marie Kondo’s, you can get your items down to a minimal size which allows you to pack them in neat rows. This gives you the benefit of being able to see all your items and select clothing from your moving box without upsetting any of the other items.We’d recommend adding dividers to your box to keep clothing separated. This will help you, even more, when it comes to removing specific items from your box. Dividing and sectioning your box is one of the best ways to pack efficiently for your move.

3. Consider The Wardrobe Box Method For Moving Hanging Clothes

Yes, there is this nifty invention called a wardrobe box that lets you move hanging clothing without the threat of it wrinkling. 

It has a simple rack across the top of the box for hanging your hangers on. This is ideal if you have any formal dresses of suits that cannot be folded and need to be transported hanging up.

4. Consider The Vacuum or Garbage Bag Method

Another method for moving hanging clothes is by utilizing the tried and true method of vacuum bags (or even garbage bags if you don’t have vacuum sealed ones). 

Be cautious when using this method to move hanging clothes as bags — garbage bags especially may tear or allow the sunlight to fade your clothing. 

While this method is more convenient than buying a wardrobe box, it is less protective of your clothing so make sure that you are extra careful when it comes to moving clothes that are vacuum-sealed.

5. Consider The Box Method 

What kind of boxes you use for packing your clothes is entirely up to you. You don’t need ultra-fancy boxes or anything, regular cardboard boxes will work just fine.

Just make sure that you accurately label every box in multiple areas so that you are able to tell at a glance what is in which box.

See our ideas for affordable packing materials.

6. Label Your Clothing Boxes

Here are three steps for labeling your clothing boxes.

1. Label your clothing boxes on the top, and on two opposite sides. This will ensure that you are able to tell what is in your box without trying too hard.
2. Describe what is in each box in detail. Don’t just label it “Winter Clothes” and leave it at that. Put the sizing information on it and the name of the person it belongs to. If it is just outerwear or inner-wear, mention that too. You can never be too descriptive when it comes to labeling boxes for moving day.
3. Secure the labels and cover the front of the label with clear tape to keep the ink from smearing. 

7. Set Aside Your Moving Day Clothes

If you have a comfy pair of clothes that you want to wear on moving day, make sure that you don’t pack them and instead leave them out. You should also consider packing a change of clothing for the day after your big move since you likely won’t be unpacked by then.

This is especially important if you are moving with kids. Kids never plan for moving. They don’t add it to their schedule or plan to make it convenient for their parents. Expect that something will probably go awry during your move and that your kid will need a change of clothes. 

Put your own change of clothes along with one or two for your kid into a small backpack so that you are prepared for anything on moving day.

8. Have a Moving Day Essentials Kit

Not only do you need to consider clothing, but it is also paramount to have a moving day kit full of all the little things you will need for the moving day and the first day in your new house. It’s hard to pack clothes when you don’t know where the tape and markers are and the last thing you want is to go searching through boxes once things are packed away.

9. Pack Your Shoes Separately From Clothes

Often overlooked, shoes should not be thrown in with shirts and nice clothes. This will cause extra work by having to iron or clean your wrinkly and dirty clothes. Instead be sure to pack shoes in their shoeboxes if you have them, or stuff them in a larger box with socks. Click here for more tips on how to pack shoes.

10. Use a Packing Service to Help You Pack Your Clothes For Relocating

If you are feeling completely overwhelmed or like you just want to make the load a little easier on moving day, consider enlisting a packing service to help you organize and pack your clothes for your move. 

Using a packing service to make your move easier doesn’t mean that you couldn’t do the job yourself, it is an intelligent way to prioritize and shift the burden of packing to others. 

Here at On The Go Moving, we have a skilled team of packing professionals who are experts at packing clothing, packing shoes, as well as packing other items. 

If you want to make moving day more convenient for yourself and share the load of packing, contact On The Go Moving to speak with our moving professionals and schedule our packers to come to help you.

Hire Professional Clothes Packing, Moving, and Storage Services Near You!

Our professional movers here at On The Go Moving believe that relocating shouldn’t be stressful. Rather, it should be a memorable and exciting time for your family.

As moving experts, we understand all the thought and preparation that goes into each move and do our best to minimize the resulting stress that many people feel.

We offer several moving plans that are customized to the needs of each homeowner. We have packages designed to make moving day and the days leading up to it as stress-free as possible. As you approach your move, give On The Go Moving a call to talk about our moving packages and find the one that suits you best.

We have a team of professional packers awaiting your call eager to help you with packing your clothes or other belongings for moving day. Contact On The Go Moving today to get the ball rolling on your move.