Packing the Powder Room

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Public Domain Pictures

When it comes to packing for a move, some rooms are easy, and some are hard.  Some are like Rodney Dangerfield in that they get no respect at all.  Such is the karma of the lowly powder room.  The term actually got its start in the 18^th Century, when it was a closet into which people went to add powder their wigs.  During the Victorian Era, the term was changed to allow guests to discreetly excuse themselves to answer natures call.  To this day, some women still excuse themselves from polite company by informing one and all that they need to “Powder their noses.”

While it’s all well and good from a historical context, today’s powder room can be historically difficult to pack properly.  That's largely due to three factors, which I will enumerate below.

Timing is Tricky

Bathrooms and powder rooms are used day in and day out.  Whether you are answering natures call, taking a shower or giving your pet a bath, this is one busy room morning, noon and night.  That also means it is going to be the LAST room in the house to get packed.  Pack up the loo too soon, and you risk having to do without everything from toilet paper and hand towels, to soap and household cleaners.  Wait too long to pack up the powder room, and you could wind up having to take its contents with you in the family sedan.

To avoid having to haul all the belongings in your bathrooms on your own, you need to be aware of the three P’s:

      1.      Prepping – Before you start shoving things into boxes, you need to sort, select and prep your bathroom belongings. Separate the breakables and the chemicals from the towels and toiletries.

      2.      Purging – Unload all the half-empty bottles of drain cleaners, solvents, and liquid soaps.  Better to buy new than to find these bottles have burst, only to ruin some of your belongings.

      3.      Packing –  Pack chemicals in spill-proof plastic bins with lids, pad and pack fragile items in cardboard boxes, and pack towels and shower curtains in plastic bags.

Fluffy and Fragile

Image courtesy of Pxhere

While it’s true that all the items in your powder room have gotten along just fine for years on end, once you box and pack them for shipping, you don’t want them to mingle.  Those fluffy bath towels and your toothbrushes don’t want to be introduced to that bottle of Ty-D-Bol halfway to their final destination.  Neither do you want to find your fragile toothbrush holder and soap dishes in small pieces when you open the box into which they were packed? (I recommend wrapping the most fragile items in hand towels to pad them.)  Always make certain you label any box or bin that contains fragile items prominently

Taking Your Medicine

Packing the medicine cabinet can be tricky since it contains a cornucopia of pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter remedies, vitamins, toothpaste, shave cream, razor, and cosmetics.  Personally, I recommend sorting these items out and packing them in sealable gallon-sized kitchen bags by category for smaller items such as vitamins, pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter remedies, cosmetics, and toiletries.  Pack the items you won’t need the next day into a cardboard box.  Consider packing necessities (such as pharmaceuticals, makeup, and toiletries) into a small suitcase that you can take with you in the family car.  The last thing you want to do is wind up tearing through a mountain of boxes the next morning searching for your razor and medications.

Appliances and Accessories

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Until you start packing for a move, you won’t appreciate how many appliances you have in your bathroom and powder room.  Everything from blow dryers and rechargeable razors, to ultrasonic toothbrush and the ever popular Waterpik need to be taken with.  So do curling iron and curlers for those so inclined.  Just as with towels and shower curtain, you need to make sure your electronic accessories are kept high and dry during transport.  The best way to do so is to wrap them in bubble wrap or hand towels, before packing them securely in a plastic bin.

Pack a Bathroom Essentials Bag

As I mentioned in an earlier paragraph, there are a number of essentials that each member of your household will clamor for immediately upon moving into your new residence.  Therefore, I suggest you make sure each member of your family designates those bathroom items they will need the next day.  These are the items you can pack into the bathroom essentials bag.  

Provided you plan the packing of bathroom and powder room with care, you won’t wind up having to deal with the other kind of powder.  The kind that goes boom when your family is upset because they can’t find everything they need to get started in their new home the next morning.

With over 5,000 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.