4 Steps to Pack Your Plates Safely for Transport
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 pack your things securely, making sure that all of your items arrive in one piece.
After setting aside the microwave, toaster oven, and that awesome espresso-maker you’ve received as a gift, it’s time to move on to the plates. You might think wrapping them in a bit of paper, stacking them in a box with some bubble wrap and calling it a day will do. After all, they’re just plates — right?
Wrong!
Even the most experienced and careful removalist NSW team can’t guarantee the safe transport of your plates if they haven’t been packed correctly.
So if you don’t want to reach your new home and open a box full of broken ceramics — read on for practical, professional tips.
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, and 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.
To create a secure base:
- Reinforce the box: Apply multiple layers of tape to the seams and bottom 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.
- Add padding: Cut your bubble wrap to size, lining the inside of the box with multiple layers. You want the inside of the box to be as cushioned as possible. Extra reinforcement with extra blankets or cushions ensures extra protection for your dinnerware in transit.
- Use alternatives if needed: If you have a limited bubble wrap on hand, you can employ the use of sheets and soft blankets as alternative foundations. Ensure you line the box as you would with bubble wrap for optimal protection.
Once you’ve got a good, solid foundation for your dinnerware, next comes the fun part…
3. Time to pack
Though it can feel tedious, this part of the process deserves patience and care. Damages can occur during packing, so don’t rush! Here’s how to pack your plates like a pro:
- Wrap each plate individually: Take each plate, starting with the bigger ones, and wrap each individually in two layers of bubble wrap, securing each layer with tape to ensure no slippage.
- Pack plates sideways: The sides of plates tend to be stronger than the centre, so to avoid breakage, pack plates sideways, as they often fare better than those stacked on top of one another.
- Check the weight of the box: Test the box as you go — how does the weight feel? Is it too heavy? Does the box buckle anywhere? Checking the box ensures that you don’t overpack and allows you to be aware of any alterations that need to be made, such as adding more tape for security.
- Don’t overpack: Extra boxes are better than broken dinnerware, so don’t try to force an entire set into one box.
- Finish up with more padding: Add more padding on top before securing the box with tape. Adding extra bubble wrap or an alternative such as a soft blanket or sheets can help to secure packed dinnerware, and saves you packing the blankets in a separate box!
- Label the box clearly: With your marker, write “FRAGILE – PLATES” in big bold letters along with how to handle the box. While your Grafton removalist will handle all 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 have wrapped and padded your plates perfectly — but it won’t matter if something heavy gets stacked on top of them in the truck!
Placement is key.
If you’ve chosen the right removalist in Grafton, you’ll have far less to worry about. Experienced movers know exactly how to position fragile items to avoid damage.
Still, it helps to lend a hand. Make sure to:
- Double-check your labels: Ensure you have 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.
- Keep fragile boxes separate: Even the best removalist could mistakenly pick up a box of delicate plates if they’re placed alongside clothing or other unrelated items. Set them off to the side by themselves, so that it’s even further impressed upon your removalist that these are precious.
- Take some with you in the car: If possible, place a few boxes of plates in your car instead of the moving truck.
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-medowns 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.
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