4 Steps to Pack Your Plates Safely for Transport

Finding the right removalist in Grafton is only one part of the story when you’re planning to transport your belongings to your new home. The other part is how you will be packing your things securely, making sure that all of these items arrive in one piece.

After setting aside the microwave, the toaster oven, even that awesome espresso-maker you’ve received as a gift, it’s time to move on to the plates. You figure you’ll just wrap them in a bit of paper, stack them in a box with a little bubble wrap and be good to go. After all, they’re just plates – right? Wrong!

Even the most experienced and careful Grafton removalist won’t be able to guarantee their safe transport if you haven’t packed breakable items like plates correctly.

So if you don’t want to reach your new home and open a box full of broken ceramics – we suggest you read on!

Tips on packing your plates safely when you move house

1. Have the Right Packing Supplies

Your tableware is one of the most delicate things you’ll be moving house with. If you’re one of those 15 % of Australians who own premium tablewares or fine china, no doubt these fine wares are precious to you. The last thing you want to happen is for these fragile wares to fall into bits during transit!

After all, you wouldn't want to have your first special dinner in your new home eating on a paper plate, would you?

To keep your plates intact during the journey to your new home, these are the must-haves when packing your fragile pieces:

• Sturdy boxes or bins

The sturdier the better! You want these materials to be able to withstand some reasonable outside pressure without caving in and destroying your plates.

It’s also a good idea to use double or even triple-layered cardboard - even a sturdy plastic bin in stellar condition will do.

• Bubble Wrap, lots of it!

This is one of the most essential items when you need to pack your plates and other fragile items. It’s a great cushion you can use to protect your plates while on transit. While there are other alternatives to shield your plates from impact, bubble wraps remain one of the best materials you can use when transporting your plates.

• Tape

A good adhesive tape is important to secure the box that holds your belongings. You’ll need plenty of these adhesives which is enough to go multiple rounds around the box to seal your packed items.

• Markers

Labels help you identify the content of each box that you packed and for this, you would need markers for labelling. You want to make sure you label each box carefully. Marking the boxes can also help your removalist to identify which boxes to stack on top of other items (instead of underneath!) and handle with extreme care.

Remember to mark boxes as “Fragile” on the outside in large, bold letters if items inside it are easy to break.

• Alternative Cushion.

You may also use other alternatives to bubble wraps to cushion your items instead. Consider such household items as sheets, pillows, socks (clean ones!), and blankets, or even packing paper.

Not sure where to get good packing supplies? Reach out to your local Grafton removalist. Most have an abundant inventory of high-quality supplies available for your use at a nominal cost.

2. Build A Good Foundation

Every good construct always has a solid foundation. The box you pack your plates in is no exception to the rule.

Dining sets typically have plates of varying sizes - from larger dinner plates, to smaller dessert plates. Make sure you use a box that can fit the biggest plate in the set - with a little extra room for the cushioning.

For the next steps:

• Secure the box with tape. Make sure you have a few layers of tape all around the sides and bottom. You want to cover the seams with multiple layers, as well as the centre - for extra security. Plates packed together aren’t exactly light, so you want to make sure the box is as sturdy and secure as possible.

• Pad the interior. Cut your bubble wrap to size, and line the bottom and sides of the box with a good couple of layers. You want the inside of the box to be as cushioned as possible. Just in case the box is dropped or the removalists’ truck hits a speedbump a little too hard, good cushioning ensures that your plates will barely feel the impact.

• Alternative foundation. If you have a limited bubble wrap supply, you can employ the use of your sheets or soft blanket as an alternative foundation. Make sure to line the bottom and sides, just as you would with bubble wrap. You can even use both the bubble wrap and the sheets - nothing wrong with some extra cushioning!

Once you’ve got a good, solid foundation for your dinnerware, next comes the fun part...

3. Time To Pack

Though this can be a tedious process, you don’t want to rush through it. Damages can occur even during packing – especially if you start to rush through it.

Grab your materials, find a comfortable seat, and take your time.

• Wrap plates individually. Take each plate, starting with the bigger ones, and wrap each individually in a couple of layers of bubble wrap. After each layer, secure with a little tape to ensure it doesn’t accidentally slip off in transit.

• Pack them sideways. A little-known trick is that plates packed sideways often fare better in transit, then those stacked on top of one another. The sides of plates tend to be stronger than the center, so it stands to reason that it’s better for the weight to be on the side of the plates, as opposed to the center.

• Check the weight of the box. After every few plates, lift the box slightly. How does the weight feel? Is it too heavy? Or is it light enough so that you can add more plates? Does the box buckle anywhere? Checking the box ensures that you don’t overpack, and lets you know if you need to add more tape for security.

• Use extra boxes if needed. Don’t try to force an entire set into one box. If it won’t fit, it won’t fit! It’s better to have a couple of extra boxes, as opposed to broken plates.

• Finish up with more padding. When you’ve packed the last plate for that particular box, add more padding on top. Whether it’s bubble wrap or an alternative such as a soft blanket or sheets. Don’t shove it in or pack it too tight. The box should close properly on top, without any bulging or struggling.

• Label the box. With your marker, write “FRAGILE” in big bold letters, and add that plates are within. This helps your removalist know where it’s best to place the box in the truck, and how to handle it. While your Grafton removalist will handle all of your belongings with care, labels help make it that much easier for them to do so.

4. Load Them Up Carefully

This step is perhaps one of the most crucial. You could’ve wrapped and padded and secured your plates with the utmost of care - but it won’t do any good if once they’re in the truck, the coffee table is placed right on top of them!

Placement is key!

If you’ve chosen the right removalist in Grafton, you’ll have a lot less to worry about. Good removalists are experienced and know exactly where to load fragile items such as your precious dinnerware.

But, it’s a good idea to help them out a bit.

Make sure to:

• Double-check your labels. You want to make sure you’ve written ‘Fragile’ on all the boxes containing plates so that your removalist knows how to handle them, and where to put them in the truck.

• Section them off. Even the best removalist will mistakenly pick up a box of delicate plates if they’re placed along with clothing - or other items that are unrelated. Set them off to the side by themselves, so that it’s even further impressed upon your removalist that these are precious.

• Take some in the car with you. If it’s at all possible, put a couple of boxes of plates in the car to travel with you, instead of in the removalists’ truck. If after the kids and any pets, you still have space for your dishes, by all means.

Conclusion

When moving house, you want to make sure that all of your items are well cared for. Your plates are no exception. Whether it’s that bargain set that you really love or irreplaceable hand-me-downs from your Nana, you want to make sure they stay safe during their journey to your new home.

It’s not easy to move house while keeping all your plates, and other fragile items intact until it reaches your new home. Hence, proper handling and packaging of your breakable items should be on top of your mind while these are being transported. Good thing that Frontline Removals can help you with these.

Frontline Removals has the expert removalists with years of experience to make sure that your items, including your plates, are packed and handled securely until it arrives to your new home

Give us a call today, and we are happy to assist you with packing and transporting your plates from your old house to your new home’s table - just in time for dinner.