When it comes to moving, we know that packing your clothes might seem like a breeze compared to other tasks. However, procrastinating on this step can lead to chaos and frustration later on. We've witnessed countless instances where clothes were hurriedly stuffed into bags and boxes, resulting in wasted space and precious time during the unpacking process. Not to mention the unfortunate consequence of wrinkled and damaged clothing items.
That's why we're here to guide you through the process of packing your clothes for moving. Whether you are moving within the same city or relocating to another country, our specialized packing service has given us an unparalleled understanding of how to handle wardrobes with care and efficiency, so we are ready to provide you with a comprehensive guide to ensure your clothes are packed flawlessly for your upcoming move.
1. Declutter and Downsize
First things first: Before start thinking about packing, declutter and downsize your clothes. We recommend taking a moment to sort through your wardrobe. This is a crucial step that often gets overlooked, but it can make a significant difference in the ease of your move.
Our advice is to take the time to categorize your clothes into three piles: what to keep, what to donate, and what to sell. We've seen firsthand that moving can be an excellent opportunity to declutter your wardrobe. If you haven't worn a particular item in over a year and it's still in good condition, it's often best to part ways with it. We advise you to keep only those items you've worn in the past year, which still fit comfortably, and are in excellent shape.
2. Categorize Your Clothes by Season
After deciding what to keep, it is crucial to identify and categorize your clothing based on season and function. If you are planning a summer move, you should start packing away your winter items first. That way, you won’t pack away anything you’ll need in the short term.
Once you’ve got your off-season clothes out of the way, you can start packing other clothes you may need. But, as you get closer to your moving date, you’ll want to only have the clothes you need immediately on hand. You’ll want to keep a few changes of clothes on hand, as well as your “moving clothes” for moving day. Try to wear something comfortable that you can move around in.
3. Compress Bulkier Items
Bulky winter clothes and other large, soft home goods can quickly consume valuable box space. To address this, we suggest using vacuum-sealed bags to compress these items and maximize space utilization.
We've seen firsthand how vacuum-sealed bags can be a game-changer. Just the other day, we helped a client who saved a whopping 50% more space after using vacuum-sealed bags to compress their pillows and comforters into their moving boxes.
They not only reduce the volume of these larger items but also protect them from potential damage during the move. By utilizing compression bags, you'll optimize your packing space and ensure that your clothing and other soft belongings remain in excellent condition throughout the move.
4. Packing Non-Hanging Clothes
Non-hanging clothes like t-shirts, leggings, sweaters, and sweatshirts can be packed in cardboard boxes, duffel bags, tote bags, and suitcases. Any other clothing that is not structured can be packed in both moving boxes or any other type of bag you can find. In fact, garbage bags can be a super cheap and effective packing strategy for non-fragile items.
Other clothing that you tend to store in dresser drawers like socks, underwear, and workout clothes can go into cardboard boxes or bags. Sometimes the best way to move clothes is to keep them in the dresser drawers and have professional movers tape the dressers shut so that nothing falls out during the move.
There are several ways to pack non-hanging clothes. You can either fold each item on top of one another, or you can use the roll-up method. You can also purchase packing cubes to help organize certain types of clothes and help keep them together.
When packing clothing, try to put heavier items at the bottom of the box. This is a key technique to prevent your belongings from getting smashed or damaged during the move. Another packing hack is to avoid overpacking your boxes. Though clothes seem to be light and malleable, when you overpack you can potentially end up breaking cardboard boxes. Sometimes, you may even want to double-box your clothing to avoid any hiccups along the way.
5. Packing Hanging Clothes
For clothing items that need to stay on hangers, such as jackets, blazers, gowns, and other structured garments, we know just what you need – wardrobe boxes. They're specifically designed to preserve the quality of your clothing and prevent those dreaded wrinkles and damage during transit.
Now, here's a trick from our team: Consider using plastic wrap to provide an extra layer of protection for your cherished clothing. That plastic wrap works wonders in shielding certain pieces from dust and other debris. It's a small but effective step to ensure your clothes arrive at your new home in impeccable condition.
6. Packing Shoes
If you've kept the original shoe boxes, great! They are a fantastic option to safeguard your shoes during the move. Pair them up with dust bags for an extra layer of protection.
For shoes without their original boxes or those that you'd prefer to stack, moving boxes are your best friends. However, we know that delicate shoes need special care. So stuffing them with newspaper or socks is a smart move. This helps them maintain their shape and prevents any potential damage during transit.
7. Extra Packing Tips
Because most people tend to have more clothes than they know what to do with, we recommend packing in an organized fashion. When you label all of your boxes, you’ll have a far easier time unpacking when you arrive at your new home. Often, people don’t end up unpacking their clothes for months and even forget what they packed in the first place.
Another important packing tip is to consider using your clothes themselves as packing materials. For instance, you can use your t-shirts to pack fragile dishware and other knick-knacks around your house.
Also, we would recommend that you wash your clothing since you’ll likely be keeping them in boxes for some time. It would be a shame for your clothes to get stinky because you forgot to wash them.
8. Use a Packing Service to Help You Pack Your Clothes
If you are short on time, you can always hire a professional packing service to assist you with both packing and unpacking your belongings. Professional movers generally offer packing services along with supplying all necessary packing materials: moving boxes, packing tape, packing paper, and so on.
A moving company can assist you through the entire process. From packing and loading the moving truck to unloading it all into your new house. We recommend you reach out to a moving company in your area and request a quote to see what this will cost.
About the author |
Nancy Zafrani | General Manager |
Nancy Zafrani is the experienced General Manager of Oz Moving & Storage, with 30 years in the industry and a lifetime of knowledge as a New Yorker. She helped grow the company from 3 employees to 200 with 50 trucks and locations across the US. Her experience and organizational skills have led to over 500.000 successful moves. She is proud to lead a company that provides the best possible moving experience
