10 Easy Steps to Packing Dishes and Glassware

1) Be sure to use a "dishpack" carton.  Dishpacks are made from much thicker cardboard than a regular box and will protect your fragile items better.

2) Use three strips of tape on the bottom of the dishpack.  It will be very heavy and you want to ensure your seal will hold.  If you are have used packing material, tape the flaps of the dishpack down to keep them out of your way.

3) It is helpful to put all the fragile items needing packed on a counter or shelf to make them easy to grab.  You can include breakable items other than dishes or glassware, such as knick-knacks, small picture frames, etc.

4) Wad up newsprint and put a thick layer in the bottom of the dishpack.

5) Wrap each item in newsprint.  Start with the largest, heaviest items first (you do not want a heavy serving bowl on top of a champagne flute).

6) Place items vertically in the dishpack.

7) Some items like plates and bowls can be nested together, with newsprint between each dish.  The tighter the items are packed, the less likelihood there is for breakage, so stuff newsprint into any gaps.

8) After the bottom of the box is full, wad up more newsprint to create a cushion between the layers in your dishpack.  Continue stacking items in the dishpack to create the next layer. You should end up with 2-4 layers of dishes/glassware.

9) When you cannot fit anymore dishes or glassware into your dishpack, fill the remaining space with newsprint or a pillow or blanket.  The box should be so full it is difficult to close.  Any empty space can cause the box to crush when other boxes are stacked on top of it.

10)  Seal up the box with two strips of tape and write "fragile" on all four sides. 

Of course if you don't want to go to all the trouble, Action Moving Services will do the work for you.  We offer full-service, partial and fragile-only packing.  Use the tool to the right or give us a call at 509.922.1500.