The day you finally move into your new home after months of painstaking planning is a time to celebrate, so naturally, you’ll be looking to break out the Champagne and glasses. But where are they and did they survive the move?
Glassware is one of the items most likely to get damaged during the moving process. The good news is that with proper packaging, you can greatly reduce the risk of fragile glassware being damaged.
So, in this blog, we are going to look at how to package your glassware safely. That way, you’ll have a full set of champagne flutes to celebrate with when you step across the threshold of your new home for the first time.
Take an inventory
The first step to successfully packing your glassware is to take an inventory of all of your wine glasses, tumblers, bowls, lampshades and vases. You’ll be amazed just how much of this stuff you have hidden away.
This process is also a good opportunity to put aside any items you don’t want to keep. You can donate unwanted items to a charity shop or take them for recycling because ultimately, the fewer items you have to pack, the better.
Once you have an inventory of all the glassware in your home, you need to sort it by size and weight. Divide the glassware into various categories, including wine glasses, tumblers, plates and bowls, vases and so on.
You need to keep these together when packing because ideally, you don’t want two pieces of different sizes and weights in the same box. Placing the items in categories like this will also help you determine how many boxes you need.
Calculate how many boxes you need
With your inventory to hand, you should easily be able to work out how many boxes you need. When selecting boxes for glassware, it’s important not to try and pack too much into a single box.
When it comes to glassware boxes, the easier they are to lift, the less likely items are going to be damaged. An overloaded box is also more likely to collapse under its own weight, so make sure the boxes are not too big.
Stick to standard size 45cm x 45cm x 30cm cardboard boxes for wine glasses, tumblers, plates and bowls. These should weigh no more than 14kg when loaded. It’s also worth buying 2 ply boxes that will provide the strength you need to carry glassware.
Prepare boxes
Once you have selected your boxes, it’s time to prepare them. Start by assembling the boxes according to the instructions. When assembled, double tape all seams along the bottom and sides with packing tape. This will increase the strength of the box.
When selecting boxes, it’s also a good idea to get optional dividers. These are designed to keep individual glass items apart. While they cost a little more, you will almost certainly save money on other packing materials, such as bubble wrap, by using them.
Wrap glassware
With your boxes prepared, the next step is to start wrapping your glassware. There are different techniques for wrapping individual glass items. We have covered the most popular types of glassware below:
Wine glasses
This technique can be used to wrap all types of long-stem glasses, including wine glasses, champagne flutes and cocktail glasses. Take two sheets of packing paper and roll them together to form a tube. Then, wrap the tube around the stem of the glass.
The entire glass should then be wrapped in two more sheets of packing paper. Make sure you tuck the sheets into the bowl of the glass to help keep them secure during transit.
Tumblers
This technique can be used to wrap any type of non-stem glass, including tumblers, mixing glasses, cups, carafes, goblets, mugs and vases. Take a couple of sheets of tissue paper, screw it into a ball and place it inside the glass.
Next, lay the glass on two pieces of tissue paper. Wrap the packing paper around the glass several times. Once again, make sure the top is secured inside the glass. If the glass has handles, make sure these are protected with bubble wrap or tissue paper.
Plates
Glass plates should be wrapped in the same way as conventional plates and crockery. Place the plate face down on two pieces of tissue paper, then wrap the tissue paper around the plate, making sure there are no gaps.
The plates should then be placed on their sides into the cardboard box. Ideally, you should use dividers to keep the plates apart. You can buy these with the box or make them yourself using individual pieces of cardboard.
Bowls
This technique is suitable for all types of glass or porcelain bowls, including large mixing bowls. Place the bowl in the centre of the tissue paper. Bring the bottom two corners of the paper towards the centre of the bowl.
Next, fold the bowl over and bring the top two corners of tissue paper to wrap the underside. Then, place the wrapped bowls in a cardboard box lined with scrunched up tissue paper to keep them protected during transit.
Pack and label boxes
With all your glassware wrapped, it’s time to start packing boxes. Use dividers for wine glasses, tumblers and plates, and remember to not put too many items in a single box. As a rule of thumb, you should avoid packing boxes that weigh more than 20kg.
Once packed, label them up as FRAGILE GLASSWARE. You can buy stickers for this or just use a permanent marker. You should also mark which way up the boxes should go with a simple arrow. Then, seal the boxes with a double layer of packing tape.
Need help moving home?
Are you in the process of moving home and are looking for a reliable, trustworthy removalist to move your fragile glassware? If so, get in touch with our friendly team today for a free no-obligation quotation.
Our removalists are trained to handle all types of goods, including antique furniture, artworks and fragile glassware, so you can be assured your belongings are in safe hands. Complete the contact form here for more information.