How to Pack Clothes For Moving
Moving can be a highly stressful experience. Figuring out which pieces of furniture, appliances, and articles of clothing you’ll be taking with you — and how best to move them — can be a real hassle, especially if you don’t have time to plan ahead.
And while we all might think we know how to pack clothes, there are plenty of tips for making the process even easier — all while avoiding wrinkles! To take some of the guesswork out of packing clothes for moving, the team at EZ Storage® made this post to go over a few of the different things that you’ll need to do when getting ready to move.
What to Do Before Packing Your Clothes
It’s a common mistake to jump right into packing your clothes, but doing this can make the entire process more stressful than it needs to be. Before you start packing your clothes, run through these steps to make things easier.
Keep, Donate, or Sell
Before you start packing everything up, it’s a good time to sort through your clothes and figure out what you can get rid of. A classic three-pile system will help you divide your clothes into things you plan to keep, donate, or sell. Getting rid of some clothes will help declutter your new home, make the packing process easier, and can even net you some extra cash to put toward moving costs!
Wash and Dry Clean Clothes
Take advantage of moving to do a deep clean on your entire wardrobe. Washing and drying your clothes can help you sort through items and group them together by color, size, style, or use — all of which will make the packing process easier. Plus, knowing that all of your clothes are clean will make unpacking them a much less daunting task when you get to your new home — after all, you can put them right in the closet instead of having to run the washing machine all weekend.
How to Pack Clothes for Moving
There are a few packing methods to choose from when you’re packing your clothes for moving, and a couple of tips you’ll want to keep in mind.
Find The Right Containers
The containers you put your clothes in while moving them will be a pretty important decision because different container types work best for different types of clothes. Here are some common container types and what they’re good for:
- Wardrobe boxes. These large cardboard boxes with a bar along the top are the ideal container for transporting hanging clothes.
- Cardboard boxes. A common container, cardboard boxes are great for fitting a lot of folded clothing.
- Suitcases and duffel bags. Take advantage of your suitcases and duffel bags to store some extra clothing, including shoes.
- Vacuum-sealed and compression bags. Vacuum-sealed bags can help compress thick clothing items like winter jackets, reducing the amount of space they take up.
Fold or Roll Clothes
Depending on the piece of clothing, you should either fold it or roll it up tightly to make sure you’re getting the most out of your storage space. Thicker, heavier items like hoodies, sweaters, and jeans usually take up the least amount of space when folded. Thinner items like t-shirts and dresses will take up less space when rolled up.
Wrap Hanging Clothes
When transporting hanging clothes, it’s a good idea to wrap them up to prevent them from getting damaged or collecting dirt or dust in the moving process. Plus, if an item falls off the hanger, it won’t fall to the floor of your box or moving van. Garment bags are the best way to wrap hanging clothes, although drawstring trash bags can be a useful and cheaper alternative.
Reasons You Might Need Storage
There are countless reasons you might need to use a personal self-storage unit when you’re moving, especially when it comes to storing your clothes. EZ Storage® offers a variety of storage options, including climate-controlled units for personal or valuable clothing items. Below, we discuss a few common reasons you might put your clothes in storage.
The Space You’re Moving to is Smaller
There are plenty of reasons a person might need to take advantage of self-storage, though the most common one is a simple lack of space. If you’re moving on short notice or relocating to a smaller place, it can be beneficial to put some boxes of clothing in storage. You might already have some of these things stored in your current home, and instead of moving them to your new place, why not put them in storage?
Not Ready to Unpack Boxes All at Once
It’s possible you’ll eventually have enough space in your new home to store all of your clothes and belongings without needing a storage unit. But you might need to free up some space in your new home in the meantime. No matter the reason you’re not ready to unpack all of your boxes, a storage unit is a great place to keep them safe, and it can give you the space and time you need to figure out how your new home will be arranged — and what your final storage needs will look like.
Packing Clothes FAQs
If you still have questions, we’ve brought together answers to some frequently asked questions about how to pack clothes for moving below.
How do you pack clothes without creasing them?
The best way to pack clothes without creasing them is to hang them and transport them that way. You can use wardrobe boxes, garment bags, or even trash bags to safely move hangable clothing items.
Do movers pack your clothes?
If you pay for full-service movers, they’ll usually pack your clothes in addition to other items. Depending on the moving company, however, this could be an add-on service. Make sure to check ahead of time so you’re not surprised on moving day.
What is the easiest way to transport hanging clothes when moving?
There are a few easy ways you can transport hanging clothes while moving. Wardrobe boxes are a wonderful solution specially designed to transport hanging clothes. If you don’t want to use them, garment bags will help keep your hanging clothes while moving.