Continuing our series of packing and moving tips, in this article we’re looking at soft items. You’d be forgiven for thinking that these are the easiest items to pack, yet they come with their own set of challenges for the unwary. Here are some useful tips for packing soft items.
1. Organise and declutter
This is the advice we give people doing any kind of move. It’s the single biggest way to save time, effort and money. In the case of soft items, it’s especially important as linen, clothes, bedding, towels, pillows and so forth take up a lot of space in boxes.
Sort through all your linen, towels, clothes and make three piles: what to keep, what to donate and what can be recycled. Don’t pack the soft items you want to keep just yet. More on those further down. Any unwanted items that are still in good condition can be donated to a charity store like the Salvation Army who do fine work helping people in need. Any items in poor condition can be recycled in charity bins.
2. Clothing
You can save yourself from an unpacking headache by organising your clothes before you put them in boxes. Consider what’s most important when you reach your new home so you can easily find the clothes you need. Will you need warmer clothes, cooler clothes or your work clothes perhaps? Make a plan, pack your boxes and label each one on the outside. Don’t forget to pack a bag with a fresh change of clothes for moving day.
3. Packing soft items
With the range of packing materials available today, you have the choice of folding linen and clothes for packing or hanging them in a wardrobe box. Folding tends to be a more efficient use of space, but leaves clothes crumpled and creased. Hanging keeps clothes and linen free from wrinkles and lines, which is very handy if you need neat and tidy clothes immediately. When hanging clothes, make sure you fill the gaps in the box with clean, crumpled paper to prevent movement in transit.
When folding items, consider lining the box with paper or an old sheet to help keep items clean. Pack boxes firmly, but don’t overfill them. Secure them with tape and label the outside. As mentioned above, you can also use soft items in place of packing materials when packing other boxes. Use these like paper or other packing materials to provide cushioning inside the box. We suggest you use old linen and spare clothing you won’t need in a hurry.
4. Preventing damage
We give lots of thought to breakables like glassware when packing to move. We also need to consider hazards to soft items such as insects, moisture and mould, especially if you won’t be unpacking boxes right away. You can prevent damage from all three by packing clothes and linen in plastic bags. For added protection, make sure all the seams of the box are sealed with strong tape.
We hope you found these packing and moving tips useful. If you need help with any kind of packing, our professional packers are happy to assist.
