How to Pack Dishes for Storage

Maybe you just inherited your grandma's china but your sister got the china cabinet. Or you found that perfect set of dishes in a vintage store that you don't need but will... Someday. Or perhaps you purchased a beautiful new dinner service but can't bear to part with the crockery your parents gave you when you got your first apartment. Whatever the reason, you decide to pack the extra dishes and store them. Storage units are a great place to keep fragile items that you don't want left where young children might find them and use them for play time or that need to be kept away from that brother that firmly holds to the motto 'mi casa es su casa' and might just decide to take a look-see at what you have in your closet and carelessly rummage through your breakables.

When preparing to store dishes, you will need a few items:

Packing material.

Your dishes will need some padding to prevent breakage. To save money you can use crumpled or folded newspaper, or you can buy white packing paper to keep things a little cleaner. You can also

buy bubble wrap or some sort of polystyrene material liking packing peanuts

. A couple of other low budget options that might come in handy are plastic grocery bags, old nylons, towels or soft cloths from the rag bag.

Storage containers.

Preferably, dishes should be packed in something stronger and more resistant to pressure than a standard box. If you have nothing else, use extra padding. Dish barrels are designed for dishes. The modern version is generally made out of a double layer of cardboard, so are heavy-duty boxes, which are also a good option. For a little extra money, you can buy wooden packing crates. A great option for glasses, stemware and similar items are cell kits, boxes made with individual cells and layers. You can create your own layers in larger boxes by cutting a piece of cardboard and placing it between rows of dishes.

Storage tools.

Don't forget strong packing tape, markers and, if you like, box labels. Storage companies often sell packing supplies. In fact, you can refine your search on StorageFront to

find a self storage facility near you

that sells supplies on-site. Check to see if they have any boxes specially made for storing dishes. Once you have your supplies, organize your dishes and group items by size and weight.

Dish packing checklist:

Although it's tempting to pack dishes quickly, a little planning and care can go a long way toward keeping your family treasures safe.

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