With all the rooms in your house that need to be packed up, the most confusing one will probably be the kitchen. After all, a lot of the products are perishable, some have been sitting on shelves for years and you might just want to replace things like spices and dish towels in your new home.
Plus, not everything is easy to pack. Knives need to be handled with care, plates need to be wrapped carefully so nothing breaks and items in the freezer need to stay cool (if you’re moving not too far away, that is, and the items can survive the journey).
Here are some guidelines for packing up your kitchen:
Start with the Fridge
Chances are, you’re going to get rid of most items in the fridge, so be sure you have plenty of garbage bags. But if you’re not moving too far, and can get things back in a refrigerator pretty quickly, pack the items in a cooler.
Dishes and Glasses
You may have some valuable (either monetary or sentimental) dishes, glasses and other flatware, and sadly, these type of items can break during a move. Be sure to wrap each dish and glass individually with protective wrapping material and don’t stack them too high that the force will cause breaks. Label the boxes “fragile” and add plenty of bubble wrap or similar protective item.
Small Appliances
Items such as a mixer, toaster and coffee maker all need to be packed carefully, so hopefully you have saved the original boxes they came in somewhere to make it easier. If not, wrap them in towels and put only one item in each box. Be sure to label what it is so that you’re not going crazy when you want that first cup of coffee in your new home.
Cleaners
Some people may decide to just discard of all their cleaning supplies and start over, but these items can get pricey, so as long as you do it right, you can take them with you. Most items are liquid, so be sure that caps are on tight (taping them is a good idea!) and everything is standing up straight in the box, not just thrown one on top of another.
Pots and Pans
These items won’t break but they will be noisy, so use towels to muffle the sound a bit. Try to stack them from largest to smallest so you can fit a great deal in one box. But don’t make it so heavy that someone can’t lift it.
The Rest
Finally, pack up the other items like spices, baking supplies, dish towels and silverware—all in boxes with only similar items. Don’t mix the sugar with the spatulas. Try to keep everything organized (and remember to label everything on the outside of the box) so when you go to move in, things are easier.
