The kitchen: it's the room everyone dreads having to pack up before the move. From the sharp knives to the fragile glasses to the temperature-sensitive appliances, it just presents so many more challenges than a bedroom or living room. But packing up your kitchen does not have to be the nightmare you are envisioning. Here are four tips to simplify the process.
Wrap dishes in towels.
Instead of taking up a lot of extra space with endless wads of packing paper, try wrapping your dishes, glasses, and other fragile items in your dish towels. The towels have to be packed up anyway. You can probably roll up two or more glasses in a single dish towel, and then tuck the ends of the towel into the glass to keep it secure. Stack plates with folds of a towel between them for protection.
Use a variety of sizes of boxes.
The large boxes you were using throughout the rest of the home might be too large for some things in the kitchen. By the time you get a big box filled with dishes, you may not be able to lift it. So if you do not already have a variety of box sizes, purchase a few smaller boxes and a few larger ones. Use the big ones for larger items like toaster ovens and microwaves and the smaller ones for heavy dishes and other items.
Clean appliances before you pack them.
If you leave crumbs in the toaster, they may work their way out of boxes and make a mess in the moving truck -- not to mention on your new floor as you're unpacking. The same can happen with a microwave, coffee pot, or crock pot. So, clean and dry all of your appliances thoroughly before you pack them up. Leave the doors open so they can breathe, as moist air trapped inside of them can cause mold to grow.
Store knives separately.
You don't want to be unpacking a box, only to find that a sharp knife has worked its way out of the sleeve and now has an exposed blade that could cut you. It's safest to wrap each of your knives individually in cardboard, and then store them all in one box. This way, you only have to be careful about cuts when unpacking this single box. Tape the box up with a few extra layers of duct tape, and label it clearly.
Another great way to simplify the process is to work with one of your local moving services to handle your packing and moving needs.
