How to Pack Fragile & Delicate Items For Your Move [Infographic]

Moving most items, such as furniture and heavy duty pieces in your home, is fairly simple. All you have to do is box them up or wrap them and put them on a moving truck. Your more delicate things, like glasses, grandfather clocks, mirrors, and other valuables, however, require more care. They have to be protected from bumps and jostles so that they don’t end up cracked, chipped, or broken. Learn how to pack fragile items for moving by scrolling below!

Knowing how to pack these items is the first step in ensuring their safe arrival at your new location. We’ve created this infographic to share some tips for packing delicate items for moving:

Pack Your Breakables First

Most people don’t use their finest items every day. This makes it easy to pack them early on, without worrying about having to get them unpacked quickly. Packing these delicate items first also ensures that you have plenty of time to carefully pack them.

Wrap Each Item in Bubble Wrap Individually

Dishes, glasses, and other oddly-shaped items are especially in need of individual wrapping. Even things that you might nest at home, such as plates, should get this treatment. This keeps them from hitting into each other when in motion, preventing breakage. Use high-quality bubble wrap, and be generous with it.

For added protection, you can buy boxes made to hold multiple individually-wrapped pieces. Glasses, for example, work with cell boxes. These have dividers to help keep the glasses from hitting each other, but also make it easy for you to keep an entire set in a unified space. Be sure to use them when wrapping glasses for moving.

Prepare Electronics Properly Before Wrapping

Many kinds of electronics use batteries, and some often carry things like DVD’s or media cartridges. Remove all of these things from the devices before packing. Batteries can corrode if left alone for a long time, and digital media in storage can be negatively affected by temperature or other factors. Small pieces of the device can also become loose, and both accumulate and cause damage. Make sure all of your electronics and delicate items are protected by following these simple tips!

Once ready, it’s usually a good idea to wrap your electronics in bubble wrap. Check the owner’s manual of each thing to be sure, though – some may have special instructions.

Pack Picture Frames and Mirrors with Padding

Pictures are usually considered among the most valuable items for many people, so it’s important to know how to pack picture frames for moving correctly.  The specifics of packing these items depends on their size. Small picture frames and other smaller flats can be packed in medium-sized boxes with crumpled paper or bubble wrap between each piece. Large mirrors and other plate glass type items need to be moved vertically, and secured in the truck so they don’t fall over. For these, it’s usually a good idea to wrap them in heavy blankets or quilts. The largest may need to be moved separately, too.

Dealing with Large, Odd-Shaped Items

For these, there is a procedure that’s fairly easy to master. First, wrap them in bubble wrap. Then, place them between two pieces of cardboard. Bend the cardboard so it forms a second wrapper around them. Finally, tape it securely.

With the proper protection, any household item can be safely moved. One of the biggest keys is taking the time to do it right. This is why it’s important to pack breakables first. As moving day approaches, you may start to feel rushed – and things done in a rush usually aren’t done carefully.

Takeaways

• Leave enough time to pack your things, but pack breakable items first
• The best way to pack fragile items is usually with bubble wrap
• Use extra protection for large, odd-shaped, or extra-delicate items
• Transport things like large mirrors vertically

Now that you’ve learned these tips for moving fragile items, the next step is to hire a moving company that is sure to take good care of all those items during loading and transport. Call us here at Tiger Moving & Storage in New Jersey for the service level you need to ensure safe transport of all of your belongings.