How to Move Your Glassware Safely

Champagne glasses are one of the most delicate glassware’s that you, as a homeowner will be looking to pack and transport, and you may want them close by to celebrate when are finally able to set foot in your new home.

The champagne flute is a symbol of celebration and now that you are in your new house, what better way to celebrate than popping a cork and raising a toast to new memories.

Whether it’s elegant wine glasses or massive beer mugs, opulent champagne flute or colourful juice tumblers, exquisite crystal bowls or beautiful glass vases, it’s likely you have plenty of glassware in your home.

Glassware is extremely delicate and fragile and very prone to damage during transit.

Packing and moving them it into your new house is not an easy task to accomplish. It can be a tricky process.

Nothing's more heartbreaking than the sound of glass breaking as you carefully transport it, but when you know exactly what to do and how to do it the right way coupled with excellent protection and great care, your glassware will survive the move in one piece.

Unless you are frequently on the move– say more than 3 times annually, it will be helpful for you to know what can help you move these delicate items effectively.

These tips aim to save you time in research and help make your move a breeze.

Materials Needed:

1. Boxes – You can use a mix standard thick carton boxes and specialized dish boxes. These boxes have thicker cardboard that provide better protection with cell dividers. They help keep the individual pieces in place and prevent them from coming in to contact with one another during the transportation, further reducing the risk of damage to the glass wares.
2. Soft packing paper - This will provide the first layer of protection to all your glass items. Look for paper that is soft and smooth as possible as they don’t scratch the delicate glass surface. Do not use newspaper as substitute. Newspaper can leave ink stains on your glassware.
3. Bubble wrap- This is your best friend and will shield you from an impending break. It acts as a soft bed of packing material to cushion the glassware through transit and while in storage.
4. Crumpled packing paper - This act as great shock absorbers. The following items might also qualify:
   1. bath towels
   2. old clothes
   3. bedding
   4. packing peanuts
   5. foam sheets

5. Packing tape – this can be used to seal your moving boxes once they are full. It can also be used to keep the packing paper and bubble wrap in place
6. Permanent markers – Make sure you have permanent markers so that you can easily label your boxes containing glassware and be sure to write all the necessary handling instructions. Consider buying some large, brightly coloured FRAGILE stickers as well.

Here’s a couple of tips how to move your glassware and keep it intact and unscathed during the move.

S T E P   N U M B E R   O N E

Before buying any materials, take an inventory of the types of glassware you have. By doing so, you will know what kind of box is required for the job.

It’s best to be prepared so you won’t be spending money on a box that won’t be required. Money you could use to pay for the best removalists in Australia.

S T E P    N U M B E R   T W O

Now that you have right boxes, it’s time for you to double tape them. By doing this, you can be assured that the cartons won’t break under the weight of the packed glasses.

S T E P    N U M B E R   T H R E E

This is where your crumpled paper plays its part.

Place your crumpled paper at the bottom of each glassware packing box. By placing them at the bottom, they will act as a protective layer or a cushion. Having a thick cushion in your boxes will reduce the risk of damage to your glassware as it prevents shocks and vibrations during transportation. Once placed at the bottom, you can now use the dividers on top of the crushed paper (if applicable)

It’s now time for you to prepare the glassware.

S T E P    N U M B E R   F O U R

Time to wrap!

To reduce accidental damage, it’s best to wrap each piece separately.  

Here’s how you can best pack each piece:

• Glasses – Champagne glasses - Mugs

Take one sheet of soft packing paper and hold one corner, then insert it into the open end of the glass, fold both sides of the paper up and over the edges. Neatly tuck the sides in as you roll each piece.

• Plates - Dishes - Bowls

Place a piece of soft packing paper on a flat surface. Gently lay the item in the middle of the paper. Hold one corner and pull it over to completely cover the whole plate. Just repeat the process with the other corners. Lastly, tape down the paper ends and you’re done.

Ensure that you use your bubble wrap! Double wrapping is always advised too.

S T E P    N U M B E R   F I V E

You can now start packing all the delicate items.

✅‍‍‍‍‍‍ Stack plates in an upright position and not one on top of the other plates. Should the box experience any kind of force with other boxes, this process allows the edge of the plates to handle a lot more pressure than if they were laid flat.

✅‍‍‍‍‍‍ Make sure to use the cell dividers when packing each glass.

✅‍‍‍‍‍‍ Once the glassware is safely laid out inside the box, use the rest of the crumpled paper to fill any empty space in the box.

✅‍‍‍‍‍‍ When packing mixed items, start by placing the heavy/sturdy items at the bottom of the carton and the extra delicate/light items on top.

✅‍‍‍‍‍‍ Place the crumpled paper on top of the glassware as the final layer. Your gauge to know if you’ve done it right will be when the box lid is closed, the top flaps of the box should be difficult to push down. This way, should the boxes be mishandled, any items stacked on top won’t break your items.

S T E P    N U M B E R   S I X

The last step is to label everything. Labels keep everything and everyone on the same page. The best label for the se boxes is simply, “FRAGILE GLASSWARE”

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