If you need to know how to pack fragile items for storage, you’ve come to the right place. The best way to pack fragile items involves these steps:
Step 1: Invest in high quality moving boxes and packing materials
Step 2: Create a sturdy base in each box
Step 3: Wrap each item individually in bubble wrap
Step 4: Carefully fill each box
Step 5: Clearly label all boxes, marking them ‘fragile’
Step 6: Ensure professional removalists know which boxes contain fragile items.
Packing fragile items is easy if you know what you’re doing. After 70 years in the removals and storage industry, we’ve developed a step-by-step system that will keep your treasures safe and ensure they remain exactly as you left them.
Like most things in life, success comes from preparation. Packing delicate items for storage requires attention to detail and a commitment to packing each item with care. This isn’t the time for throwing things in a box on the day that you are moving items into storage.
Step 1: Invest in High Quality Moving Boxes and Packing Materials
Don’t be tempted to skimp on moving boxes or packing materials. It may seem like a great money saver to reuse an old box or to use newspaper when packing fragile items, but if you want to keep your belongings safe, you need to invest in the right packing equipment.
There are the obvious things like scissors and packing tape, but you should also arm yourself with some superior quality, double-corrugated boxes and plenty of bubble wrap or professional packing paper. Bubble wrap is a far better protection option than newspaper; it is thicker and won’t leave ink marks and stains on precious items such as porcelain.
When you’ve got all the equipment you need, set yourself up on a large table and start the packing.
Step 2: Create a Sturdy Base in Each Box
When it comes to the best way to pack fragile items, a very important aspect is ensuring a solid foundation. To do this, create a sturdy base in your box by lining the bottom of it with packing paper or bubble wrap. This gives your fragile items a soft, cushioned base on which to rest, protecting them from bumps and jostles along the way.
Step 3: Wrap Each Item Individually in Bubble Wrap
Individually wrap each item in bubble wrap. Don’t cut corners by wrapping multiple items at the same time as they can rub together and create imperfections or even break. Take care to provide thicker wrapping for any thin areas of your valuables, such as arms on vases and stems on wine glasses.
Step 4: Carefully Fill Each Box
Packing is a fine art and knowing how to pack delicate items for storage is an even finer art. Simply throwing bits and pieces into a box isn’t packing; placing items carefully and purposefully is packing. When packing your boxes make sure that you:
- Put the heaviest items at the bottom
- Use sections of cardboard to divide your boxes, providing extra protection
- Fill every empty space within the box; empty space allows movement and movement increases the chance of breakage.
Step 5: Clearly Label All Boxes, Marking Them ‘Fragile’
There’s no point putting all that effort into packing fragile items safely if you forget which boxes they are in. So, make sure that you label every box carefully, indicating exactly what it contains. Each box that contains delicate items should have ‘fragile’ marked on every side, as well as an arrow that shows which way up the box needs to be placed.
Step 6: Ensure Professional Removalists Know Which Boxes Contain Fragile Items
If you’ve enlisted the help of removalists to move your fragile items into storage, make sure they’re aware of which boxes need to be handled with care. A quick briefing when your removalists arrive will help.
Hot Tip: How to Pack Specific Fragile Items
Different types of fragile items require different packing techniques. Here are a few examples of how to pack fragile items:
- Glasses: Fill the glass with bubble wrap and then roll a sheet of bubble wrap around the entire glass, making sure you add extra thickness around stems and handles.
- Lamps: Dismantle the bulb and shade from the lamp stand and wrap the stand in bubble wrap. Place the stand in a box and fill up the space around it. Encase the bulb and shade in bubble wrap and store them separately. Alternatively, invest in some of Kent’s Shade-Paks, crush resistant cartons that ensure maximum protection for delicate lampshades of all shapes and sizes.
- Plates: Wrap each plate individually in bubble wrap, pad the inside of your box, and then place the plates into your box vertically. Once the box is full, add bubble wrap or old t-shirts in around your plates for added protection.
- Mirrors: Start by taping up the face of the mirror; simply add packing or electrical tape onto the face of the mirror, in the shape of star that extends right to the edges. This tape will help absorb any vibrations and help to prevent breakage. Add protectors to the corners for added piece of mind, and then wrap the entire mirror in bubble wrap. For maximum protection, invest in a Kent Flexi Art-Pak; its dual action design adjusts to accommodate a whole range of shapes and sizes.
- Vases: Similar to packing glasses, make sure you fill the inside of the vase with bubble wrap or newspaper, before wrapping the entire item.
If you’ve left packing fragile items to the last minute, or you just don’t have enough time to devote the kind of attention packing delicate items deserves, don’t be afraid to call in a professional like Kent Storage to pack them properly prior to moving into storage.