How to Pack Clothes for Moving
Most people don’t enjoy the process of moving, even when they’re excited to relocate to a new home. Moving can be a hassle, especially the packing process. Knowing how to pack clothes for moving can streamline packing and unpacking, making moving much more efficient and less stressful.
Many of us have an abundance of clothes, and finding a way to pack and move those clothes can seem challenging or intimidating. Keep reading to learn how to pack clothing for moving.
1. Make a Keep, Donate, and Sell Pile of Clothes
Part of packing is decluttering your home. Before you grab your boxes and bags, you should declutter your closet to understand what you’re working with. Many people have old clothing that’s been piled up in their closets for years. You have three options for what you can do with your clothing — keep, donate, or sell it. Remember, the less clothing you have to move, the easier moving will be.
Remember, you don’t have to move with all the clothing you keep. Instead of moving all your clothing to your new home, you can keep it in a storage unit until you’re ready to use them. In fact, according to our self-storage fact sheet, around 13% of self-storage renters rent a unit for less than three months, so there’s no need to move all your clothing to your home immediately.
2. Sort Clothes You’re Keeping
Once you’ve determined which clothes you’re keeping, you can begin sorting them by season. The best way to pack clothes for moving is to pack them for each season. If you’re moving in the summer, you’ll have all your summer clothing in one or a few boxes, helping you easily find clothing when you need it.
You can also sort clothing by occasion. For instance, you have casual, work, sleep, and special occasion clothing you may want to sort separately to make it easier to store once you move into your new home. You can sort each piece of clothing into boxes or bags and label them depending on how you’ve organized them.
3. Do Laundry
Always do laundry before packing clothes for moving to ensure they smell fresh as soon as you unpack them. It might be tempting to pack away dirty clothing, but it can mix with your other garments and make everything in the same box just as dirty. This is an especially important tip for packing smarter if you’re using a storage unit because the longer stains and odors sit, the harder they’ll be to remove.
4. Fold Clothes in Boxes
Once you have a clean pile of laundry, you can begin folding them in boxes. Using boxes is the best way to pack clothes to move. You can also use bags, but your clothes won’t stay folded as well. Boxes also make it easier to organize your storage unit, if not all your clothing is making the journey to your new home.
There are three methods you can use to fold clothing:
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Military roll: The military roll is a popular method for packing a suitcase when traveling. You can roll your clothes by folding the sleeves inward and the shirt in half before rolling from top to bottom. Then, fold the bottom pouch over the shirt before packing it in a box.
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Flat fold: With the flat fold, you can lie clothes face down and fold the sleeves inward, then fold the shirt in half. This method is best for bulkier items like sweaters or pants. It’s also ideal if you’re using vacuum-sealed bags to save space.
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KonMari fold: The KonMari method folds both halves of the shirt inward before folding the shirt lengthwise and then in thirds. This method is designed to save even more space.
5. Pack Clothes on Hangers in Wardrobe Boxes or Garbage Bags
The best way to move clothes on hangers is by using wardrobe boxes or garbage bags that can protect them. If you’re worried about wrinkling, you should learn how to pack clothes on hangers by slipping a trash bag with a hole over your clothing. However, you can also move clothes on hangers with a wardrobe box, which makes it easier to transport multiple articles of clothing at once.
6. Pack Heavy Boxes on Bottom
When packing clothing in boxes, you should always pack the heaviest items on the bottom. This includes items like hoodies, sweaters, and jeans. Packing the heaviest items on the bottom of the box prevents the items from toppling over and becoming disorganized.
You should use this same method when stacking boxes. Putting heavier items on top will cause them to topple over, creating a mess in a moving truck or storage unit.
7. Stuff Small Items in Shoes
It can be tempting to throw your shoes into a bag or box before moving. However, while shoes are fairly sturdy, they can become misshapen if you stack heavy items on top of them. Packing socks, underwear, and smaller items inside your shoes can help them keep their shape while also helping you save space in other boxes and bags.
8. Keep Accessories Separate
Always keep accessories separate from other items you pack. If you have a jewelry box, you can tape it closed and pack it in a box close to you. These items often hold sentimental value and can be valuable, so you should keep them close by. In addition, jewelry can be sharp enough to rip through clothing, so keeping all your accessories together will prevent them from getting lost and potentially damaging more delicate materials.
If possible, keep your favorite items close by in an accessories bag you can keep in your overnight bag or purse.
Wrapping Up: Best Way to Pack Clothes for Moving
Hopefully, you’re no longer wondering how to pack clothes when moving and can use our list of helpful tips to help you maximize space in boxes and bags to help you pack and move clothes more efficiently. Unfortunately, many of us have clothes we never want to part with, even though we don’t wear them daily.
Key Storage can help you pack away your seasonal clothing to help you save space at your new home. We offer many different storage options to suit your needs. Browse our storage locations today to find your perfect unit.
