How to Pack for a Move: Item-by-Item Guide

How to Pack Dishes and Glassware

Dishes should be packed on their edge, like records in a crate, rather than stacked flat — a stack of flat plates concentrates the full weight of the stack onto the bottom plate's center, which is exactly where hairline cracks start. Wrap each plate individually in packing paper, then load them vertically into a dish-barrel box lined with a few inches of crumpled paper on the bottom. Glassware needs the same wrap-and-cushion principle used for packing breakables in a suitcase — cushion the item, then cushion the space around it, not just the outside of the box.

• Wrap each dish and glass individually — never let bare ceramic or glass touch bare ceramic or glass
• Pack plates vertically on their edge in a dish-barrel box, not flat in a stack
• Stuff wine glasses and stemware with paper inside the bowl before wrapping the outside
• Line the box bottom and top with 2–3 inches of crumpled paper as a shock-absorbing cushion
• Label the box "Fragile — Glass" on all four sides, not just the top, so it's visible from any angle

How to Pack Mirrors and Framed Art

Mirrors and framed art should travel in a mirror/picture box — a flat, telescoping box designed to hold flat items on their edge, never flat on their face, since a flat mirror stacked under other boxes will crack under point pressure. Tape an X across the glass with painter's tape before wrapping; if the glass does break in transit, the tape holds the shards together instead of letting them scatter and slice through the wrapping. Sandwich the mirror between two pieces of cardboard cut to size, then wrap the whole assembly in a moving blanket or bubble wrap and secure with tape (not directly on the glass).

• Tape a painter's-tape X across mirror and picture glass before wrapping
• Cut cardboard corner protectors or a full cardboard sandwich for the frame's face and back
• Always transport mirrors and art on their edge, standing up, never lying flat
• Use a mirror/picture box for anything wider than about 24 inches — improvising with a flat box invites cracking

How to Pack Electronics

Electronics survive a move best in their original boxes with the original foam inserts, because that packaging was engineered specifically for that device's weight distribution and vibration points. If you no longer have the original box, wrap the item in an anti-static bag or plain paper (not newspaper, which can transfer ink) before bubble-wrapping, and pack it upright in a snug box with no empty air space. Photograph the back of your TV, router, and desktop tower before you unplug anything — reassembling a tangle of identical black cables from memory is the single most common source of moving-day frustration with electronics.

• Use original boxes and foam inserts whenever you still have them
• Photograph cable setups before disconnecting anything
• Remove ink cartridges from printers and batteries from remotes/devices before packing
• Pack TVs and monitors vertically, never flat, and never stack anything on top of them
• Let a desktop computer's hard drive cool for a few hours after use before boxing it

How to Pack a Mattress

A mattress needs a mattress bag before it goes anywhere near a moving truck, because an unprotected mattress absorbs dirt, moisture, and tears from truck ramps and doorframes that no amount of washing fully removes. Seal the bag with tape rather than just cinching it, and load the mattress flat against a wall of the truck or upright wedged between soft items — never lay boxes directly on top of an exposed mattress. Memory foam mattresses generally should not be bent or rolled unless the manufacturer specifically packaged them that way, since sharp folds can permanently damage the foam's internal structure.

• Use a mattress bag sized to your mattress (twin, queen, king) and tape the seal shut
• Load mattresses vertically against a flat wall of the truck, not laid flat under other cargo
• Avoid folding or bending a memory foam mattress — it can crease permanently
• Keep the mattress dry; a wet mattress can develop mold within 24–48 hours

How to Pack Records, Plants, Knives, Lamps, and Rugs

Vinyl records should be packed vertically, like books on a shelf, in small boxes — records are heavy, so a large box full of them quickly becomes too heavy to lift safely and the cardboard can bow under the weight. Houseplants generally travel better in the car with you than in a moving truck, since trucks lack climate control and a plant can cook or freeze in transit depending on the season; if a plant must go in the truck, water it lightly a day or two before (not the morning of) so soil doesn't spill. Kitchen knives should be wrapped individually in thick cardboard or a dedicated knife roll before boxing — a loose knife in a box of kitchen items is a real injury risk for whoever unpacks it, so labeling the box "Sharp — Knives" matters as much as the wrapping.

• Records: pack vertically in small, sturdy boxes — never stack flat or overload a large box
• Plants: transport in the car when possible; water lightly a day or two before the move, not the morning of
• Knives: wrap each blade individually and label the box clearly as sharp
• Lamps: remove the shade and bulb, wrap the shade separately in a box with room to spare, and wrap the base like any fragile item
• Rugs: vacuum first, then roll (don't fold) around a cardboard tube to prevent permanent creases

How to Pack Yard Tools

Long-handled yard tools — rakes, shovels, hedge trimmers — should be grouped and tied together in bundles of similar length rather than packed loose, both to save truck space and to keep sharp or pointed ends from puncturing other boxes during transit. Drain gas-powered equipment like mowers and trimmers before the move, since moving companies and rental trucks generally prohibit transporting items with fuel still in the tank. Wrap tool blades (shears, loppers, hedge trimmers) in a few layers of cardboard or an old towel secured with tape so the edge stays covered.

• Bundle long-handled tools together with rope or tape, grouped by length
• Drain fuel from gas-powered equipment before loading
• Cover blades and sharp edges with cardboard or a towel
• Keep yard tools in a separate load area from soft goods so they can't tear boxes or bags

How to Pack Shelving Units and Glass Shelves When Moving

Shelving units cause more move-day headaches than their size suggests, mostly because the hardware gets separated from the frame and the glass panels get treated like any other box item instead of like a mirror. Disassemble bookshelves, closet systems, and other shelving before the move rather than wrapping them whole — most modern units are held together with cam locks, dowels, or a handful of screws, and a disassembled unit both survives the truck better and takes up far less space stacked flat. Glass shelves need the same edge-on, taped, cardboard-sandwiched treatment described above for mirrors: never lay a glass shelf flat under other weight, since that's exactly how point-pressure cracks start.

• Photograph each shelving unit assembled before you take it apart, so reassembly doesn't become a guessing game
• Group all screws, cam locks, shelf pins, and dowels for one unit into a single labeled zip-top bag, then tape that bag directly to the largest flat piece of that same unit so it can't get mixed up with another shelf's hardware
• Wrap glass shelves individually with a painter's-tape X and cardboard sandwich, and transport them on their edge like a mirror — never flat or stacked under other weight
• Wrap wooden or laminate shelf panels in moving blankets or furniture pads at the corners and edges, the most common chip points
• Stack disassembled shelf panels together by size, with a layer of padding between each one, rather than leaning them loosely against the truck wall

Storing Leftover Packing Supplies

Moving generates a surprising amount of reusable material, and holding onto it saves real money on the next move or when shipping something fragile later. Flatten and save intact boxes rather than breaking them down for recycling if you have the storage space, and keep a bag of unused packing paper and bubble wrap rather than tossing it — both are usually still in good shape after one careful move. Store everything somewhere dry, since damp cardboard loses most of its structural strength and damp packing paper can transfer moisture to whatever it's wrapped around next time.

• Flatten and store intact boxes rather than recycling them immediately after unpacking
• Save unused packing paper, bubble wrap, and packing peanuts in a sealed bin for the next move
• Drop a few silica gel desiccant packets into the storage bin to keep everything dry between moves
• Store supplies off the garage or basement floor to avoid moisture damage from concrete

How to Pack a U-Haul Truck Efficiently

Load a moving truck like you'd pack a suitcase — heaviest and largest items first, against the front wall (closest to the cab), so weight sits low and forward rather than shifting the truck's balance while it's driven. Build the load in vertical columns from floor to ceiling using furniture as "walls," then fill every gap between big pieces with boxes, and finally lay mattresses or soft furniture flat against the very back doors as a last, easily-removable layer. A truck packed with air gaps between items is the single biggest cause of moving-day damage, since anything with room to move will move under braking. Packing cubes aren't just for suitcases — compressing clothes and linens into cubes before loading keeps soft goods from shifting loosely in the gaps between furniture, and they unpack straight into a dresser at the new place instead of forcing you to refold everything. See our guide to packing cubes for sizes that work well for a move. If you're only relocating a suitcase or two rather than a full household, renting a truck at all may not be worth it — see our guide to shipping a suitcase for when a carrier works out cheaper than driving it yourself.

• Load heaviest, largest items first, against the front wall of the truck bed
• Disassemble bed frames and large furniture to save volume and reduce shifting
• Stack boxes by weight — heavy on bottom, light and fragile on top — never the reverse
• Fill gaps between furniture with soft items (pillows, linens) so nothing has room to shift
• Use furniture pads/moving blankets between wood and upholstered pieces to prevent scuffing
• Secure the final load with rope or a ratchet strap across the back so it can't slide during transit

What Not to Pack: Hazmat Items Movers Won't Take

Professional movers are legally prohibited from transporting hazardous materials on their trucks, which surprises a lot of people packing for the first time because many of these items sit in a garage or under a kitchen sink without a second thought. These items need to be used up, given away, or disposed of through a local hazardous-waste program before moving day rather than boxed — a mover who discovers them mid-load will typically refuse to transport that box at all.

• Propane tanks and other pressurized/compressed gas cylinders
• Gasoline, kerosene, and other flammable fuels
• Fireworks and ammunition
• Paints, solvents, and aerosol cans (many aerosols are pressurized and heat-sensitive)
• Pool chemicals and other corrosive cleaning chemicals
• Car batteries and other lead-acid or lithium batteries loose (not installed in a device)
• Matches and lighter fluid

Frequently Asked Questions

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