Packing is a time-consuming and laborious task that you might want to leave to the professionals. Professional packing services like the one offered by Royal Moving and Storage are super convenient because they provide the packing supplies, wraps delicate items properly, labels the boxes, packs them carefully, and even unpack them if you wish.
The kitchen is rated among the hardest rooms to pack when you are moving to a new residence. There are small items, large items, fragile items, expensive items, that are in drawers and cupboards and pantries and are in numerous dissimilar shapes and sizes. There are also food items that include perishable items in your refrigerator, and cleaning supplies under the sink that can be dangerous if spilled. Use the following guide to efficiently pack your kitchen.
Needed Supplies for Packing Your Kitchen
In order to make the process of packing your kitchen, a plan is in order. This plan begins with a supply list. Here are the items you will need to move a typical kitchen:
- Five large boxes (18 x 18 x 24) for lightweight items like plastic kitchenware, dish racks, small appliances, baking tins, aluminum foil and plastic wrap, and the dreaded junk drawer.
- Ten medium boxes (18 x 18 x 16) for heavier items like medium-sized appliances, pantry items such as cans and bags of flour and sugar, pots and pans, silverware, and cookbooks.
- Five large boxes (18 x 18 x 28) with thick, double walls, which are great for packing fragile items like as plates, glassware, wine, and ceramic canisters.
- A bundle of four- to five-pound packing paper for fragile items and small appliances.
- Five to ten cell kits (18 x 18), which are sectioned pieces of cardboard or plastic that will go inside a packing box to keep your kitchen items isolated protected, especially fragile items like glasses, stemware, wine, liquor bottles, figurines, vases, and canisters.
- Packing tape
- Labels and markers to label boxes for easy unpacking.
Organize Your Kitchen Items and Pack an Essentials Box
The secret to a well-planned kitchen move, which is to plan and pack as much of your kitchen as you can a week before your move. However, you will need to set aside the kitchen items you need until you move, and for use right after you have moved into your new home. The best approach is to pack those essentials into a box or two and pull from the box when you need something. Here are some common items you will need in your kitchen essentials box:
- At least one set of plates, bowls, cups, glasses, and silverware for every person in the family
- Non-perishable food that you will eat before and after the move, until everything is unpacked
- One or two saucepans
- One or two sharp knives
- Cleaning materials such as dish soap and a multipurpose cleaner
- Dishcloths, oven mitts, and dish towels
- Coffee maker and toaster
- Microwave
Packing the Food in Your Kitchen Before You Move
Before you move, minimize the amount of food you’ll need to throw away on the day of your move. Do this by putting together a plan for eating all of your perishable items before the day of your move. Furthermore, keep new food purchases to a minimum and only buy essential items. Moving also gives you the opportunity to throw away food and condiments that you never use or have expired. Eat all you can and throw away the rest, instead of moving it.
Wine and liquor can be packed early on in the process. Select the bottles you plan on opening between now and the move, set them aside, and pack the rest. Other items you can pack early include glass bottles that are still sealed like cooking oils, specialty oils, and vinegar.
Finally, be careful not to overpack boxes with cans as they can get very heavy. Instead, pack a bottom layer of cans and then pack lighter items on top of them. Boxed, bagged, and dry goods can split if the get damaged, so do not pack cans with these items. Your individual jars should be wrapped individually in packing paper and packed with packing chips to protect them.
Packing Utensils, Cutlery and Flatware Before Your Move
Sort your cutlery into their various types and pack them in their original cutlery chest if you have them. Also, keep your flatware in their organizer tray and wrap a layer of plastic wrap or stretch wrap over the top of it to keep the silverware from moving around and falling out. If you do not have the original chest or do not feel comfortable leaving your flatware in an organizer, put an elastic band around bundles of your cutlery, utensils, and silverware, wrap the bundles in packing paper, and put the bundles in a small box, like a shoe box.
Packing Cleaning Materials and Chemicals in Your Kitchen
Unscrew lids of chemicals, place a bag over the neck, and screw the cap back on over the plastic bag. Then, tape the cap shut and put the chemicals in a larger, sealed plastic bag. Always pack chemicals in a box by themselves. Some moving companies do not move certain chemicals, so if you hired a professional, check with them to see what items they cannot transport.
Packing Your Kitchen’s Large Appliances
Read your appliance’s owner’s manuals to ensure you unplug and disconnect them safely. Secure the cords of your appliances with bands or tape. Some bigger appliances like stoves and refrigerators require tools to disassemble them or parts of them. They might also require a moving dolly, straps, and moving blankets to move them safely. Remember that some of your appliances might require a plumber, electrician, or gas engineer to safely uninstall and install them. A gas leak or a flooded kitchen creates a serious safety hazard.
Donating or Selling Seldom Used Kitchen Items Before Moving
Begin the packing process by sorting, selecting, and simplifying. Go through each cupboard and drawer and be very selective. Donate unneeded items to shelters or food banks, have a garage sale, or give items to friends and neighbors.
The options to sell your kitchen items are many. You are not limited to a garage sale or yard sale because the Internet at your disposal. Therefore, the choices are expansive, and you can make a good deal of money that you can use to fund your moving expenses or buy new kitchen appliances, plate sets, or cutlery.
The first thing you will want to do is appraise the items you wish to sell. There are consignment stores that can handle this sort of thing for you. They are experts at evaluating the worth of items, so you can put the task into their hands, and they will give you a portion of the selling price once someone purchases your used goods. If you do not want to deal with a consignment store, you can turn to the many Internet stores available to sellers. Here are some examples:
Even thought the Internet marketplace is expansive, it can be time consuming to list your items. The garage sale or yard sale route is still the best option if you live in a house and the choice is available. You can set prices and barter with people on the spot, and you do not have to worry about shipping items to buyers or schedule times for them to be picked up. Furthermore, all of the cash goes in your hands without a commission fee or listing fee.
The other option to getting rid of your seldom used kitchen items is to donate them. Free pick-up is offered by most charity organizations if you have enough items to make it worthwhile to them, such as a large appliance or several boxes of kitchen items. So, get all of your donated items together, schedule a pick-up, and do it only once to save yourself the time. Also, remember to get a donation voucher from the charity and deduct your good deed from your yearly taxes. Here are some donation centers to consider:
- Goodwill
- Habitat for Humanity
- The Salvation Army
The Packing Order for Your Kitchen Items
Once you have all of the items organized, sorted, sold, and donated, follow the packing order below:
- Pack the kitchen items you do not use frequently. Start by packing the items in your cupboards and drawers that you do not use on a daily basis.
- Pack the kitchen’s drawers and shelves, starting with the messiest drawers.
- Pack the kitchen’s dishes and glasses using cell boxes.
- Pack the kitchens’ pots and pans.
- Properly prepare large appliances for your move. Do this at least 24 hours in advance. Improper preparation can lead to gas leaks, broken parts, and appliances that won’t work. Read the manuals, and if you’re unsure of how to prepare them, call a professional.
- Pack cook books flat to prevent bending the spines. Place the books in the box according to preference; keep the books that are most used on top. Do not pack more than two layers of books at the bottom of a box and fill in the rest with lightweight kitchen items.
Other Things to Consider When Packing Your Kitchen
Here are some other things to remember when packing your kitchen:
- Place sharp knives in their holders or wrap the blades in cardboard.
- Make sure your utensils do not get bent or broken by wrapping and packing them carefully on top of heavy items, not below them.
- Secure the bottom of your boxes with an ample amount of tape. Tape the boxes across their middle seam, across the two side seams, and if the boxes are heavy, you will want to double the amount of tape.
- If a box contains fragile items, line the bottom of the box with cushioning, such as bubble wrap, packing popcorn, packing paper, or anything else that will protect the items.
- Do not allow fragile items to rub against the inner walls of the box, so put cushioning between the items and the cardboard.
- Wrap individual items in packing paper to protect them.
- Nest together like-sized items such as flatware and bowls.
- Use your dish towels to wrap fragile items.
- Pack small items inside food storage containers.
- Fill the empty spaces in your boxes with packing popcorn, packing paper, or bubble wrap.
- Mark any boxes that contain breakable items with the word “Fragile.”
- Do not pack boxes that are too heavy to lift or move around easily.
- Clearly label your boxes so you know what to unpack as items are needed.
You would be doing a disservice to yourself if you did not give Royal a ring if you need assistance with any part of your move, even if it is a last minute or emergency situation. Royal does local moves, long distance moves, and commercial moves of any size. They also rent plastic containers for packing, which they deliver before the move and pick up upon completion. In addition, they provide “labor-only” services and storage options. Furthermore, all of the labor is covered under one fair, hourly rate.
The following are the main reasons for hiring a professional to pack all of your belongings:
- Reducing your stress is priceless, and leaving the packing of your possession to others removes an immense amount of anxiety. While the pros pack, you can focus on the important things that only you can do like transferring the utilities, keeping your regular home and work schedule, and taking care of your kids who will need extra attention to reduce their fears about moving.
- Professional packers understand how to pack items of all shapes and sizes from big pieces of art to your prized flat screen television to every odd-shaped piece of furniture to your small, fragile possessions, so that you never have to lift a finger or take the risk of damaging something valuable.
- Packing requires packing materials, and professional packers have the best supplies and know how to use them. Nothing gets past these packing pros when it comes to foam cushioning, bubble wrap, furniture covers, packing paper and tape, and boxes and specialty containers of various sizes, including wardrobe boxes and glass and plate divider inserts.
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