When we talk about interstate moving, a huge proportion (around 70%) of things people relocate are household goods. And we don’t need to tell you how much of those things are kitchen items. Learning how to pack pots and pans and other belongings is crucial for a smooth transition. And here is how it’s done.
Good packing is a key ingredient of successful unpacking. And the best cure for fighting post-relocation depression is to have a stress-free move and everything planned and organized in detail. And packing pots and pans should be part of that plan as well. You will need to implement some professional long-distance moving tips when stacking these dishes, like with all heavy and bulky items. When moving state-to-state, it is important to know not only how to pack a truck but your boxes as well.
Do Some Prep Work Before Your Moving Day Arrives
Like in any big project, preparation is key to having an organized move. Before you contact your state-to-state movers to give you a quote for interstate moving service, you will have to make an inventory list of all belongings you plan to bring with you. This list will be really helpful when you start organizing packing. Also, a list will be good for price estimation if you plan to hire movers for packing service as well.
Buy High-Quality Protective Materials
After you make a list, it is time to buy some high-quality packing materials. If you are relocating for the first time, you will probably have to accrue everything from scratch. Of course, you don’t have to buy everything – take some things from your home or get some materials for free in local stores.
If your relocation budget doesn’t allow you to buy high-quality protective materials, you can use sheets and towels instead of cushioning foam. Use newspaper or t-shirts to wrap your belongings. On the other hand, when it comes to figuring out how to pack pots and pans for moving, getting high-quality strong boxes are the key.
Finally, here is a list of the things you can buy:
- Wrapping material,
- Labels,
- Markers,
- Duct tape and duct tape guns,
- Cushioning.
Declutter Your Home and Pay Special Attention to Your Kitchen Items
The most efficient move is when you have as few unnecessary things with you as possible. Even if you hire movers to do everything for you, unpacking will be a nightmare if you have to sort everything out once you are at the final destination. So, one of the things you will have to do is to figure out what to get rid of before relocating.
Throw away, donate or sell all the belongings you haven’t used for more than two years, or you have a strong feeling you will never use them again. Therefore, make a throw-away pile in every room, and later sort everything out. Do the same when you start packing plates and other kitchen stuff. Go through each cabinet and see what can be put up for a donation. From spices to mugs, everything must be taken into consideration.
Go to the Nearest Soup Kitchen and Donate Unwanted Dishes
You probably have a lot of skillets and dishes that are rusty or damaged in some way. Or you haven’t used them ever. Put those dishes aside and ask around where you can donate them. There are probably soup kitchens near you, so call each of them and ask them if they want to take your dishes. If no one wants to take them, throw them away. Let go of the guilt. Not only will you save some money for your move, but you will get to enjoy the true benefit of relocation and buy new, modern ones.Go to the nearest charity organization and donate your old dishes
Best Tricks for Deep Cleaning of Your Pots and Pans
Another really important step is to deep clean every item you plan to pack, especially kitchen belongings. Grease and dirt are inevitable on the bottom of all cooking dishes. And it is usual since dishwashing machines sometimes can not clean everything. If you wish to enter your new life all shiny and bright, you don’t want some dirty dishes to spoil your brand new cabinets.
Long-lasting dirt can be easily removed with a couple of simple home ingredients, as some viral videos suggest. Take dish soap, baking soda, salt, and vinegar. Then mix soda and dish soap and tap on the bottom of your pan. Take some paper towels, place them on top of your mixture, soak them with vinegar, and leave for a couple of minutes. You will have a spotless pan. Here is a video with more tips.
How to Pack Pots and Pans – Step by Step Guide to Perfect Packing
Is it OK to stack pots and pans? If you wish to have fewer boxes to carry, then you should stack them. Remove the lids and stick up three to four pieces together. Put some protective material between each piece to prevent scratching. Put a larger piece first, then smaller once, and to give you an extra relocation hack, align the handles. It will provide extra stability and save some space inside as well.
Step 1 – Reinforce the Bottoms of Your Boxes
Before you start filling up your boxes, you should reinforce the bottoms with duct tape. Do so, and you will ensure that the container doesn’t break when lifted. You can take plastic containers for this purpose too. Before putting any item inside, put a layer of protective material like newspaper or brown paper on the bottom of the container, then start with filing. And once you’re done, put a protective layer on top, close everything and label it.
Step 2 – Best Way of Packing Pots and Pans for Moving – Wrap Each Item Separately
When dealing with heavy objects, especially dishes, it may look like no protection is needed. You couldn’t be more wrong. If not protected, a lot of damages can occur. Therefore a proper wrapping must be implemented. You can take bubble wrap for a more professional approach or newspaper if you don’t have enough time or means. Cover each piece both from outside and inside and place it in the box.
Step 3 – Nesting Dolls Are Best Model
From largest to most minor pieces, we all have a bunch of pots in our kitchen. Use this to your advantage and place each piece in a larger one, like nesting dolls. Handles will be in a way, so make sure to measure everything properly. Like with skillets, cover everything and put at least three pieces together.
Lids should be wrapped, too, and placed on the sides of the box. Make sure to fill the hollow space in the box, either with some cushioning or smaller kitchen items.
Step 4 – Heavy Items Go on the Bottom
If you have an iron skillet or other heavy casserole pot, you should place them first. Lighter objects should go on top of them. You will prevent unintentionally breaking, and balance in the box will be better, making the box easier to carry.
Step 5 – Do Not Over Pack
Even if you are boxing up shoes or clothing, no container should be over-packed, and that especially goes for dealing with heavy objects. Not only that the box will be too heavy to carry, but it might break under pressure. Also, you have to leave some space on top to put cushioning.
Take Special Care of Glass Items
When stacking fragile items like lids or some glass casserole pot, you will have to follow some rules. For starters, you have to bubble-wrap each piece. Place lids horizontally and make sure they can not move inside of the container. Heavy glass objects should go first, then a thick protective layer on top of them. Be extremely careful with refractory bowls. If they get even a microscopic break, they can explode at high temperatures. Protect them in the best possible manner if necessary – cover them with a beach towel, for example.
Pick the Right Dish for Your Essentials
So now that you know the answer to the question how do you package pots, you will have to learn how to pack them with other belongings properly. And if you wonder why you need that, the answer is called relocation essentials. The crucial part of every interstate moving is to have a bag or box of essential things properly packed, labeled, and ready for usage as soon as you enter your new house. Here you will put everything you need to function normally for a couple of days until you are all unpacked.
Along with bathroom items, hygiene products, clothing, and cleaning supplies, you will need some dishes as well. And picking the right dishes is a key in breaking prevention. For example, stacking glasses here will not be that useful since you can not put hot drinks in glasses. Instead, take mugs or glass with handles. It is the same when it comes to finding the right dish for cooking. Take a medium-size pot where you can both fry and cook. Cover it up and put it in your bag of essentials. You can fill the inside of the pot with some essential spices like salt and pepper.
When in Hurry, Implement DIY Method
If you are moving last minute and don’t have time to buy professional supplies, you can take strong contractor bags to pack your skillets. Just make sure to tape sharp corners, so they don’t poke other objects in the truck. This method is easier for unpacking too.
Everything Is Packed and You Are Good to Go
Now that you know how do you pack pots and pans to move, you can start making all the arrangements necessary for your relocation. But before you contact your company of choice, double-check if the company is legit and registered under federal laws. Always check if a company has a USDOT number, and you will avoid relocation scammers for sure.
When choosing a company, take into consideration if they provide all the services you require. For example, do they do auto transport? Or, if you require a place to store your belongings, do they have a storage facility? Do not hesitate to ask them all the questions you have and make a choice that will be in your best interest. Choosing a company that has a low price may be tempting, but it will be a mistake. Most companies that operate inside the law have approximately the same price, and if you stumble upon a really low price, they are scammers for sure.
