Moving 101: How to Move Glasses and Mugs Safely
Even if you hire professional movers to help you move into your new Waterloo Region home you will almost certainly be required to pack your own boxes (some movers do offer such a service but it’s usually very expensive) That may seem like a relatively simple – if rather arduous – task, but when it comes to packing up the more fragile items in your home it can be a little trickier.
Some of the hardest items to move successfully are all of the glasses, mugs and cups you’ve accumulated over the years. To make sure they make it safely, and don’t arrive as boxes full of glass shards and porcelain chips, you do have to take a little extra time, and more than a little extra care, when packing them up. Here are a few tried and tested tips that should help.
Start With the Right Supplies
First thing first, pack glassware and china into medium sized boxes. Large boxes get heavy to carry (even for moving guys) and the chance of them being dropped are significantly increased. If you can, ask the local liquor store if they can let you have a few of the divided boxes their bottles come packed in, as they are ideal for packing individual glasses.
Once you’ve found the right boxes, you need to gather the right packing stuff. Some people do opt to go out and buy tons of specialist packing, like bubblewrap, but you really don’t have to. Some newspaper or material scraps will work just as well. You’ll also need packing tape – which you are going to be using a lot anyway – and a marker for labelling the box once it’s packed.
Prep the Packing Box
Whatever packing material you opt for you should use some of it to line the bottom of your box before you begin. This will provide something of a cushion if the box is jostled in transit.
Wrapping Glasses and Cups
Working on a flat clean surface, lay a stack of paper or towels on the table or counter. Take one glass or mug and place it in one corner of the stack at an angle. Slowly begin to roll the glass or mug and as it rolls, stuff the ends of the paper or towel into the glass or mug’s opening and wrap it until it is completely covered.
Stemmed wine glasses can be particularly challenging and so the stem should be wrapped first, using a separate piece of packing material, before you follow the procedure outlined above. When placing the glasses into the box ensure that the heaviest go on the bottom.
Don’t overpack the box as you’ll need to leave room at the top for (yet) another cushioning layer of packaging.
Sealing the Packed Box
Before you seal the box give it a (gentle) shake back and forth. When doing so you should not hear and clinking or shifting and if you do, sorry to say. you should start again.
Once your are happy with your handiwork seal the box, label it with both its contents and the room it should go in, as well as the obligatory ‘FRAGILE’ in nice big letters as a warning to the movers.