Don’t let your kitchen’s relatively small size fool you — it’s often the most time-consuming room to pack. Those cabinets are crammed with stuff, much of which is breakable and requires careful wrapping. These kitchen packing tips help speed up the job.
1. Collect twice as many boxes as you think you’ll need. Copier paper boxes are the ideal size for many kitchen things; big enough to hold plenty of glasses or plates, but small enough to not get too heavy. The drawback is that they don’t fold flat for compact storage during the box-collecting phase.
2. Pack non-breakable bakeware and cookware first, so you can stack boxes of breakables on top of them while you wait for moving day to arrive.
3. Label boxes as specifically as you can, because the moment surely will arrive when you want to know whether “BOWLS” means cereal bowls or serving bowls.
4. Wrap breakables in dishtowels, cloth napkins, placemats and the like — you save space and have less packing material to get rid of later. Pack the box snugly, so the breakables don’t shift. If an item is quite valuable, keep it with you.
5. If you move non-perishable liquids such as oils, seal the containers in heavy-duty zippable food storage bags in case they leak or — worse — break. It easier not to move perishable food, unless your move is a short hop and you can fit it in a cooler.
6. Leave spoons, dinner knives, and forks in their divider tray, wrap the tray in self-clinging plastic wrap and place it flat at the bottom of a box.
7. Put something over the tip of each sharp knife — cork works well — and tape it in place. Then wrap the knives in newspaper and place them in a small, thick, well-labeled box, which you can place inside a larger box.
8. Pull out the fridge if you’re not taking it with you. There’s sure to be something valuable under it, such as a favorite cat toy or a child’s drawing. As long as you’re back there, clean — it’s good karma.
9. Pack a box of cleaning supplies, such as sponges, rags and all-purpose cleaner (sealed in a bag), in case your new house's previous resident didn’t care about karma. Take the supplies with you if you’re driving; if they go on the van, load them last so they come off the van first.
10. When moving day looms and you start boxing up things you use regularly, set aside enough dishes, glasses, eating utensils and cookware to get you through a day or two. Survive with those items after everything else is packed, then pack them in one box at the very last minute (you might toss in a sponge, dish towel and small zipped bag of dishwasher detergent too). Keep the box handy — take it in the car if you’re driving or load it last if it goes on the van — so you have the essentials until you unpack everything else.
11. As you make a final check of the cabinets, drawers, and pantry for forgotten items, check the dishwasher too.
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