Welcome to another “Unusual items and how to pack them” blog post! We hope you’re enjoying the series! In this article, we tackle wedding dresses, workout items and delicate chandeliers. What other hard-to-pack items have you come across? We’d love to hear from you — leave a note in the comment box below!

Wedding dress

After a wedding, most brides get their dress cleaned and then carefully hang it up in their closet. And often, the special piece is forgotten until they need to pack for an upcoming move. Here are a few tips to keep your dress safe and as wrinkle-free as possible.

First, lay your gown carefully on a clean, soft surface. Take the left and right corners of the skirt and fold them neatly across and on top of each other. If you have a train, fold it into a triangle over the corners of the skirt. Carefully roll up the entire skirt and train until you reach the bodice of the gown (if your gown doesn’t have a defined bodice, you can keep rolling it up until it fits snuggly into a dress box). Don’t try to force the bodice into a different shape or you’ll damage the structure. We suggest you carefully wrap the rolled up skirt and upper half of the dress in clean, white linen that won’t transfer lint. Pack it into a new dress box and tape the lid shut. If you’re worried about the package getting wet during the move, you can secure the entire parcel with heavy-duty cling wrap.

 Elliptical machine and other workout items

For all you fitness enthusiasts who have built up a nice selection of at-home gym equipment, moving might be a bit more of a workout for you. If you have an elliptical trainer, or other large pieces of gym machinery, we suggest you take them apart. Before you start, make sure you take pictures of the equipment from several different angles so you remember exactly how to put it back together. Usually these machines can be broken down into several sections with the help of a screwdriver – just make sure you carefully label each part! Then wrap up each piece with bubble wrap and tape and, depending on the size of the sections, pack them into sturdy cardboard boxes. You can also wrap up free weights in bubble wrap and place them in padded crates. Take note of how much weight you’re packing into one carton — don’t overload them or you’ll risk breaking the box and potentially injuring yourself or others!

Chandelier

Chandeliers are tricky to pack because of their unusual shape and delicate nature. Before you begin, place thick blankets or padding where you’ll lay the chandelier to prep it for the move. Then, carefully take it down and place it on your designated space. Wrap each section gently with bubble wrap and use foam to cover any pointy areas. Then, go back and secure foam on top of the bubble wrap to reinforce it, just in case the bubbles burst mid-move. Next, find a box or crate that is several inches larger than the chandelier and put a piece of padding on the bottom. Hold the chandelier in the box, with it barely touching the padding, and have a friend or family member pack the area around it with packing peanuts and foam. The goal is to make sure it doesn’t shift throughout the move. Finally, place another piece of padding over the whole piece and secure the top. Don’t forget to write “Fragile. Handle with care” on the box or carton!

As always, if you have questions about packing or moving — give us a call! We’re here to help!

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