How to pack your plates and glasses when moving house?

IN SHORT

How to pack crockery before moving house:

• If you can, opt for boxes specially designed to hold plates and glasses

• Always pack your fragile items one by one

• Store plates vertically

• Arrange glasses of similar shapes together

• Do not leave any empty spaces in the box

• Label the container “Fragile”.

If you’ve ever moved house before, you know that packing crockery requires very special attention.

Plates and glasses are fragile and come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, making them especially difficult to package.

Add unsuitable containers and lack of time, and you’re guaranteed breakage on some kind!

Fortunately, there are tricks you can use to pack your crockery efficiently, while making sure you don’t lose the family’s illustrious soup tureen in the process.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to pack your crockery when moving house in specially designed boxes or home-made containers, to safely carry your glasses and plates, from the sturdiest to the most fragile.

Serial movers know them well.

Special boxes for plates, also known as dish barrel boxes, are quite simply the best option for packing plates safely and efficiently.

Reinforced and especially designed for this task, they can store dozens of plates depending on thickness (even precious china!).

All you need to do is simply slide your plates into the slots. Don’t use any extra protection, as you risk damaging the dividers.

If there’s one rule you should remember, it’s this: always pack your most fragile items one by one!

When packing plates, use bubble wrap and pack them individually, making sure to tape each package shut.

If you’ve opted for old newspaper, extra protection between each plate can’t hurt!

Then place your plates vertically in the cardboard box (yes, you read that right!) and make sure there are no empty spaces that could ruin all your efforts.

Make sure that the weight is evenly distributed inside the box and that it’s not too heavy, so you won’t risk dropping it or hurt your back.

Close everything securely and don’t forget to label the container with the words “Fragile” as well as the destination room.

Do you have very delicate decorative or atypical objects? Take a look at our special guide to moving very fragile items to ensure they arrive in one piece.

Just like special boxes for plates, boxes for glassware are designed specifically for this purpose, and they can help you save a considerable amount of time.

With their honeycomb or lattice compartments, you can store all your glassware in just a few minutes.

Using dividers, you can even store up to 75 items in a single box. Awesome!

Simply arrange them vertically and that’s it!

Packing glasses yourself is slightly trickier, as no two glasses are alike.

So don’t be stingy with old newspaper and bubble wrap, and remember to pad the inside of the glass to consolidate the packaging.

Be careful, however, if you use traditional newspaper. The ink can stain the glass, so if you can, use white paper instead.

Try to pack glasses of similar shapes together, as stemless glasses can damage wine glasses for instance.

Just like with the plates, insulate each individual item with bubble wrap and don’t leave any empty spaces inside the container. Keep an eye on the weight of the box and label the container.

Finally, for very fragile glassware such as crystal or large glasses, double up on the protection and place them upright rather than lying down in the box.

For more moving tips, we recommend LittleLeyWorld’s video, which should make your life a lot easier and perhaps even turn this stage into good fun. :)