Your kitchen can be one of the trickiest parts of your house to prep for your upcoming move. You’ve got all those dishes, plates and glassware to pack, plus odd-shaped items like wok pans and bulky items like slow cookers. And that’s not to mention all of those small kitchen appliances you’ve collected: hand mixers, immersion blenders, traditional blenders, food processors, stand mixers, milk frothers, ice cream makers, coffee makers, electric kettles, and many, many more (especially if you’re someone who loves kitchen gadgets)!
When it comes to your small kitchen appliances, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll walk you through a simple, five-step process for packing your small kitchen appliances quickly, easily and professionally so they all arrive safely at your new home. Let’s get cooking!
Step 1: Clean & Dry Everything Thoroughly
Even the neatest chefs can find that their small appliances have collected bits and pieces of leftover food in their cracks and crevices. Take this opportunity to give each one of your items a good cleaning, making sure to get rid of any dust or leavings from your last culinary project.
Then—and here’s the really important part—make sure you dry them thoroughly. This is especially important if your appliance is going to spend any length of time in transit (or in storage!). Moisture can translate to mold, so be sure to eliminate as much as possible before packing any of your items.
This can be a tall order if you’re packing everything in a rush, so make sure you leave enough time to take care of these items so you can continue cooking with them for years to come in your new home.
Step 2: Keep All Parts & Instructions Together
If you find yourself pressed for time, it can also be tempting to pack a little haphazardly. However, doing so will cost you some serious time on the other end. That’s why we recommend keeping all the parts of your appliances together in the same box. (The same goes for any instructions or accessories!)
Think about it this way: Realistically, a lot of people don’t have the luxury of unpacking all their boxes at the same time. (That is unless you choose door-to-door service in which the crew unpacks everything for you!) So you don’t want to find yourself in your new home, craving a smoothie, only to discover that you can’t find the base to your blender.
Instead, take the time and effort to keep as many parts together as you can. It will make unpacking on the other end much, much easier.
Step 3: Use Plenty of Packing Paper
If you’re packing all your small kitchen appliances yourself, we recommend getting yourself a few bundles of packing paper. This material, which is essentially unprinted newsprint, is what our pros use to cushion our customers’ delicate items when they’ve hired us to do the packing for them. Unlike old newspapers, there’s no ink to rub off on your appliances. Additionally, packing paper is recyclable, making it a more environmentally friendly choice than, say, plastic bubble wrap. You can order packing paper online, or pick it up from a local hardware store.
Now, here’s the trick: You can never use enough packing paper. Packing paper is your friend, so don’t be afraid of it, and use it early and often.
When our pros use packing paper to secure kitchen items, here’s how they do it:
- Crumple a few sheets to create a nice cushion at the bottom of each box.
- Wrap each individual piece with paper. (And, as we said, use plenty of it!)
- If you’ve got gaps between items, crumple paper, and stuff it into the gaps to prevent items from moving around.
- Fill the box as much as you can. In addition to keeping items from shifting, it also protects the structural integrity of the box and keeps it from getting crushed.
- Crumple additional sheets of paper to create a cushion at the top of the box.
- Tape it shut securely, and make sure to label it clearly on at least three sides.
Step 4: Don’t Let Any One Box Get Too Heavy
Now, even though we suggested you fill your boxes as best you can, you also want to stand guard against letting any box get too heavy. If you can distribute weight among multiple boxes, rather than packing all the heavy items in one box, that’s ideal. In addition to making that box difficult to carry and move, a heavy box can easily crush other boxes and potentially damage your other items.
We know we’re asking a lot of you! First, we told you to keep your appliances together. Then, we told you to fill your boxes, and, finally, we’re telling you not to make them too heavy.
At the end of the day, it’s a balancing act. Keep all of these principles in mind. Follow them as best you can, and they’ll help make your move easier.
Finally, we’ve got just a few more tips to keep you (and your possessions!) safe…
Step 5: Keep an Eye Out for These Special Situations
As you pack your small kitchen appliances, there are just a few additional considerations you want to keep in mind:
For fragile items, consider an extra layer of bubble wrap. For example, that bone china tea set you inherited from your grandmother may warrant some bubble wrap to give it a little extra cushioning for its journey.
Remove batteries from any of your small appliances. Leaving the batteries in place could drain them. In the worst-case scenario, one of the batteries could leak and damage your appliance. Your best bet is to remove them before you pack them.
Take extra care with any sharp components. The major culprits in this area include the ultra-sharp blades from your food processor and the blades in your blender. Our pros recommend wrapping these in paper (carefully!), then storing the wrapped bundle inside the bowl of the food processor or the pitcher of your blender. That way, if someone on the other end reaches blindly into a box, they won’t run the risk of impaling him or herself on a sharp object.
Your Small Appliances, Safely Stored for Transit
With these five steps in mind, you’re ready to make quick and efficient work of packing your small appliances for your move. Put on some good music or load up a bingeable series on Netflix, gather your materials and take it slow. By following these steps—and giving yourself the time you need—you’ll help ensure that your appliances arrive safely, and you’ll find them easy to unpack as you prep your first meals in your new home.
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Need some more help with your move? Whether you’d rather pack your house yourself or have us do it for you, we can customize a moving plan to your needs (and your budget)! Just reach out to us for a free quote to get started.
