KITCHEN ITEMS


Movers use dishpacks. These are double-wall, corrugated cardboard boxes that are about 28" high and 18" square. China can also be packed in smaller book or record boxes. Before packing china and glassware, be sure to line the bottom of the box with crumpled newsprint.

FOOD: Try to move as little as possible. Avoid packing anything that might leak or spill. Tighten covers on jars and place in plastic bags, then use paper.

FLATWARE: Put the biggest pieces in box first and work your way up to the smallest. Wrap each piece individually in a sheet of unprinted news. Pack plates and other flat breakables STANDING ON EDGE in the carton. Pack firmly, but don't pack a layer of plates so tightly that they push against the sides of the box. Leave room for a layer of crushed newspaper between the outermost plates and the inner sides of the box. Also fill in air spaces with crushed newspaper. You can give your china additional protection by packing the saucers in bundles of four to six pieces each. Once each piece has been wrapped separately, stack them and then wrap the stack and seal it with masking tape. Unprinted newspaper can be used for this purpose. Then place each bundle in the carton as you would an in individual dish-ON EDGE. For this method to work properly, all pieces in each bundle should be the same or nearly the same size.

BOWLS: Bowls and other unusually shaped items can be packed as a second layer on top of the plates. But before putting a second layer in the box it is advisable to put another layer of cushioning on top of the plates. Rolled or crushed newspaper can be used for this purpose. Wrap bowls individually as you would plates. Use unprinted newspaper. Stack bowls together in nests of 4 to 6 and wrap again in newspaper. Place bowls in cartons standing on edge as you would plates and saucers.

CUPS AND MUGS: Wrap cup handles in tissue or paper towels, then cover completely in unprinted newspaper making sure that the inside of the cup is filled with paper. When all cups are wrapped, place them in the carton in rows with all HANDLES POINTING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. Cups, mugs, and other fragile items should be the top-most layer of the carton. Leave enough space on top to permit adding newsprint for additional protection.

GLASSWARE: You can use the top layer of a dishpack, a whole dishpack, or book boxes. Ordinary or everyday drinking glasses can be nested after each glass is wrapped individually in unprinted newspaper. If your glassware is especially valuable, the best thing to do is to obtain partitioned dividers from us. The key to packing glass and stemware is to always place these items in cartons STANDING ON RIM, i.e., bottoms up. Stemware, Goblets, Small Vases, Figurines, and Other Small Breakables: These items should be packed in cartons with partition dividers. Wrap each item individually in tissue or paper towel and then wrap again in a piece of unprinted news. Place stemware in partitioned sections standing on rims. Avoid packing more than one item per partitioned space - even if there is room for more. This will put undue pressure on the bottom piece and increase chances of breakage. Any extra space should be filled with crushed newspaper to prevent movement. Do not nest the stemware as you would glasses.

POTS AND PANS: Use dishpacks. Line the bottom of the biggest pan with a couple sheets of newsprint and then place the next largest pan in the first and then line the second pan. Continue this lining and nesting procedure for all pots and pans. Place them flat in the carton filling in all air spaces with crushed newspaper.

For a printable version of all packing tips, please click here.