When packing or moving your glassware or fragile items, such as kitchen tools, cups and the likes, one needs to be extraordinarily careful. Use the step-by-step guide given below to pack your glassware during a move, so that they all arrive at your new location undamaged
Get the Right Packing materials
When packing your glassware, it’s best to use a small size box, so it doesn’t get too heavy to lift. Other items needed in the process are a towel, packing paper, newsprint, packing tape, a marker to label the box and other soft materials that you can get for free.
Bubble-wrap could be used as well, but hope you know bubble-wrap is hard to recycle and also expensive to get? Also, if you feel using old newspaper is the best alternative available to you as at the time of the move, then be ready to wash those glasses as soon as they get to the new location to get rid of the black print. Wrap paper, dish towel, or anything soft around each set of glasses to avoid any breakage.
Prepare the Box
After packing your glassware, the next thing to do is to prepare the box.
You can either;
Crumple up several sheets of paper to cover the base of the box. This will help provide sufficient cushioning to prevent the glasses from hitting the bottom or if the box drops on the ground by accident, or
Use towels or sheets to form a thick layer on the base of the box to protect the glasses from bumps.
Wrap big Glasses first
Always wrap and pack the heaviest, biggest sets of glasses first. Arrange heavy glasses first at the bottom of the box and put lighter ones on top. Use a flat clean surface, lay paper or towels already stacked on the table, take one glass and place it in one corner of the stacked paper or towel. Start by rolling the glass and as it rolls, stuff the ends of the stacked paper or towel into the glass’s opening and continue to wrap until the glass is totally covered. Is it possible to wrap two glasses together? Yes. If large sheets of paper are available, you can wrap two glasses in one sheet to save you the cost of buying more packing materials. However, you can only do this if the glasses have the same size. Once you have used a half of the paper sheet to properly wrap and protect the first glass, add the second glass and repeat the process.
Box it Up
Now that your glasses have been are wrapped, you need to create a nice and very tight package, so proceed by folding over the ends at the base of the glass. The edges of the glasses shouldn’t be felt at this point. But if you can, then you still need to wrap another layer of paper; this depends on whether the glass has a large lip or handle. Arrange the glass or set of glasses in the box on top of the stack of towel or crumpled paper.
Continue to wrap the glass
Continue to wrap the set of glasses in a single or double package; and arrange them one on top of another. Remember, larger glasses should be placed first at the bottom while the lighter ones on top.
Leave a space at the Top
Make sure the box isn’t stuffed to the brim; make space at the top for extra items. This is equally necessary because you might want to be sure that the amount of stacked paper added to the bottom of the box is the same amount used at the top; just leave enough space to add a thick layer on top.
Check Your Package
Before the box is sealed, gently shake it back and forth. You shouldn’t be able to hear any glass hit another. Once you are convinced, seal the box closed with a packing tape and label it. Know the content of the box and the place it belongs to in the new home. More so, you can mark the box as “fragile” so the mover will know that the box needs to be handled with care.
Stemmed Glasses
For glasses having fragile stems, such as your wine glasses, follow the steps above, but before you start wrapping them, make sure the stems are wrapped first. Use half a sheet to wrap the stem, then place it on the stacked paper and start rolling. This just ensures that the most fragile part of the glass is well protected. Wrap one stemmed glass at a time, not two. Arrange these types of glasses in the box last, so there will be more space for extra cushioning at the top of the box.
