How to pack your delicates for storage

You don’t want your beautiful china or the fragile wedding plates to end up in shards, do you? We have an important disclosure to make: Unfortunately, bubble wrapping alone won’t prevent damage and breakages. We will teach you how to pack your delicates for storage like a pro if you want them to stay in one piece. Don’t worry about anything, you are in the right place, just read on. Our fine art movers New York can show you how to pack your delicates for storage. Your paintings, antiques, and sculptures are in the hands of true experts!

First, some basic steps on how to pack your delicates for storage more efficiently:

1. Start preparing well in advance!

Packing valuable vases, china, paintings and other fragile items with adequate care requires some time. However, note that you shouldn’t rush through this process no matter what you’re storing. But you should, of course, pay special attention to your easily breakable items. If you don’t have it in your budget to hire packing service New York, then begin well ahead of moving day in order to take the time to properly secure these items.

Businessman with moving boxes
You might assume it’s best to buy boxes that are all the same size. But various sized boxes make easy stacking!

2. Gather the right tools if you want to pack your delicates for storage like a pro.

If you want to use cardboard boxes to pack your delicates for storage, follow these steps:

  • You should never overpack the boxes, hoping that adding extra packing tape will keep them secured. Bulging boxes make the job harder for your Verazzano moving professionals. Overstuffed boxes make the job of safely packing and stacking them onto the moving truck dangerously difficult.
  • Instead of jamming too many items into one box, you need to make sure you get to have more packing materials than you think you’ll need when you start!
  • Also, remember that cardboard has a shelf life. Cardboard boxes inevitably become flimsy over time. That’s why you shouldn’t rely on the moving boxes you have in your basement to keep your stuff safe.

3. When preparing your important items for storage, it’s not the time to save money

Now, this next step is very important. Household items like towels, small blankets, newsprint, and paper towels are not good for packing your delicates for storage. Why these items are the opposite of wise choices, you ask? First of all, newsprint can be dusty and the ink will transfer onto your items. Paper towels are not strong and are very unreliable. Bathroom towels are extremely slippery and cannot be secured in place with tape, which is crucial when you need to pack your delicates for storage effectively. If you invest in the proper tools – you should be safe.

Packing
Wrap plates individually with bubble wrapping and secure the lids of your boxes with tape.

4. Pack your delicates for storage in boxes of various sizes

Make sure to gather, rent or purchase boxes ranging in sizes from as small as a shoebox to ottoman large. Keep in mind that you should never try to carry a box larger than 2-feet square because it isn’t safe. Another cool tip is to pack your delicates for storage in more shallow boxes. On the other hand, you should fill the big ones with lighter items. It goes without saying that we will first place heavy items at the bottom of the boxes, and then add lighter items on top.

5. Use extra supplies

When it comes to prepping odd-shaped items for packing and storage, the key is to be generous with the boxes. What this means is, when you have a special, more delicate item for storage, as an irreplaceable heirloom, each of those items should have a box to themselves. Start by putting a blanket on the bottom of a deeper box. Then place your carefully wrapped heirloom inside, and add a fluffy pillow on top for extra protection. After you pack your delicates for storage in such a caring and efficient way, seal up the boxes. Don’t forget to label them “FRAGILE“ on every side. You should also make an inventory of each box’s contents next to the “fragile” sign.

6. Pack fragile items in such a way that you prevent jiggling between them

As a rule of thumb, all your glasses, cups and mugs might require cellular box inserts to keep the items separated. This is done to completely avoid juggling. Even if you decide to improvise your packing supplies, wrapping each of your breakable items up remains crucial. You can use what you have but need to be extra careful. Put two layers of packing paper around each extra-sensitive item such are wine glasses because their structure is really delicate.

7. You want to make sure you’ve packed all the pieces snugly, to prevent shifting

No shifting, again, means no juggling! Fill all your hollow items such as goblets and vases, with some more crumpled packing paper besides wrapping them. You should also be protecting them individually with that wrapping paper. No item should be touching another piece. Only after you have completed these steps can you proceed to place them inside a box lined with paper or bubble cushioning.

Packing supplies
You’ll need a lot of packing paper, bubble cushioning for padding, maybe some cardboard inserts, scissors, and packing tape.

And when it comes to items like wine glasses or picture frames, you should place them in a box vertically, instead of horizontally. Proceed with placing these items with a sheet of bubble wrap between each layer and you’ll pack your delicates for storage like a pro.

Final thoughts

When the moving day comes, be present on-site to clarify to your movers which boxes contain fragile items. But if you’re still unsure about how to properly pack your delicates for storage, feel free to ask for help. Your Verrazano Moving professionals can always provide you with specialized boxes for breakable items. We also offer you professional packing services, so why not contact us now and rely on a service like ours! Have a happy and safe relocation!

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I can't say enough wonderful things about our experience with this company! The 3 men that moves us were so careful, neat ,fast, polite, caring. Not one nick on my walls! I was so impressed and highly recommend this company. Amazing people to deal with!

Elizabeth Majoris