The kitchen and pantry space seems to be the most critical part of a relocation. It contains breakables you need to protect and foods you’re not sure if you can move at all. There are probably some items you forgot about, expired foods, and spices you haven’t used in ages. This is indeed the most challenging space to pack and get ready for a new home, but we’ll help you do this with ease. We’ve got some tips on how to properly pack food and pantry items for relocation, without spending too much of your time and energy on it.
Remove all the expired items first
There’s no reason why you would pack the foods you will never use. Expired foods are common to find in every pantry – you buy something interesting, put it away, and forget about it. Go through every shelf or drawer and check the expiration dates. Throw away expired canned foods, old spices, takeout condiments you’ve saved ‘just in case’, and nuts that have been sitting there for a long time. This will not only make more space in your pantry; it will also make your packing process a lot easier and minimize the health risk expired foods bring.
After moving to a new home, try to avoid creating clutter and piling up expired foods again. Keep your pantry organized and clean, and do the shopping according to what you already have in your home. Use up the items you bought first, and the ones you bought last put in the back, to create the right order of using up your food stocks.
Remove the clutter to have an organized pantry.
Plan the meals
If you started planning this move early, you’ve got enough time to use a certain amount of food before the moving day. This period is perfect for using up the food stocks so you risk less when moving them. Review the foods you’ve got in your home and plan the meals to use them. This is particularly important for all the frozen foods – start cooking to use them up before you have to go, so you don’t risk them getting spoiled in the moving process. This is also a great way to reduce waste and save money on groceries, so start cooking right away!
Bonus tip: If there are any leftovers you don’t want to move, try giving them away instead of wasting food. You can donate or offer some of the leftovers to a neighbor – you’ll put the food to good use and say goodbye in a friendly way.
Prepare your meals with the leftover foods from your pantry – you can even have the food ready for the moving day and save time.
Gather the packing supplies
To properly pack food and pantry items for relocation, you’ll need the property tools. Get boxes of different sizes, but avoid the big ones. Canned foods and items packed in glass containers tend to get pretty heavy, so it’s best to use smaller boxes you can easily carry regardless of their weight. Also, get enough tape so you can secure each box well, wrapping paper and plastic wrap, cling film, masking tape, scissors, and some twist ties. Also, don’t forget some markers or labels so you can label each box and simplify the unpacking process later on. Write what’s inside each box and where it goes – you’ll thank yourself later. Finally, you’ll probably need some insulated thermal bags and ice packs, to keep certain foods at the right temperature. Once you’ve got all the supplies ready, you can start packing and finish everything in one take.
Pack the boxes wisely
Avoid tossing items in boxes in random order. Make sure you ack the foods according to their size and weight, to avoid breaking, spillage, and other damage. Heavy items such as cans or jars should go on the bottom of the box – don’t forget to additionally secure the bottom of each box. On top of the heavier items, you can put lighter pieces such as pasta, a pack of crackers, spices, and more. This way you’ll avoid heavy pieces smashing the lighter ones and creating a mess in your moving boxes.
Secure the spices
Spices are so delicate and can go all over the place if you’re not careful. You need to secure the bottles so the lid doesn’t come off and spices ruin the rest of the food in the box. For all the shakers for salt pepper and other spices, it’s best to remove the top cover, put a layer of cling film and then put the cover pack and secure it with masking tape. This will ensure nothing spills in transport and you don’t have a spicy mess to clean when you start unboxing in your new kitchen.
Spices are not easy to clean once they spill – pack food and pantry items for relocation securely.
Get containers that won’t spill
Foods such as flour and sugar belong to easily spillable pantry items, so you need to be very careful when packing them for a move. It’s best to get special containers with sealable covers that will ensure nothing will spill during transport. Also, getting containers of the same size and shape will make it easier to pack and stack them in moving boxes.
Glass bottles are risky
If possible, avoid packing any glass boxes containing oils, vinegar, sauces, and more. These are very risky when it comes to moving and transport, as they can easily break or leak and cause a huge mess. Try using them up until the moving day or donate the items on time.
Another thing that comes in bottles is alcohol. This is one of the items movers will probably refuse to relocate, so you’ll have to deal with your alcohol collection on your own. If you have some valuable bottles, experts from helixmove.com advise you to invest time and effort into packing them properly. The best way is to go to a local liquor store and ask them for leftover wine boxes or look for ones in a specialized packaging store. Secure each bottle with air bubble packing, newspaper, and packing peanuts to create enough cushioning between the bottles so they don’t move around and break. Also, don’t use boxes that are too big or can contain more than 5 or 6 bottles. They can get pretty heavy and difficult to lift.
Final words
If you properly pack food and pantry items, you can expect a smooth and mess-free relocation. Investing time and effort into proper packing techniques and preparation for the big day pays off big time. You will be able to enjoy an easy moving process with minimum risks of damage, spills, and other complications.