Our houses are full of glass items, such as kitchenware, lights, photo frames, and whatnot! And such items are highly prone to damage during packing and moving. Damaging such items does not only cost you money but may also hurt you emotionally. Therefore, it is important that you and your moving services provider take extra care while packing and moving such items.
In this blog, we share some valuable tips for packing and moving glass items without breaking them. Let’s get started!
1. Gather the Right Supplies First
First thing first, you need some supplies to pack these items. This includes some sturdy boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, packing tape, dividers, foam sheets or peanuts, and some labels to identify these items. Professional moving services send you experts equipped with these items to make it easy for them to pack your things.
Avoid using newspapers, as they do not provide the required protection and may also leak ink, leaving stain marks on your items. Also, make sure to use dividers to keep some distance between these items.
2. Wrap Each Item Individually
Never ever stack bare glass items together. During moving, these items may collide with each other and break. Follow a proven wrapping method, which is using packing paper first to prevent scratches, then wrapping them in bubble wrap and fixing with tape. For highly fragile items, use two layers of bubble wrap to ensure extra protection.
3. Use Dividers for Glassware
Once all the items are wrapped properly, use dividers between them while placing them in the box. Especially for mugs, wine glasses, or jars, use dividers between them to prevent side-to-side movement and collision. You may use leftover cardboard as dividers or can also buy pre-made kitchenware boxes.
4. Cushion the Bottom and Top
General boxes or cartons are not thick enough to protect your glassware from damage. It is better to use cushions to provide them with extra safety. Use crumpled paper or foam at the bottom of the packing box, place your glass items, and then give another cushion at the top of the box. This will safeguard your items in the moving truck.
5. Label Every Box
Boxes that contain breakable glass items need to be identified separately. Use a marker and give these boxes unique marks, like “fragile,” “this side up,” or “contents.” This way, movers will be extra careful while moving the items, and you will also remain extra careful while unpacking these boxes.
6. Pack Heaviest Items First
Heaviest items should be packed and loaded first. Ask your moving services provider to arrange the items accordingly. This will create balance—heavier items on the bottom and lighter items on top. This way, you can avoid crushing in the moving truck.
7. Keep Mirrors and Frames Upright
Wrap mirrors and frames in packing paper or bubble wrap, then place them in the packing box upright. Also, make sure to use a box slightly larger than the item so you can provide them with extra cushion on all sides.
8. Don’t Overpack the Box
Overpacking may result in pressure on the items and may cause damage. Avoid overpacking the boxes. Make sure each box has some space for extra cushioning. Keep the boxes snug, not stuffed.
9. Hand-Carry Irreplaceable Glass Items
If you have some items that are irreplaceable, be it due to the price or your sentimental value, carry them with you. No matter how much you protect them, moving trucks are not as safe as your own car for these items. Carry them with you after packing them carefully in a small box or container.
10. Unpack Carefully
Our experience says more items break during unpacking than packing and moving. Make sure your efforts are not wasted after all the hard work. Unpack these items very carefully, ideally on a bed or gentle surface. No need to hurry; you have made it till here, and you will do it perfectly.
Bonus Tip: Use Color Codes
Not just labelling and marking, give your fragile items different colour codes for easy identification. Use bright colours like red or yellow so that the moving guys can easily identify them and take better care of them.
Conclusion
Moving a house is tricky, but not anymore, as there are many moving service providers in Auckland. However, you still cannot expect perfection at the cost of damaging your valuable glass items. While moving your house, follow these simple tips to pack, move, and unpack fragile glass items. These tips can certainly ensure you move without damaging them.