Packing Tips: Easy Steps to Packing Your Kitchen

Prepare Your Kitchen for the Move

The first step is to give yourself time. Kitchens are not like bedrooms or living rooms because we usually have a lot of unused utensils, canned goods, and appliances. Seasonal kitchenware and other seldom used items need to be packed carefully and efficiently to avoid damage and higher moving costs.

Three Box Technique

Moving is a great chance to get rid of things we don’t use, like old utensils, kitchen accessories, and appliances. In order to pack up your kitchen quickly, use the three box technique: one box to store stuff you are keeping, another for stuff you’ll throw away and the third one for items you will sell/donate/give away.

Keep the Essentials Out Until M-Day and Pack an Essentials Box

You need to keep a box of essentials at hand. In other words, stuff you’ll need the last couple of days in your current house and for the first couple of days in your new house. Food, cutlery, small appliances like your coffee maker, dish towels, toilet paper, soap, etc. all need to be handy, so don’t pack them just yet.

Necessary Materials

In order to pack your kitchen efficiently you will need packing materials:

● Heavy-duty boxes of all sizes. If you have any with divisions, even better.
● Newspaper/bubble wrap to safeguard your china, decor, and glassware.
● Sealing tape.
● Markers to label your boxes.
● Ice box/cooler to move all your meat and fresh food.

Use as Much as You Can

Transporting food can be a hassle, so throw away your take out menus and get your cook on. Use all the last bits of spices and condiments, as well as your meats and veggies. You can even bake a goodbye treat for all your neighbors with that extra flour that’s been sitting in your pantry for the last few months.

Donating and Disposing

Check out the expiration dates on your canned and bagged goods and chuck out whatever’s out of date. Also, this is a great chance to get rid of half-empty cans, condiment bottles, and bags.

If you have limited space, or you don’t want to take all the food you have, ask your movers to donate your unwanted goods to Move for Hunger. Move for Hunger is a national non-profit organization that collects leftover food from people who are moving and donates it to food banks across the country.

Packing Your Kitchen Efficiently

Now that you have chucked out waste, donated your leftover food, and selected what you want to move, it’s crunch time:

Pack the Least Used First: Seasonal kitchenware, wine glasses, mixing bowls, small appliances, spare kitchen towels, cream containers, kitchen decor, and other rarely used things.

Drawers and Shelves: Pack your flatware, glasses, bowls and cups first in a sturdy box (leave spares for the last days at your old house/first days in your new house). Nest these items to use space efficiently — in other words, pack small glasses and bowls inside bigger ones.

Wine & Liquor: Select what bottles you will open between now and the day you move and pack the rest away. Also pack bottled food items you haven’t opened like vinegars, oils, and condiments.

Packing Pots & Pans: Leave out a couple all-purpose pots/pans and pack the rest along with your Tupperware, crockery, and their respective lids.

Glassware & China: Original packaging is the best way to pack your china and glassware. If you didn’t keep them, you will need to use boxes, so wrap your china individually in newspaper or bubble wrap. Nest bowls with a layer of bubble wrap or newspaper in between them. Flat china and glassware can be stacked by size, with the largest and heaviest at the bottom of the stacks. Add padded cushioning at the bottom of your boxes for maximum protection.

The Odd Bits: oddly shaped items can damage other appliances and dishes, so pack them individually to avoid any risks. Remove the blades from your blenders and food processors, then pack them in a layer of bubble wrap. Cookbooks and other recipe books can be stacked and packed in a box on their own.

Packing Food:

● Moving light food such as pasta is always a good idea as you can pack it all in grocery bags.

● Spices, oils, and other pricey condiments should be placed in sturdy grocery bags and individually sealed with tape to avoid spillage.

● Canned goods are not usually expensive, and they are heavy, so you may want to donate them to food banks or Move for Hunger.

● Meat, fish, and other fresh goods should be placed in a cooler or ice box with plenty of ice (or dry ice for long journeys) to keep them in good shape for your new home.

● Make sure the cooler is the last thing to be put in your moving truck so that you remember to unpack it first.

Don’t forget to put some money aside to make a big grocery shopping trip once you move in. Your kitchen needs to be restocked!

Follow these simple tips and your kitchen packing should be a piece of cake, or at least less painful than you thought!

Need moving services? Contact us today and our moving professionals will be more than glad to help you move and start fresh in your new home.