In many homes, the kitchen is the room with the most traffic. It is where we congregate the most in our homes. It’s the room where information is shared around the table. With the busy lives we all lead today, it has become a multi purpose room and not just the place to prepare and eat a meal. This had made the modern day kitchen in most homes very unique.
So, what makes packing a kitchen so different than packing any other room in your home? What makes it different is that there many kinds of items that are in this room. It’s usually the room where we accumulate the most things since it is such a multi purpose room. These are all the kinds of things that we want or need to have close by for easy use.
Kitchens usually contain many items such as dishes, glasses, silverware, pots, pans as well as towels and tablecloths. There might be large appliances such as a stove, refrigerator, freezer or dishwasher that might be moved. Certainly there will be many smaller kitchen appliances such as a coffee maker, blender, toaster oven, microwave and mixer. Some people even have electronics in the kitchen such as a television or even a computer. It usually includes furniture such as tables, chairs, shelves and maybe even a breakfront or a microwave stand. So, what makes packing a kitchen so different before a move is the wide variety of items that might be there.
There are many kinds of packing materials you will need to protect the belongings in your kitchen. These will include many boxes of different sizes that you will use for different purposes. You will need bubble wrap, large sheets of heavy duty plastic and plastic wrap or shrink wrap. Also, save all of your old newspapers! They are a very handy packing material as are old fabrics you might have such as those old curtains you were going to throw out. If you have some old sheets or army blankets, they will be great for wrapping around your large appliances if you are moving them. Feel free to use your imagination. If you have any questions about how to pack anything in your kitchen, always feel free to ask your movers and they will be able to give you the best advice!
It is very important to have a good set of markers to label everything so that nothing can get lost in the transition. Be sure that every item is marked clearly.
Be sure to label everything you pack properly. It is very important that any boxes containing fragile items is clearly marked “Fragile”. Put arrows on all the sides of the box, so that it will be clear which side is the top. This is the best way to avoid unnecessary damage to anything that is fragile or breakable.
Make sure every box is labeled with your name, the room the box will go into and the contents of the box. It is also wise to keep a box count, so that you will easily know if all of the boxes are accounted for when the movers unload the truck at your new residence. It is also recommended to keep a list of all of your items in a notebook, separately from the inventory that the foreman will create with you. It will be a great way to compare his list against yours.
Since there might be many things you will need in your kitchen until the last minute you will only be able to pack them right before the movers come. You will also want to prepare some of the items you will need right away in your new location in separately so that you can unpack them right away for immediate use.
Remember; never pack heavy items such as dishes into large boxes! Use small boxes for any breakables. Protect breakables well using either bubble wrap or lots of old newspapers. Cushion the inside of box well before putting any breakables in the box. After you put in one layer of items such as glasses, put in another layer of packing material on top of it before putting in another layer.
If you will be moving your major appliances, be sure that they are disconnected both from the electricity and if necessary from the water. Make sure that they are clean and dry. Be sure that refrigerators and freezers are defrosted. All electoral wires and any kind of hoses should be secured in a way that they can not be damaged. If you have any electronics or even a television, make sure it is properly packed and all cables and wires are in the box so that you will be easily able to set them up quickly and easily.
If you have a table in your kitchen with a glass top or any glass shelves in your kitchen, be aware that by law all glass objects such as these must be bubble wrapped! If you are not sure how to do this feel free to ask your movers for advice. Your movers company will certainly be more that glad to do this for you and usually at a very nominal free. If your table is wood, you will want to add some protection and certainly you will want to protect your chairs.
We will be offering more tips and advice on how to pack each on the different items in your kitchen.
