How To Pack Clothes for Moving?

• November 15, 2022
• Bill Chen

Last updated on October 30, 2023

Moving is always a big event in anyone’s life, and you always tend to think about moving big furniture items safely and effectively. The smaller things like clothes are often left as a final thought, causing a crazy rush to pack on a moving day. And then it usually ends up being the hardest and most time-consuming thing to pack, move and unpack. They are shoved into boxes and bags, usually needing a rewash and iron after moving day.

With some planning and forethought, moving clothes can be a lot easier and stress-free with the help of DIY packing, and will ensure your clothes stay in good condition during the move, as well as so they don’t need a wash, iron, and reorganizing when reaching your new home.

So, read on for some tips on how to pack clothes for moving from the removal experts at Bill Removalists.

What Is the Best Way To Pack Clothes For Moving?

The best way to pack clothes for moving is to empty your closet and take stock of what you have. Moves are often the perfect time to spring clean a closet and get rid of the items you no longer wear, fit into or that are taking up wasted space.

Once you have organized your closet and decided what you will be keeping, it’s best to arrange clothes into categories. Each type of clothing category may then need to be folded or stored in a specific way, using specific types and sizes of boxes or bags to protect them whilst in transit.

Label boxes according to who the clothes belong to, and which clothing category they are so that you know where they need to be unpacked once you are in your new space.

Being organized and planning on how best to pack your clothes will go a long way to help make your move easier.

Things to Do Before Packing

When we move we often just think about packing everything into boxes and place less emphasis on the best method to use to pack the clothes or items, or in which containers will work best. But before we even get to the packing phase, to make your move as smooth and as easy as possible, it’s important to get organized.

After all, there is no point in spending time, energy, and money on packing and moving clothes you will never wear again – it’s very ineffective. So spend some time doing this first.

Assess your closet

Before you begin to pack, we recommend that you thoroughly assess your closet. Fewer clothes mean less to move and less to unpack. It’s a no-brainer. Why waste time and effort packing and moving clothing items you will never wear again? So, check your closet, and determine which items you wear and which you don’t. You may even come across long-forgotten clothing items you suddenly remember you have.

Sort Clothes

Sort your clothes into categories. You can separate clothes by season so that if you prefer storing away winter clothes in summer or visa versa you can easily do that.

You can then further sort the clothing items into categories, such as pants, t-shirts, socks, dresses, etc. And further categorize those into formal, office, casual, or active wear. You can also categorize hanging clothes and folded clothes.

Decide What to Keep

After you have categorized your clothing items, now comes the part many people battle with and that is deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. Remember a move is a lot of work, and having fewer clothes to unpack on the other side will help you settle a lot quicker.

Never Remove Hangers

For your clothing items that use hangers, it’s easier to leave the hangers on the clothing items, instead of removing them in the packing phase and then hanging them up again in the unpacking phase.  Instead, carefully pack them with the hanger. This is a big-time saver.

Donate gently-used closet items

For clothing items that you no longer wear, but can still be worn by someone else you can consider donating these to thrift shops or the less fortunate.

To cut down on the number of clothes you need to move why not donate clothes you no longer use to your local charity?

What Are The Right Clothing Packing Methods?

Now that you have organized your closet into items you will be moving with you, it’s time to think about how you will be moving them. There are a few ways you can do this depending on the types of clothes and carrying method.

Cardboard boxes

Cardboard boxes are a great choice for packing folded clothes, such as t-shirts, shorts, pants, etc.

Wardrobe boxes

Wardrobe boxes are perfect for the clothing items that you are leaving on hangers, making the unpacking process so much easier.

Suitcases and duffel bags

Suitcases and duffel bags are great choices for packing your folded items. They may offer extra protection to your clothing items whilst being moved.

Leave clothes in their drawers

Another great idea is leaving your clothes in the drawers, that no packing and unpacking is necessary. Just make sure to secure the drawers, so your clothing items do not fall out when the furniture is being moved. Also, make sure the drawers are not too heavy to move with clothes. This can also save you money on cardboard boxes.

Plastic Boxes & Vacuum Bags Are Your Friends

Another excellent way to pack folded clothing items, especially the more delicate ones, is to wrap them in vacuum bags and pack these into plastic boxes. Not only does this offer extra protection for your clothes, but also protects them from absorbing cardboard box odors.

Stuff & Bag Your Shoes

Shoes are another item that may need special planning, especially if you have expensive shoes that need extra care. A great way to preserve the shoe shape is to stuff them with tissue paper, put in a plastic bag and pack them neatly in boxes. It may be best not to pack too many shoes in one box as they tend to squash and damage the shapes of other shoes.

Keep Your Essentials Separate

On the day of the move, you will need to have a separate bag packed with your essentials so as not to mix them up with all the other clothing items. Make sure you have at least a set of pajamas and one change of clothes. Toiletries and personal items can also be kept in this bag. It may also be a good idea to carry valuable clothing items in your essentials bag for safekeeping.

Make sure to use the correct containers when packing certain types of clothing items.

What Are The Best Ways To Pack Non-Hanging Clothes?

How you fold your clothes for packing will also go a long way in making the whole process either easier. This can save space and cut down on the number of containers you need to pack and move.

There are many folding methods you can try using, but these are some of the most helpful folding ways to try:

Flat fold method

This method is where you neatly fold your clothing item and press it flat with your hands. It is great for bulky items like jeans and sweaters. This method is best used to pack clothes in card boxes or vacuum bags.

Military roll method

The military role is where you lay out your item and instead of folding you roll the item. It works well for small or delicate items like shirts and dresses. This method is best used to pack clothes in suitcases or duffle bags.

What Are The Best Way to Pack Hanging Clothes

Moving hanging clothing is by far the easiest way to move clothes, so try and pack as many of your clothes as possible in this way.

Use a Wardrobe Box

Though pricier than other alternatives, wardrobe boxes are specifically designed to transport hanging clothes. They come with a hanger bar that makes it easy to hang any type of clothing inside.

Use Drawstring Trash Bags

A more cost-effective way and possibly the easiest way to move hanging clothes is to use a large drawstring trash bag to slip your clothes inside while holding onto the hangers and tighten the drawstrings around the hanger hooks. Make sure to lay flat when in transit.

Use Garment Bags

For more expensive or delicate items, it’s best to use garment bags to protect them as they can get dirty or damaged during the move. Garment bags can be easily found online or at a local dry cleaner. They are made from stronger plastic to ensure clothes stay well protected.

The best ways to move hanging clothes are in wardrobe boxes.

What’s the best way to speed things up?

As professional removalists with years of experience, Bill Removalists can ensure your clothes travels and arrives safely. We know how to pack clothes the right way.

Save yourself a lot of time and effort when moving house by letting the experts at Bill Removalist bring the packing paper and boxes to handle the moving tasks for you today.

FAQ

Have some more questions about how to pack clothes? Our helpful FAQ section can answer these:

What is the most space-efficient way to pack clothes?

The most space-efficient way to pack clothes is if you can keep them in the furniture draws but it will be important to secure draws.

What do I leave behind when I move?

If you can sort through your closet and get rid of the clothing items you no longer use, you will make moving your clothing items a lot easier.

When should you start packing clothes for moving?

Depending on the size of your closet it may be a good idea to start organizing your clothing items at least 2 to 3 days before your move.

Will movers pack folded clothes for you?

Yes, Bills Removalists can assist you in folding and packing your clothes, to help make your move easier.