Making a big move can be stressful. You have a lot of tasks to keep track of, including packing all the items in your household. Perhaps the most plentiful category of items in your household is clothing. Your wardrobe is a big investment of time and money, so you want to ensure your clothing remains in good shape during a big move.
Packing clothes for a move isn’t the same as packing for a trip. Below are some tips to protect your clothes during the process.
Pare Down your Wardrobe
You can use a big move as a catalyst to finally downsize your wardrobe. Chances are, you have loads of clothes that are taking up space in your closet for no reason. You don’t want to haul those items during a move.
Downsizing a wardrobe can be an emotional process. Professional organizers and other home gurus have come up with checklists and other exercises to help you get past this hurdle. Essentially, the exercises boil down to a pragmatic appraisal of how often you use each item of clothing. Consider items piece-by-piece, and either sell or donate clothes that don’t make the cut.
Examine Each Item
Before packing your clothes it’s a good idea to give them a careful examination, especially items that have been sitting in storage. Examine them first for any holes or rips. Look also for signs of mildew or other staining. Likewise, run your fingernail over the fabric to see if any bugs or fecal matter fall free. Any of the above signs mean you should probably throw the item away.
Clean and Prepare your Clothes
Moving clothes isn’t the same as storing them, in that they shouldn’t be set aside for more than a couple weeks. However, as stressful as a move is from your current location, it’ll be even worse at your destination. You don’t want to add the stress of laundering or repairing your clothes.
So, before you start packing your clothes, launder all the dirty items. If you’re going to transport them on hangers, you should also iron items that need it. Likewise, if you decide to keep any items that need minor repairs, make those repairs before you pack.
Consider Buying Wardrobe Boxes
One of the upgrades you can make for a move is to use a wardrobe box. These boxes feature rods at the top. They come in different heights to facilitate different types of clothing, such as shirts and dresses. When you pack your clothes, you simply transfer them from the closet to the wardrobe box. They hang freely during the move and arrive at your destination wrinkle-free.
Sort your Clothes
Before you start packing for the move, you need to do one big clothing sort. Figure out which clothes you need while you pack and prepare for the move as well as those you’ll need for the move itself. Likewise, consider which clothes you’ll want right when you arrive at your new destination — this step is especially important if you’re starting a job right away.
The next sorting job is to organize the clothes you don’t need for the next few weeks. While you may be tempted to leave them in that category alone, consider implementing a more organized approach. You can sort them according to material, purpose or season. Most likely the best approach relates to how you will store them in your new home.
Invest in Garment Bags
Whether you opt for the wardrobe boxes or not, you may want to invest in some garment bags. Chances are that you have at least a few valuable clothing items, whether they’re clothes for special occasions or expensive outerwear. Garment bags proved an extra layer of protection even if you hang the clothes in a wardrobe box. You could also use garbage bags in a pinch.
Unpack your clothes and set up your new closet much more easily by adhering to the above tips. If you plan on moving soon, let Island Movers help you make the process even easier. Contact us for timely, convenient moving services to wherever you go.
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