How to pack your pantry for relocation
Moving is usually quite demanding. It is hard to avoid the moving stress, especially when you start to pack your items. This seems like a never-ending task. Every room appears to have more things than you thought. However, the true problem is the kitchen. People often say that the kitchen is the worst to pack. There are just too many kitchen utensils, pots, cups, plates, and so much more. Not to mention all the food that you still need to eat before the move. Now, some people keep all these kitchen items in their pantries. For this reason, here is how to pack your pantry for relocation and keep calm during the process.
Hire a good moving company
Every move needs a moving company. It is going to be too stressful to handle everything on your own. For this reason, you should find one as soon as you decide to move. You can use the Internet since you can find basically everything there. However, do not decide on the first one you see since there are many fraudulent moving companies. Check out several of them and read reviews so you can see whether they are reliable. After this, call the companies and get all the information you need. Ask about the whole process of relocation and what you should do in order to know how to prepare for movers properly.
Pack your pantry for relocation by making a plan
It is hard to pack anything without the proper moving plan. This includes the kitchen and pantry as well. For this reason, take a look at your pantry and see what you have in there. Then you can decide how many moving boxes and plastic containers you will need. In addition to this, since you need to pack the rest of your house as well, make a schedule. It is smart to pack one room at the time. This way you will avoid losing something while packing. If you start to pack several rooms at once, you will just make a mess in your home. This is something you do not need when you are packing since you can drop something and break it. You can even trip over some boxes and end up injuring yourself. To avoid all these unpleasant situations, make a plan and stick to it.
Packing materials
When you need to pack your items for the relocation, you should buy all the packing supplies. These include the following items.
- Sturdy moving boxes – good cardboard moving boxes will protect your items for any damage.
- Tape – you have to seal the boxes once you put items inside.
- Protective materials – since you want to pack pantry for relocation, you will need to pack plates and cups if you keep them there. There are quite fragile so you should protect them old sheets, clothes, blankets, bubble wrapping, and so on.
- Labels – in order to stay organized, you should label the boxes so you will not have problems once you start with the unpacking.
When to pack pantry for relocation
The good question is when to pack your pantry for relocation. Since you probably keep food in your pantry, you should choose the day of packing carefully. Based on the type of food you have, you can decide on a day. You should consider the length of the move and the expiration date. If your move is a local one, then you do not have to worry much since the delivery will take one day at most. However, for a long-distance move, you should throw away or eat all the food that expires in less than six months. You should eat all the perishable food since most movers will not accept to move these items. For this reason, you should leave the packing pantry last if you can.
The fridge and the freezer
Some people keep their freezer or fridge in the pantry. If you are one of them, then you need to prepare them for relocation as well. Again, it is important to check the food you have inside. If you have many products inside your freezer, you should find a large cooler where you can store your food. Probably, you will be the one who will drive these items to your new house, so make sure you have an adequate place to keep them in. As for the kitchen appliances, you should ask professionals to pack them since they are quite sensitive.
Donate your pantry goods
As you can see from the previous paragraph, it is extremely hard to ship perishable food. Most movers will not do it due to restrictions. On the other hand, it would be a shame to throw away the food if you do not manage it eat everything. For this reason, you can always donate your pantry goods. Give it to your friends and family or neighbors if they want to accept it. The best choice would be soup kitchens, charities such as Hands of Hope Food Pantry, and various churches. They would gladly accept your donation. However, before you make a donation, make sure to check whether they accept all types off food or just specific ones. Some charities do not take perishable food.
No-spills pantry box
When you donate the food you will not move, you should pack the rest. For food products, you should use plastic boxes with snapping lids. The plastic will keep the pests away. In addition to this, you can use zip-lock bags and Tupperware to seal the food. This will prevent accidental spilling and your food will not damage nearby items. Lastly, make sure to label those plastic boxes so your mover will know what is inside.
How to pack your pantry for relocation – the conclusion
As you can see, it is not difficult to pack your pantry for relocation. It is important to make a good plan and to follow it.