Handle With Care: How to Pack Glasses for Moving
Every year, approximately 40 million people pack up their homes and move, either to another local home or somewhere farther away. Even if each home only has eight pieces of glassware, that's over 300 million chances for breakage.
Unfortunately, glassware and ceramics are among the most frequently broken items during a move. You can't do much to prevent someone from dropping a cup or dish while you pack. What you can do is take steps that will help prevent your glasses from breaking during the trip itself.
Use Glass Pack Kit
Many people don't realize it, but you can get moving boxes specifically designed for packing glasses. Check with your moving professionals for these specialty boxes.
Called a glass pack kit, these boxes come with individual compartments for your glasses. Each compartment consists of sturdy cardboard that will resist crushing.
Glass pack kits also keep the glasses from bumping into each other, one of the main reasons that glasses break during shipping and moves. Of course, you should still provide some padding as added insurance.
Not sure about what goes into padding your glasses? Don't worry. We'll go over padding your glasses in the next section.
Lots of Padding
For glasses, packing paper and bubble wrap save the day. You can find these at most retail outlets, many office supply stores, and even for sale at package delivery outlets.
Start by packing the inside of each glass with wadded-up paper. This provides some internal support for the glass if the box comes under pressure. This can help stave off crush breaks.
Wrap the outside of each glass with either packing paper or bubble wrap. Don't skimp on the packing paper. For standard boxes, make sure you put several layers of crumpled paper on the bottom of the box and on top of the glasses. It provides a cushion when the box gets jostled.
Mark As Fragile
Always make a point to mark all boxes with glassware as fragile. Label all sides of the box. If someone else handles the boxes, they might not realize it's glassware. You might also forget by the time you're unloading them at your new home.
Hire Professionals
You probably won't hire professionals just to pack up your glassware. If you own a lot of glassware and other fragile items, though, getting some pros on the job can relieve you of a lot of stress.
You can focus on the organizational aspects of the move, rather than the nitty-gritty of actual packing. Plus, you won't wonder if your fragile possessions got packed the right way. You’ll know they were packed properly.
Safely Packing Glassware
If you're getting ready for a move and wondering how to pack glassware the right way, start with the right materials.
Get the right kind of boxes ahead of time. Glass pack kits come in many sizes for different styles of glasses. Take a glass with you and find the right size.
If you're packing in regular boxes, use small boxes and invest in plenty of packing paper and bubble wrap. These will provide a cushion and internal support for your glasses during transit.
Need help with your move? Brooks Transfer & Storage specializes in residential moves and office relocations in the Virginia Beach area. Need help with your move? Contact us today.
