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Top Tips for Packing Breakables

08 Feb 2016

Top Tips for Packing Breakables
Bishop’s Move have over 170+ years of experience when it comes to packing. Here we share some of our best advice on keeping your fragile items safe and secure during the big move.

1. Don’t Panic

  • Anything can be packed securely if you use the following packing tips, no matter what material, shape or size your item is. Keep calm and read on.

2. Be Prepared

  • Being unprepared leads to rushing, rushing leads to carelessness, and carelessness leads to breakages. Once you know you’re moving house, start your preparations early by making a mental (or, even better, a physical) checklist of anything that is fragile and will require extra care and attention when being packed.
  • If you’re doing all of the packing yourself, without the help of a professional removals company such as Bishop’s Move, leave yourself plenty of time to pack these items properly before the day of your move. If you are using Bishop’s Move’s comprehensive packing service, make sure to tell your dedicated Moving Consultant of any special packing requirements.
  • Take time to check fragile items carefully for weak points (e.g. handles on teapots) that will need to be reinforced with extra packaging and make a note of them.

3. Use the Right Equipment

  • Set up a spacious area for packing (you don’t want to try and pack on a small table where items can fall off), with all of the following materials readily to hand. This is made easier by ensuring packing tip #2 above is followed, as you’ll know exactly what materials you’ll need for your items. You can buy the below packaging products direct from your local Bishop’s Move branch
  • Good quality boxes of various size
    Bonus Box Tips:
  • Try to use double or even triple corrugated cardboard boxes for added protection.
  • When choosing a box size, remember that the closer in size the item is to the box, the better protected it will be.
  • Packing paper and bubble wrap (we find that the wrap with smaller bubbles offers the best protection, and don’t be afraid to double wrap).
  • Thin cardboard, like you’d find in the packaging of a new shirt.
  • Acid free tissue paper – avoid newspaper, which will add unnecessary extra weight and may even stain certain materials such as china.
  • Scissors.
  • Marker pen in a bold colour that will stand out on the side of the box.
  • Tape (wide, not narrow) & tape dispenser.
    Bonus Box Tips:
  • Use proper packaging tape as it is much stronger than cellophane or masking tape.
  • Remember that tape sticks better to tape than it does to cardboard – always ensure the end of tape strips meet another strip of tape on the box joins.
  • Extra padding such as Styrofoam peanuts. This will help ensure that there is no extra space inside the box.
  • Be wary of getting creative with packing equipment. In theory, you might be able to use all types of padded items to protect your valuables, which will be moving with you anyway, such as towels and blankets. We have found that these do not work so well and would always recommend using products designed specifically for packaging like those listed above.

4. Always Prepare for the Worst

  • Use two boxes if you aren’t sure whether one will be strong enough. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
  • Don’t be tempted to pack fragile items so that they are touching in the box, as they’ll be much more likely to break.
  • If you’re going to pack items of varying weights in the same box, put the heavier, less fragile items at the bottom.

5. Do Some Research

  • If you’re not sure how to pack specific items, ask for advice from friends, family or online. Notoriously tricky items to pack include:
  • Plates.
  • Glasses.
  • Lamps.
  • Pictures and frames.
  • Weirdly shaped items.
  • If you’re using a professional removals company such as Bishop’s Move, don’t be afraid to ask for advice. An experienced company will have great recommendations and we love to share our knowledge.

6. Label Boxes As You Go

  • Whoever you’ve employed to do the physical shifting of boxes – family, friends, neighbours, Bishop’s Move – make sure everyone knows which boxes to be extra careful with. By labelling at least two sides of the box with the word “fragile” and including vertical arrows pointing upward, you’ll have that extra bit of security that your wonderfully thorough packing won’t have been in vain.

How Does Bishop’s Move Do It? In this short video we look at how to pack books as books quite often hold a lot of sentimental value and therefore it is always best to know how best to pack them: 

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