How to Pack and Store Your Wine Glasses and Other Fragile Items When You Move

Protecting fragile items is critical to a successful move. No one wants to put time and energy into carefully packing up dishes, vases, or lamps only to find them broken when unpacked. Wrapping up plates and bowls with paper towels or newspaper does little to ensure cracking will not occur if your moving truck hits a bump. Bath or kitchen towels can slip easily leaving mom’s special china vulnerable. Each fragile item you pack should be handled differently.

When you have the right supplies handy, wrapping and packing your wine collection, wine glasses, plates, and fine vases is a breeze. With proper handling, storing your delicate wares in a self-storage unit near San Mateo will be simple and efficient. At 5A Rent-A-Space, we carry an extensive line of packing supplies to meet your needs. Plus, we have storage units in many sizes and prices and storage counselors to guide you, so put your mind at rest when you rent a unit from us.

7 Tips to Properly Pack Your Fragile Items

Follow these effective tips and know your cherished goods will be safe:

•  Start Early…Very Early: The night before moving day is not the time to sit in the middle of your floor wrapping china plates in bubble wrap. Plan on packing fragile items very early in the process; as early as a month before the big day. The goal is to avoid rushing around as it may cause damage to these special items even as you are packing.
• Gather the Right Tools: There is no one-size-fits-all solution for packing. Wine bottles will benefit from a specific type of box. TVs need another. Make sure you have different sized boxes, plenty of tape, and lots of bubble wrap for the best results. Remember to keep a marker handy to indicate boxes that are FRAGILE.
• Wine Bottles Need Extra TLC: In order to pop open the bubbly at your new home, include these additional steps:

oMake sure bottles are sealed correctly with their corks or caps.

o Pack red and white wine on its side; champagne upright.

o Utilize specialty boxes for bottles.

• Wine Glasses Require Additional Attention: Keep in mind that wine glasses are unique in shape and pressure points. Be sure to focus on extra support with these steps:

oGet boxes that are particularly designed to hold wine glasses.

oEnclose the glass in bubble wrap to protect the stem.

oUse packing peanuts to fill any empty spaces in and around the glassware. 

•     Plates and Dinnerware: Use a small to medium-sized box for your plates. Wrap each one separately and place paper in between. Put crumpled paper on the bottom of the box as well as the top.
•     Picture Frames: Just like your plates, use boxes that are small to medium in size. Wrap frames separately and place crumpled paper in between each one. Ensure there is no movement within the box by adding additional packing supplies as needed in crevices.
•    Oddly-shaped Items: Some items just do not clearly fit the norm. For instance, your great-grandmother’s antique crystal wine decanter is odd in shape and size. Take care to wrap it in bubble wrap very carefully, tape heavy Kraft paper around it, and put it in a box just barely bigger. Then stuff any open spots with additional paper or packing peanuts.

5A Rent-A-Space near San Mateo offers a variety of different sized boxes, including specialty boxes for your dishes, TVs, and mirrors. We even carry bubble wrap sleeves. Always purchase the right materials to get the job done and safeguard fragile items against breakage.

Reserve your self-storage unit online now. Call 5A Rent-A-Space at 650-338-0016 or toll-free at 1-800-5ASPACE (1-800-522-7223) to learn more. 

Not sure how much space you will need? Use our online Space Calculator to estimate the best unit size for you.