One of the more stressful tasks to take on during a move is packing up all that glass, fine china, and other fragile goods. Some opt to use bubble wrap and heavy boxes, others newspaper and crates. Whatever packaging material you decide to use, check out these tips to up your glass packing game.
Use Appropriate Packing Material
Don’t store fragile items with heavy or blocky items. During the move, large items can shift and shatter light, delicate glasses or crack the plastic on fragile electronics. Store your glass together and don’t be afraid to use multiple boxes full of packing material. There are various types of packing material:
- Newspaper: Readily available, recyclable and biodegradable. Newspaper can be used to wrap glass plates and bowls, or to stuff inside delicate vases and cups. Make sure all the glass is covered and use excess newspaper to fill empty spaces in the box. Newspaper isn’t the best packing material for electronics.
- Bubble wrap: While not biodegradable, this light-weight, flexible plastic can also be used to wrap electronics outside of glass. You can also ball it up and stuff it in empty spots to provide more cushioning and support.
- Packing Peanuts: Usually made of Styrofoam, packing peanuts are not eco-friendly and a bit messy, but can help fill up empty spots in boxes more so than other packaging materials. Use these to add cushioning and fill the box rather than engulf your items with just these entirely. If you’re worried about the environment, consider biodegradable starch peanuts instead.
You’re not restricted to just one of these, so use a combination to minimize the chance of glass or fragile items breaking.
Prepare Against Inclement Weather
If you’re moving during winter, keep in mind that cold temperatures can cause glass to become brittle. You’ll want to pack a little more thoroughly or use more packing supplies to ensure the safety of your products. For rainy weather, make sure your packing supplies don’t get wet. Bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts will be all right. Newspaper and biodegradable starch peanuts will not fare well in wet conditions and could fall apart, resulting in loss of cushioning for your glass items.
Also keep in mind the road conditions during the move. If there has been heavy snow, consider how the moving van may brake or turn in these conditions. Slippery roads could encourage the truck and its items to slide or bump around. When packing up the moving van, make sure your glass is secured with no heavy items on top and make sure it is unable to slide or fall during the move.
What’s in the Box Matters
If you can, try to use cardboard wine cases to move your glass. The divided sections within the box are made to provide support to glass items so use this to your advantage. Other boxes to consider are thicker walled or heavier bottomed boxes. In addition to thicker walls, these can also provide support and minimize tipping during the move. When packing your box, put non-fragile items on the bottom and pack your glass on top. Make sure your glass is packed together but don’t overpack! Leave some space at the top so you can fill it with some more helpful packing materials.
If you’re unsure whether your glass is safe, check out our post featuring some of the packaging material we offer our customers. If you’ve still go questions, give All Reasons Moving a call. Our experienced workers can help you figure out what packing materials are best for your move.