March 13, 2020 Posted in How-to
Eva Johnson

Digital nomad born in New York but currently living online, Eva knows everything there is to know about packing and moving.

Packing Paper for Moving – How to Use It

What is packing paper for moving used for? It is a highly versatile and essential material for protecting your belongings and ensuring safe transport. Its use mostly comes down to two options: wrapping items and cushioning them in a box. Its purpose in the relocation process is to protect the surface of your belongings, to shield them from vibrations and shocks in a moving truck, and to prevent them from hitting one another in a box.

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Paper is one of the most useful materials

Why Do You Need Packing Paper for Moving Instead of Newspaper

As an indispensable moving material, it protects your belongings from getting scratched, broken, or damaged in any other way if left unprotected. Even if insurance covers everything, isn’t it better to keep your items in one piece?

You may think using old newspapers from your home is equally efficient, but we’ll have to disappoint you. Newspapers are thin, so the protection isn’t really adequate, especially from vibrations or shocks during transport. Besides, newspaper ink can easily rub off and stain your belongings, particularly if it gets wet, and you certainly don’t want your expensive china to go to waste.

Newspapers will lose form when exposed to heavy things that can move inside the box, leaving empty space and causing things to bump against each other. Crumpled packing paper is a very efficient padding material because of its firmness. Unlike any other material, it will hold its shape. The sheets are produced in just the right size to cover most objects in an average household. Finally, if you are eco-conscious, you will be glad to know that it is recyclable.

When boxing up kitchenware, you just roll it around your belongings or wrap flat ones in it. The wrapped objects are then placed in a box, and the material is added in between to provide cushioning. The empty space inside a packed box must be filled completely to prevent your belongings from shifting and possibly damaging one another. It also serves as a shock absorber for heavy things, like crystal bowls, that can get damaged during transport due to their own weight.

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How to Use Sheets of Packing Paper

These sheets are usually wrapped around fragile items, depending on their size. Smaller pieces can be covered in a single sheet and larger and heavier ones in multiple layers for additional protection. Since they are strong, crumpled sheets are excellent padding options for the bottom of the box and the empty space between the objects.

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There are a lot of supplies you can use to pack up your home.

How to Wrap Each Item for Maximum Protection

Delicate things need to be wrapped in packing paper first as sticky bubble wrap can stick to their surfaces and damage them. This is especially true for porcelain and glass, but also shiny wooden surfaces of decorative objects. It comes in either white or brown color and does not leave stains, so it is ideal for china and other kitchenware.

Pack Plates and Dishes

To pack dishes, place them individually on one or two sheets and wrap by folding the four edges. Then place another wrapped dish on top and repeat until an adequate number of plates to fit a box are piled up. Next, wrap the whole set in multiple layers of paper, folding the edges under the plates. Place some crumpled sheets on the bottom of the box and place packed plates on it in an upright position. Cushion the sides with more crumpled sheets, add some on the top to make sure all empty spaces are filled, and seal the box.

Packing bowls is done in a similar way, placing each bowl in the middle of a sheet, folding the edges inside the bowl, and tucking them in the middle. Then proceed by flipping it over and rolling it in another sheet. Place them along with plates in a box, cushioning everything well with crumpled sheets or some other padding.

If you want to pack fragile items and glassware, keep in mind that it is lighter in comparison with other kitchen items and silverware, so it has to be packed on top of heavier things in the box. Placing them at the bottom is one of the common moving mistakes you should avoid.

Regular or Padded

There is a purpose for every moving material, as your belongings come in various shapes and sizes. For example, kitchenware, mirrors, and paintings are best wrapped in packing paper first to shield their delicate surfaces, and then in bubble wrap to protect them from vibration and breakage. Larger things like appliances, lamps, and electronics are best packed in bubble wrap for heavy-duty protection and to avoid their sharp edges from perforating it. The stretchy plastic wrap is good for wrapping food and drinks and for wrapping furniture with drawers and doors to prevent them from opening, but it also keeps away moisture and dirt.

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Make sure you properly wrap the items in your home.

Choose the Best Product Based on Customer Reviews

In the age of the Internet, it would be reckless not to check the reviews left by customers for your convenience, that is one of the essential things to do before your moving day. When buying various packing supplies, you need to carefully look at all the reviews to see which one is the best. One bad review obviously doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker, but if there are certain companies with mostly bad reviews, even the low price they offer is probably not worth the risk.

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Check the reviews when you look for supplies.

What Other Supplies and Products Should I Get?

Obviously, the moving supplies you cannot do without are cardboard boxes. You can use free ones or some that you have in your home, this way you will reduce moving expenses. However, it is recommended to get proper boxes instead of free ones. Free boxes do not have the same level of protection as the ones that were specially made to contain various objects. You can use them to pack books, clothes, or some other sturdy objects from your household inventory list, but for more fragile items, use new ones.

Packing tape is also very important, and it is not only used to seal the boxes but also to reinforce them. Just opt for a quality one that has good adhesive abilities. Labels can also come in handy when unpacking your boxes at your new place. So even if you’re moving into a smaller home, you will need all these supplies for a successful relocation.

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You need to get all of the necessary materials you will need to pack your belongings.

Do Moving Companies Provide Packing Materials?

When you figure out the reasons to move, the best time of the year to move, and where you should move, it is time to hire professionals to help you with the whole process. Reputable companies provide everything from moving services and full or partial packing services to boxes and supplies, so if you’re moving alone to another state, focus on house-hunting, and don’t worry. You can also save money on packing materials for moving by finding free boxes. If you’re interested in learning how car shipping works and you want to transport your vehicle across the country, be sure to ask for auto shipping services as well. They are experienced in what they do, know every packing tip and trick, and will make sure that your belongings are packed, loaded, transported, and unloaded in the most professional manner. In case you don’t opt for the cheapest way to move out of state, plan your moving budget, try to find a job before moving to another state, and hire professional movers after you donate unwanted items. Even though professional services don’t seem too affordable, choosing the cheapest time of the year to move will actually cut the costs of moving. You’ll get to relocate stress-free at a reasonable price, you will have more time to plan the rest of your move and to find out what is the safety of your future neighborhood.

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