Packing specific items correctly or incorrectly is the difference between unpacking boxes of broken glass or actually item intact, in their proper condition. One of the types of items many struggle to properly pack is wine glasses and wine bottles. Here are some expert tips you can use to properly pack your wine glasses and bottles for moving.
Cell Boxes Work Great for Wine Bottles
Wine bottles are usually shipped from distributors in what is known as a cell box. This type of box provides a divider set up to fit one wine bottle in each cell. Moving companies often sell these boxes to make it easier for you to pack specific items.
You can use cell boxes for wine bottles, liquor bottles and even your stemware. When the movers hit a bump and the box shifts, the cell divider helps protect your items from breaking.
Packing without Cell Boxes
While cell boxes are the best solution and available from your moving company, if you waited until the last minute, these may not be available. If this is the case, you can try calling your moving company and having them come take over the packing. However, if this isn't an option, you need a way to pack your wine bottles and glasses without a cell box.
Start by wrapping your wine glasses in a brown paper bag, if you don't have any tissue paper handy. Then, you need to create your own "cells" inside a box to keep the bottles and glasses from rattling. Styrofoam plates work great for creating your own cells. Just make sure you cushion the bottom of the box, as well. You can even use a sweatshirt to cushion the box, in a pinch.
Use Paper to Wrap Your Wine Glasses
Crystal wine glasses need to be wrapped in paper, but not newspaper. When you wrap them in newspaper the ink from the paper will transfer to the glass and you will have to scrub them to get them clean. They may survive the move, but end up broken from all the scrubbing.
Instead of using newspaper, choose white tissue paper for wrapping your wine glasses. You want to use a separate sheet for each glass. Start the glass at an angle on one of the corners and roll it up. Then, you can simply fold the ends and you have a well wrapped wine glass ready to be packed.
Bubble Wrap Protects Well, but Be Careful
Bubble wrap is the go-to for protecting fragile items. If you plan to use it with wine glasses, make sure you never wrap them direction in bubble wrap. It should go above the tissue paper to allow you to tape the bubble wrap to the paper and not the glass. You don't want to end up damaging your nice wine glasses when you pull tape off of them.
Temperature Sensitive Packing for Wine Bottles
If your wine bottles get too hot or too cold, you may ruin the wine. If you plan ahead, you can order special wine shipping containers through your moving company. However, if you didn't plan ahead, you will want to use a cell box for your wine and have the bottles travel with you so that you can control the temperature in your own vehicle. Let the movers handle everything else, but take your wine bottles with you, if possible.
Along with keeping the wine from getting too hot or too cold, the position of your bottles matters. Some red wines will need to be packed upside down to keep the cork wet and the sediment from settling. You should also avoid opening a bottle of wine immediately after moving. It needs at least seven days to adjust as it has been shocked.
Label "Fragile" on the Boxes
You want to make sure the movers treat your wine bottles and glasses with care. Label the outside of each box with "Fragile" stickers to ensure they understand it's necessary to treat those boxes with extra care.
Use these tips to better pack your wine bottles and glasses for moving. If you're unsure or you just want to make sure everything arrives safely, hire a professional moving company to pack your items, move them and unpack for you.
Chicago Moving Specialists