How to Pack Glassware and Fine China for Your Move

Packing and moving delicate and fragile items requires a careful approach and necessary supplies, especially if you’re moving valuable or sentimental items. When it comes to moving glassware and china, packing can be accomplished on your own, but it’s always the safest and most convenient to hire a specialized moving company in NYC to handle the packing and transportation. The fine art movers are among the best for handling sensitive and fragile items. However, if you can’t hire professional movers, there are some things you can do to safely pack and transport your breakables. In the following text, we’ll share some tips and tricks on how to pack glassware and fine china for your move.

If you’re wondering about materials, steps, and precautions necessary for moving delicate items, we’ve got you covered. Carry on reading to learn how to pack glassware and fine china for your move.

Before packing

While moving to a new home is certainly a chaotic time, it’s important to know what are the best ways to protect and pack fragile items, as china and breakable glassware, before packing even begins. Here are a few tips to help you prepare.

Make inventory list

Before you proceed to the actual packing, go ahead and take inventory. Include all of your valuable glassware and china, write down and take pictures if your time allows. Having an inventory list will help you see better what you have and it will also serve as proof in case you need to file a claim in case any of your items are damaged during the moving company’s handling.

 

Get insurance

Consider getting additional insurance if the basic one won’t cover you (in most cases it won’t because it includes items in the home and those on the truck). To make sure you’re covered in all cases, check out all the insurance options before deciding what works best for your specific situation.

Gather quality supplies

While you can use almost any type of box for moving your clothes, that’s not the case when moving china and glassware. When you’re moving fragile items, you want to make sure that you have quality supplies that are sturdy enough and designed for a specific purpose. You’ll need moving boxes, packing tape, packing paper, bubble wrap (plenty of it), dividers, cushioning material, a sharpie marker, etc.

How to Pack Glassware and Fine China for Your Move

Get corrugated boxes

Before you start packing, you’ll need the necessary packing supplies. Get enough corrugated boxes and make sure they’re sturdy enough and in good shape, otherwise, they may break and your fragile items may end up on the floor.

Make cushioning

Before putting anything in a moving box, make cushioning at the bottom of the box. This will make the first protective layer and give you the best results along with the following steps.

Use dividers

To prevent your glassware from scratching or breaking, separate them from each other by using cardboard dividers.

Wrap glassware

Regardless of the shape or use of your glass item, it needs to be wrapped carefully. Use packing paper to wrap it and follow by bubble wrap for an extra layer of protection. You can also add packing paper inside for even better protection.

Fill in voids

After you place dividers and wrapped glass items inside the box, you’ll notice empty spaces. Use crumpled packing paper, bubble wrap, or packing peanuts to fill empty spaces and protect items from shifting during transit.

Wrap china

When you’re packing porcelain items like plates or bowls, or any other type of china, always wrap every single item separately by using packing paper and plenty of bubble wrap. Make sure to use packing tape to secure the wrapping in place.

Pack large items first

When you’re putting your china and glassware in a box, always start with the largest items. The bottom of the box should be filled with large or heavy items to prevent them from crushing smaller ones.

Pack medium size items next

After you’re done with the heaviest items, continue to placing medium ones in the moving box. Items in the middle should also be separated with padding to prevent scratching and breaking.

Smallest items on top

Eventually, place the smallest and lightest items on top, such as teacups, saucers, etc. After you place them inside, don’t forget to fill empty spaces with more crumpled packing paper or bubble wrap.

Stacking china

If you’re stacking china dishware, make sure to separate each item by using cardboard cutout and protect from scratching.

After packing

After you’ve placed everything in boxes, there are few more things to do in order to safely transport your glassware and china. Here’s what to do:

Label the boxes

Once you’re done with packing, it’s time to seal the box with packing tape to protect it from opening. The next thing to do is to take a sharpie marker and label moving boxes, writing the room these items belong to, or the content inside. Also, marking each box “fragile” is necessary because it will let your movers know that these boxes require special handling.

Keep inventory list inside

Another helpful step is to take inventory of items you’re placing in a specific box and keep it inside. It will make it way much easier to unpack and sort your things out after you move.

Double-check

Before you proceed to load boxes with glassware and fine china into the moving truck, go ahead and double-check once more if everything is properly secured. All boxes should be sturdy, without items shifting inside, and taped to prevent items from falling out in transit.

Ready to move?

As always, it’s best if you let professionals pack glassware and fine china for your move. Many NYC movers specialize in packing and transporting delicate items. You should know how to pick the right movers and choose a reputable and reliable moving company to take care of your valuable belongings. If you’re looking for a licensed and trustworthy moving company, check out Dorothy And Martha Moving. Contact us so we can chat about your upcoming relocation. We’ll be more than happy to answer all the questions and provide a moving quote completely free of charge.