How to Pack Clothes for Moving – Best Way to Pack Clothes For Moving

23rd February, 2017

Need some advice on how to pack clothes for moving? You’ve come to the right place. Our step-by-step process outlines the best way to pack clothes for moving:

Step 1: Clean out your wardrobe

Step 2: Thoroughly wash and dry your clothing

Step 3: Categorise your clothing

Step 4: Use sturdy moving clothes boxes

Step 5: Roll or vacuum seal clothing to maximise space

Step 6: Label each box per it’s category

Step 7: How to pack shoes for a move

Step 8: Load high priority items into the moving truck last.

Step 1: Clean Out Your Wardrobe

Before you even think about packing clothes for moving, decide exactly which items you’re going to take with you. Moving house is a great excuse to go through your wardrobe with a fine-tooth comb. Distinguish the ‘must have’s’ from the ‘don’t needs’. Anything you don’t need can be donated to charity or even sold on eBay. After all, why go through the hassle of packing, moving and unpacking clothing that you’re never going to wear again? Alternatively, set old clothing aside to use as packing material—old t-shirts, jumpers and dresses can be used to cushion breakables such as crockery and glassware.

If you need some extra pointers, take a look at our How to Declutter Before Moving House Checklist.

Step 2: Thoroughly Wash and Dry Your Clothing

The best way to pack clothes for moving always includes thoroughly washing and drying all your clothes before they’re packed. This ensures that all your clothes stay fresh and in pristine condition. Plus, if you fail to unpack your clothes immediately after moving, and they’re dirty, you might find that stains and odours become impossible to remove.

Step 3: Categorise Your Clothing

The easy way to pack clothes for moving is to create categories for your (thoroughly cleaned and dried) clothing. This will make unpacking so much quicker and easier.

You can categorise your clothes based on size, season, function, material, use or whatever type of categories work for you.

Once you’ve decided on your categorisation system, sort your clothing into corresponding piles.

Step 4: Use Sturdy Moving Clothes Boxes

The best moving clothes boxes are custom-designed, and purpose built for moving clothes. A professional removalist company will be able to supply moving boxes that enable you to pack and move your entire wardrobe whilst still on coat hangers, ensuring your clothes will arrive clean and wrinkle-free, ready to hang up immediately arrival at your new home. They will also have moving boxes in a range of sizes for all your clothing that can be neatly folded or rolled up inside.

Never move your clothing in plastic bags, as these tend to attract moisture, which can build up over time and make your clothing smelly, or even mouldy.

Hot Tip: While it might be tempting, never leave clothing inside drawers. This makes your drawers much heavier than necessary, making them difficult to move, and more susceptible to damage should they topple over during transit.

Step 5: Roll or Vacuum Seal Clothing to Maximise Space

When it comes to knowing how to pack clothes for moving house, you can learn a lot from backpackers. Anyone that has stayed in a backpacker’s hostel or been trekking will know that people roll their clothes before placing them inside their packs. This is because rolling up clothes not only maximises space, it prevents wrinkling far better than folding. You’ll be amazed at how much you can fit in your moving clothes boxes if you opt for the roll rather than the fold.

Alternatively, clothing can be vacuum sealed to maximise space inside moving boxes. Just keep in mind that leaving clothing vacuumed sealed long-term can damage its natural fibres. Vacuum sealing clothing is fine for a short-term house move, but not recommended if you’re placing your clothes into long-term storage.

Step 6: Label Each Box Per It’s Category

Once you’re done packing clothes for moving, label each box per it’s category. Depending on the categories that you have opted for, it may be a good idea to add a more detailed list of the box’s contents as well. For example, if you have chosen to use the ‘Seasons’ category system, then your label might be, ‘Winter—Woollen Jumpers’.

Step 7: How to Pack Shoes for a Move

If you want to know how to pack shoes for a move the main rule to remember is: keep your shoes away from your clothes, placing all shoes in a completely separate box. Even clean shoes can make clothes dirty.

It’s a good idea to stuff your shoes to ensure they maintain their shape, and don’t get squashed whilst in transit. You can use either packing paper, or other small items of clothing (pairs of socks work a treat!) as stuffing.

Finally, pack your shoes by alternating heal to toe inside your boxes. This will maximise all available space.

Step 8: Load High Priority Items into the Moving Truck Last

Loading high priority items into your moving truck applies to all items, not just clothing. Loading the most important items last means that you’ll be able to access them first, making unpacking at your new address so much easier.

For example, if you have chosen to use the ‘Seasons’ category system, and you’re moving in the middle of Summer, make sure all the boxes marked ‘Summer’ are loaded last, and all those marked ‘Winter’ are loaded first. That way, you’ll be able to find the clothes you actually need to wear as quickly and easily as possible. All the effort you put into categorising your clothing will really pay off at this point.

Follow this process and you’ll be an expert on how to pack clothes for moving. It’s all about having processes in place that make moving day easier, avoiding the stress that plagues so many people.