Why the kitchen takes longest to pack
The kitchen has more small, fragile and oddly shaped items than any other room. Glasses, plates, small appliances, spices, pots and the contents of the back of every cupboard all need wrapping and careful placement. It is also the room you use until the last day, which is why it is so often half-packed when the movers arrive.
The fix is to split the kitchen into what you can pack early and what you need to the end, and to pack fragile items in a way that survives the truck.
Supplies to have ready
- Small and medium sturdy boxes. Large boxes filled with dishes become too heavy to carry safely.
- Packing paper, which is cleaner than newspaper on dishes.
- Bubble wrap or towels for the most fragile pieces.
- Tape, a marker, and labels that say FRAGILE and THIS SIDE UP.
- Dish-pack or divided boxes for glasses, if you have many.
Two weeks before: pack what you rarely use
Start with the items you will not miss: special-occasion dishes, extra glassware, baking equipment, serving platters, small appliances used a few times a year, and cookbooks. Use the time to sort as well. Expired food, duplicate utensils and appliances you never use are easier to give away now than to move and unpack.
Eat down the pantry and freezer in the weeks before the move, so less food is left at the end.
How to pack dishes and glasses
- Put a layer of crumpled paper in the bottom of the box as a cushion.
- Wrap each plate individually and stand plates on edge, like records, rather than stacking them flat.
- Wrap each glass separately, stuffing paper inside it, and place glasses upright in the top layer.
- Fill every gap with crumpled paper so nothing moves when the box is shaken gently.
- Close the box, label it FRAGILE and KITCHEN, and mark which side is up.
Keep dish boxes light enough to lift comfortably. Under FleetGo's terms, the contents of boxes you pack and seal yourself are your responsibility, while FleetGo is responsible for how the boxes are handled. Good packing protects what is inside.
Small appliances, knives and pots
- Pack small appliances in their original boxes if you still have them; otherwise wrap them and fill the box.
- Remove loose parts, such as blender jars and microwave plates, and wrap them separately.
- Wrap knives in several layers of paper or a towel, and label the bundle so nobody grabs the blade.
- Nest pots and pans with paper between them, and pack lids separately.
Food, liquids and the fridge
Do not pack open liquids, cleaning products or anything that can leak. Food, liquids and perishables travel at the customer's risk, because a moving truck is not refrigerated. For a local move you can carry a cooler of essentials in your own car; for a longer move, use up or give away perishable food.
Empty, clean and defrost the fridge and freezer a day before the move. Disconnecting appliances is the customer's responsibility unless it has been arranged in advance, and items over 100 lb carry a $100 heavy-item charge each, which can include large refrigerators.
The last-day box
Pack one open box for the last night and the first morning: a kettle or coffee maker, a few mugs and plates, cutlery, dish soap, a towel, paper towels and snacks. Carry it in your own car so it is the first thing you unpack.
If packing the whole kitchen is more than you have time for, FleetGo's packing services can take it on, billed as crew time. For the rest of the house, follow the moving checklist.