Packing Your Clothing for a Move

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of pexels

In past blogs, I have told you how to move everything from books and plants to workout equipment and patio furniture.  Today, I am going to tell you the proper way to pack your clothes for a move.  I know it sounds all too simple a task to accomplish.  But you would be surprised at how many people manage to do damage or destroy their apparel by error or omission.  So, today’s blog is dedicated to helping you get your duds from Point A to Point B in one piece.

Ideally, you want to plan the packing of clothing so that you have what you need for the last few days before you move. Also, have what you need for the first day after the move, in one easy-to-reach place. The bulk of your wardrobe should be packed, stacked and ready to move to the truck a day or so before your scheduled departure. To accomplish this task, you need to sort your clothing out.

It All Starts with a Sort

Just as no two snowflakes are exactly alike, the same can be said for clothing.  Take a look in the average bedroom closet, and you will be amazed at the variety of wearables you will find.  People tend to stuff their closet with suits, shirts, pants, shoes, jackets, hats, scarfs, lingerie, and dresses. To get started, you’ll need to sort all that stuff out, just as you would before doing the laundry.  Unlike the laundry, one of the piles should be labeled “Toss or Good Will,” as in “I no longer wish to keep this item.  Therefore, I will relegate it to either charity or the dustbin.”

Image courtesy of flickr

Once you have separated the chaff from the wheat, you’ll need to identify the apparel that you will be wearing between the time you start packing and the day you plan on moving, along with the stuff you won’t need to wear until long after you move into your new home.  If you plan on moving in the middle of the winter, you can pack away your swimsuits, shorts, and sundresses first.  If you plan on moving in the dog days of summer, you won’t find much use for your parkas, scarves, gloves and winter boots.  As with most aspects of planning a move, the trick is to figure out what’s needed least and pack them first.  This way you won’t be running around like a madman the day before the movers are due to arrive.

The third pile I like to call the Hang Gang.  This is the group of clothing that you would like to take from your current residence to your new home without getting them as wrinkled as an elephant’s rump.  This includes suits, jackets, dress shirts, dress pants, and dresses.  Later, I will tell you the best way to transport these touchy togs.  For now, sort them out and hang them back up in the closet.

The Shoes Blues

When it comes to shoes, women have way more of them than do men. Statistics state that the average man owns 12 pairs of shoes, while the average woman owns 27.   That being said, both sexes tend to pack shoes more or less the same way, by tossing them into a box.  This can be a mistake since having dress shoes rattling around in a box is a sure way to wind up causing shoes to get scuffed, misshapen, gashed or dented.  Just as you would never think of simply piling glassware into a box without wrapping them, so too should you never pile shoes atop each other without due care. 

Image courtesy of flickr

The best way to pack shoes is to start by stuffing them with packing paper.  This not only helps them keep their shape during transport, but it helps prevent the box they are packed in from getting crushed.  Next, you want to wrap each shoe in wrapping paper.  Never use newspaper when wrapping shoes, since the ink can rub off.  You can also take a shoe and stuff it in a sock for protection, provided your socks are big enough to cover the entire shoe.  Then you can layer the shoes in a box that has been prepared by covering the bottom with packing paper or bubble wrap.  I then suggest you wrap each pair together in paper to make the task of sorting them out later easier.  When it comes to packing, start with the heaviest shoes on the bottom and the lightest shoes on top.  The trick to properly packing shoes is to make sure they don’t move around during transport.  This means stuffing any nook or cranny with packing paper.  Don’t forget to add a layer of packing paper or bubble wrap on top.

Hats are another category that tends to get short shrift until they wind up mangled.  Just as with shoes, you need to fill the void in the crown with paper.  Then you need to pack them with care, providing enough padding to make sure they don’t wind up being crushed.  The exception to the rule are ball caps that can simply be nested inside one another.

Clothing such as T-shirts, underwear, socks, and lingerie can be folded and packed in a box.  While you might be tempted to stuff these into a garbage bag, you should rethink that idea.  Plastic bags are prone to tear or break, especially if they are overloaded or manhandled, as is likely during a move.  Another thing that can ruin clothing is to get them stained, which is also all too easy to do come moving day.  Should a bag have even a tiny tear, anything wet that comes into contact with it is likely to be wicked up by the clothing contained inside. If you run out of boxes, these items can safely be stuffed into suitcases for transport.

Hanging Around

Image courtesy of Pexels

Speaking of transport, come moving day the Hang Gang needs to be handled with particular care.  There are two schools of thought when it comes to getting your finery to their destination without wrinkles or stains, either of which entails keeping them hanging throughout transport.  The two best ways to accomplish this is to either buy a garment box that has a built-in rod made for hangers, or you can opt to purchase an expandable car clothes rod that hangs across the length of the backseat.  Either way, keeping your finery hanging is the best bet for getting them from one place to another without mishap.

The only other advice I can give you when packing clothing for transport is to make sure you only pack clothes together that are dry and clean and avoid making boxes too heavy.  Not only does a heavy box provide the potential for a strained back, it can also cause the box to give way.  The last thing you want to happen on moving day is for your clothes to wind up hanging from the bushes or dumped on the driveway due to a box giving out.  That’s what we in the moving business refer to as a “clothes call.”

With over 4,000 moves, Scott's Discount Movers has handled moves of all sizes, including local and cross country. If you are looking to move your home or office, you can depend on Scott's Discount Movers to provide a stress-free relocation.