How to Pack Wine Glasses
When moving to a new house, many things need your attention. These include finding the right moving company, getting enough boxes, and remembering the fragile items that need extra care when packing.
Kitchen items are often taken for granted and just put into boxes with loads of packing paper. However, things like glasses, particularly wine glasses, need special care when packing and transporting.
A professional moving company may know what needs to be done, but this article provides a complete guide to packing wine glasses yourself for moving. This will give you an idea of what needs to be done and whether you need to leave it to the experts.
Why Do Wine Glasses Need Extra Care?
People make the mistake of thinking they can pack wine glasses for moving the same way as they would any glassware. This is why many wine glasses have been lost in the moving process.
The fact is that wine glasses are different. Their shape often means the glass is more fragile in certain places, and any friction between glasses can cause cracks or scratches. Thus, if you want to ensure that your wine glasses stay in perfect condition, you must know how to properly pack wine glasses for moving. This will enable you to do it yourself or spot if the removal company is doing it incorrectly.
Packing Materials for Packing Wine Glasses
When it comes to packing wine glasses properly, you need the right packing materials. Sometimes, removal companies bring their own packing materials, including new boxes. However, if you’re doing this on your own, you may need to head to the hardware store. Let’s take a look at what you need to pack your wine glasses safely.
● Boxes
Traditional boxes are large to maximise how much you can pack into them. However, smaller cardboard or cell boxes are better when packing wine glasses.
Smaller cardboard boxes are preferable because you don’t have to worry about the boxes getting too heavy. Cell boxes have built-in cardboard dividers to separate the glasses and provide extra support. You can purchase cardboard glass dividers separately to fit into regular boxes for double-thick walls. Therefore, a cell box is also great for packing your wine bottles!
● Packing Paper/Tissue paper
Packing paper and tissue paper have dual roles in packing wine glasses. You can use them to individually wrap a wine glass and fill empty spaces in the box. Ordinary newspapers will not work for wine glasses. Therefore, ensure that you get enough packing paper for wrapping around your wine glasses. Ideally, you need 3-4 sheets per glass, plus extra sheets for the box.
● Bubble wrap
Bubble wrap is also a great packing material for wine glasses, but its use is not direct. This means it is used in the box to cushion the wine glass but not to wrap it as you do with tissue paper.
● Packing Tape
Packing tape is an important part of your packing supplies. You need strong packing tape to reinforce the boxes and ensure they can carry the weight of the glasses. The tape must also hold the box together properly and prevent any folds from opening.
● ‘Fragile’ Label
Your boxes need to have a clear label stating that there are fragile wine glasses within them. This will ensure that everyone, including yourself, knows which moving box contains the wine glasses and which needs the most protection and care during transportation.
How to Pack Wine Glasses for Moving
Now that you know what you need to pack your wine glasses, let’s go through a step-by-step guide and tips for packing them.
- First, assemble your boxes and use enough tape to secure them.
- Place several sheets of packing paper at the bottom of the box to provide cushioning. You can also use bubble wrap right at the bottom of the box to decrease the number of paper sheets you will need.
- To wrap your wine glass, place it horizontally on one sheet of tissue paper and gently roll the paper from the bottom corner until the glass is covered. Tuck in the ends of the paper sheet so it wraps the glass completely. Repeat this process with three more sheets of wrapping paper. You can put one layer of bubble wrap over the packing paper for extra padding.
- Place the cardboard glass dividers into the boxes over the layer of tissue paper at the bottom. Then carefully place the wrapped glasses vertically into the box. Each wrapped glass will have its own space, thanks to the inserts. If you are not using cardboard glass dividers, place each glass into the box vertically and fill the space between them with tissue paper or bubble wrap to prevent touching.
- If you wish to put a second layer of glasses over the first, repeat the process and gently stuff all the gaps to ensure there is no room for movement between each wine glass during transport.
- Finally, close the box and seal it properly with packing tape before labelling it as containing fragile contents.
Special Considerations for Different Types of Wine Glasses
Fragile glassware always needs a little more packing. However, wine glasses are unique because of their shapes and sizes. There are some special considerations when packing glasses.
● Wine Glasses With Stems
A traditional wine glass has a stem. These stems are delicate, and you must ensure that you wrap them properly. They are a weak point and can easily break during transport. This is why you need several sheets of packing paper.
● Stemless Wine Glasses
Stemless wine glasses can vary greatly in thickness, and it is important that you fill the top of the wine glass with packing paper. This will protect the thinner edges.
● Wine Glasses With an Odd Shape
Sometimes wine glasses can have an odd shape, like a curve in the stem. These will need extra wrapping, and you must fill the gaps in the box with enough paper. This is because odd shapes generally mean more space between glasses than standard shapes.
Things to Be Careful Of
Here are a few things to note to ensure that you a packing boxes correctly.
● Don’t Use Newspaper
Using newspaper instead of white tissue paper may seem more convenient and even cheaper, but there is a reason professionals don’t use it. Newspaper leaves ink prints on the glasses that are annoying to remove.
● Transport Distance
The distance you have to transport your glasses and what type of vehicle it goes in is also essential. You must ensure the boxes have the correct label so they can be packed properly in the transport vehicle.
● Don’t Use Tape on the Glass
You may be tempted to tape down the paper when you wrap your glasses, but this can cause problems when you are unpacking later. The tape may be difficult to get off and could cause the glass to break.
● Handle With Care
This should go without saying. No matter how tired you are, handle the box carrying your wine glasses with care. It doesn’t matter that you sealed them in paper, bubble wrap, and everything else. They could still break at the slightest rough contact.
Conclusion
Getting wine glasses ready for a move is much more work than just using a tonne of bubble wrap. You must ensure that your box is properly secure and that every corner is packed to prevent movement. In addition, you have to take the time to gently wrap each wine glass and place them in the box. They must have enough room between them, but this room must contain packing paper. This puts less pressure on the glasses and ensures they do not clink against each other. Then you can be new homeowners sipping from your perfectly intact wine glasses!