Glasses and crockery are the things that most often get broken in a move. Usually that is not because of the journey, but because of a box that is too full, too empty or too heavy. With the right materials and a fixed method, your crockery will arrive in one piece. Below you can read how to pack plates, bowls, glasses and wine glasses.
What you need
- Small, sturdy moving boxes. Crockery is heavy. A large box full of plates becomes too heavy to lift safely and sags more quickly.
- Tissue paper or packing paper. White, unprinted paper is ideal. Newspaper works too, but the ink can rub off on light-coloured items.
- Bubble wrap for valuable or extra fragile pieces.
- Good tape, to tape the bottom of each box crosswise.
- A thick marker for "fragile" and "this way up".
- If you like, cardboard dividers for glasses.
Get the box ready first
Tape the bottom extra firmly. Then put a layer of scrunched-up paper or a folded tea towel on the bottom. That layer absorbs shocks when the box is put down. You will make a buffer like this at the top later too.
Plates: upright, not flat
It is tempting to stack plates flat on top of each other, but they are much stronger upright. A plate can take much more pressure from the side than from above.
- Lay a sheet of paper on the table and put a plate in the middle.
- Fold one corner over the plate, put a second plate on top and fold the next corner over it. That way you pack two or three plates together.
- Wrap the bundle in an extra sheet and tape it shut if you like.
- Stand the bundles upright in the box, on their edge, as in a dish rack.
- Fill the space between the bundles with scrunched-up paper, so nothing can move.
Bowls, dishes and cups
You can pack bowls and dishes in small stacks, with a sheet of paper between each bowl. Then wrap the stack as a whole. Place them upside down or on their side. Pack cups individually: first a ball of paper inside, then wrap the handle well, then the cup itself. Put them on top of the plates, with paper in between.
Glasses and wine glasses
Glasses are thinner than crockery and break more easily.
- Fill each glass with a ball of paper. That makes the glass stronger from the inside.
- Wrap the glass diagonally in a sheet of paper, from the bottom to the rim, and fold the edges inwards.
- Stand glasses upright in the box, with the opening up or down, but not on their side if they are loose.
- If possible, use a box with dividers. Each glass then has its own compartment.
Wine glasses have a weak spot: the stem. First wrap the stem separately with a strip of paper or bubble wrap, to make it thicker. Then fill the bowl with paper and wrap the whole glass. Always put wine glasses at the top of the box, never under something heavy.
Finishing the box
- Heavy at the bottom, light at the top: plates and dishes below, glasses and cups above.
- Fill all empty space with paper. Gently shake the box back and forth: if you hear something move, it needs more paper.
- Put another layer of paper on top as a buffer, close the box and tape it shut.
- Write "fragile", "this way up" and the room on at least two sides.
- Lift the box briefly. If it is too heavy for you, it is also too heavy to carry safely.
In the removal van
Do not put boxes of crockery and glass at the bottom of a tall stack or between loose furniture that can shift. Do not let them slide around on the floor of the car either. Whoever carries the boxes on moving day should be able to see from the label what is inside.
You will find more general tips on filling and labelling boxes in packing smart. And if you want to know how many boxes to get, have a look at how many moving boxes you need.
Leave the packing to us
Do you have a lot of crockery or expensive glassware, or no time to pack everything yourself? Discuss with GD Verhuisbedrijf in the free moving check what you will do yourself and what you would like help with.
Frequently asked questions
Should you pack plates flat or upright?
Upright. A plate is much stronger from the side than from above. Stand the wrapped plates on their edge in the box, as in a dish rack.
How do you pack wine glasses without the stem breaking?
First wrap the stem separately with paper or bubble wrap, fill the bowl with a ball of paper and then wrap the whole glass. Put wine glasses at the top of the box.
Can I use newspaper to pack crockery?
You can, but the ink can rub off. For white crockery and glass, unprinted tissue paper or packing paper is better. You can use newspaper to fill the empty space in the box.
