Feeling boxed in by the thought of packing up your kitchen? Stress not! Our Professional California Movers are sharing their expert tips to help you pack your kitchen like a pro. From protecting fragile glassware to moving bulky appliances, we’ve got the recipe to a well organized move. Whether you’re a master chef or just a weekend pancake maker, save these kitchen packing tips for your next moving day. Make moving your kitchen a piece of cake by following our Professional California Movers’ Tips.
Pre-Packing Tips
Sort and Purge:
You may be a regular Marie Kondo at decluttering your closet but when it comes to your kitchen, not many items naturally “spark joy.” Before you start decluttering, consider which appliances, gadgets and tools you use regularly. Have you used any of those promotional water bottles, extra mugs or collectible plates in the last month or year? If they’re just taking up space in your cupboards it may be better to donate them. The same goes for those duplicate small appliances hidden in the back that you’ve been meaning to give away. How many blenders do you actually need? If they are still in good use, put these in a box labeled “donate” and drop them off at your local donation center. You can also donate unused food items to your local food bank.
What should you throw out? Discard any chipped cups or dishes, expired spices or mismatched plastic containers. Your kitchen junk drawer is also a great place to clear clutter before a move. Loved how your fridge and pantry is organized in your current home? Take photos of your organization system so you can recreate it in your new home.
Gathering Packing Materials:
Once you’ve decluttered your kitchen, gather your packing supplies. You’ll need packing paper, ecobubble, packing tape and of course moving boxes. Our professional California movers recommend using Dish Pack boxes for fragile kitchen items. This kind of moving box is especially designed for fragile items such as: dishes, glasses, vases etc. It’s usually thicker and around 18” x 18” x 27”. Keep a marker on hand to help you label your boxes “kitchen”. Remember to also label the boxes with what is inside. Labeling your boxes with their contents will streamline and organize your unpacking process. You can even take photos of what you put into each box so you can find things easily again.
Create a Packing Timeline:
Most people leave packing the kitchen for last since you keep using it up until moving day. However, our professional California Movers recommend you start early packing the parts of your kitchen that you don’t use everyday. Leave items that you use daily to be packed in the final days before the move. In the final week before you move, plan to use up all of the food items in your fridge and pantry before moving day. Two days before your move you’ll want to defrost and dry refrigerators/freezers that need to be moved. If you have medication or food items you want to transfer to your new home that need to be refrigerated use a cooler with ice. Include snacks, paper plates, eco-friendly cutlery and refillable water bottles in your first night box so you have easy to access food supplies on hand for moving day and your first night in your new home. Learn what else you should pack in your first night box here.
Packing Tips:
Packing Dishes and Glassware
Use a dish pack box (extra strong moving box) to pack plates, bowls, mugs and glassware. Tape the bottom of a dish pack shut and line the bottom of the box with packing paper. Wrap breakable containers or baking dishes with packing paper and place them in the dish pack. Pack crumbled packing paper into empty spaces between and on top of these items. Pack plates vertically into the dish pack. Try to keep similar sized plates together. Use plenty of packing paper to secure these items and pack crumbled packing paper into the empty spaces between and on top of these items. Wrap mugs and glassware individually with packing paper. When you reach the top of the box, fill any remaining space with crumbled packing paper and tape the top of the dish pack shut. The goal is to make sure there is no empty space where items can move around while the box is in transit. Label the dish pack with the room it belongs in and what’s inside. Do you learn by watching? Check out our packing pros in action here.
Packing Small Appliances:
When packing small kitchen appliances like your blender, coffee maker, stand up mixer remember to keep their small parts together. If you don’t keep their original packaging or instruction guide, take a picture of how it was set up before you take it apart. Use a zip lock bag to store all of the small parts that go with your appliance and label it clearly. You can tape it to the appliance itself and keep it in the same box. Use packing paper to fill any empty spaces around the appliances once they are in a box. Again, remember your goal: leave no empty spaces in the box which allows items to jiggle around and get damaged.
Packing Large Appliances
When moving large appliances like your fridge, stove, freezer or wine fridge, it’s important to look up the manufacturer’s directions for moving them. Most require you unplug and defrost for a period of time before you move them and after you transport them to your new home. Appliances that have gas in them like fridges and freezers, need time to settle after being moved before they can be plugged in again. If you don’t have the original appliance manual, look up your appliances’ make and model online for specific instructions. Check with your property manager or your gas company if you need to have your stove professionally disconnected or if you can do it yourself.
Moving Day with our Professional California Movers
Leave the loading and unloading of your appliances and moving boxes to your professional California movers. If you have clearly labeled your kitchen moving boxes your movers will be able to place them in the correct room in your new home. Full service professional California movers like NorthStar Moving can even pack and unpack your kitchen for you. It’s a good idea to give your new kitchen a good cleaning before you move in. Start with the space where your fridge and stove will go, your cupboards and your counters. You can also hire an eco-friendly cleaning service to give your entire new home a sparkling fresh start before moving day.
The kitchen is often called the heart of the home, and that’s all the more reason to pack it up with extra care and love! With a sprinkle of planning, a dash of organization, and the assistance of our Professional California Movers, making your kitchen move can be easy as pie. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen and call our Professional California movers to pack your kitchen up for you. We can do as much or as little of the packing as you need. Learn more about our packing services here.