When moving to a new home, it’s easy to leave packing your clothes until the last minute—especially if you need to prioritize moving large, heavy items like furniture or books first. If you’re wondering where to begin, here are some tips for how to pack clothes when moving!
Declutter Your Closet
Before you begin packing your clothes, take time to assess your entire closet and choose what to keep or discard. Decluttering your clothes will save you time and energy in the long run, because you’ll have less to actually transport and less to unpack at your new home. Once you decide which clothes you don’t need anymore, decide what to do with your decluttered items—such as having a garage sale or donating your clothes to charity.
Wash Your Clothes
Before packing your clothes, treat any stains, wash everything, and have pieces repaired as needed so they stay fresh and ready to wear at your new home. To prevent mildew growth, make sure to let each piece dry completely before tucking clothes into their moving boxes. You can also get some sachets or dryer sheets to pack with your clothing to keep things smelling fresh—particularly if you’ll be packing any boxes for long-term clothes storage.
Gather the Right Moving Supplies
Before you officially pack your clothes, shoes, accessories, and other belongings, it’s important to ensure you have the appropriate moving supplies to keep your items secure while moving.
Some of the moving supplies you may need to gather include:
- Standard moving boxes: Use small to medium cardboard moving boxes for easier carrying.
- Packing tape: To best protect your boxes from damage or ripping, use packing tape to secure them.
- Wardrobe boxes: Wardrobe boxes are best for moving or storing hanging clothes, since they come with a clothes bar inside.
- Packing paper: Use packing paper to add an extra layer of protection for delicate items like silk and beaded clothing. You can also use it to fill empty spaces between shoes and other accessories.
- Garment bags: Use these bags for hanging delicate clothing like jackets, dresses, and suits.
- Vacuum-sealed or compression bags: These bags are perfect for storing bulky clothing items like winter jackets and sweaters.
- Plastic bins: Plastic bins can help protect your clothing from pest or moisture damage, making them useful for long-distance moving.
- Duffel bags & suitcases: One of the most common ways to pack clothing, these are effective for saving space and reducing risk of wrinkles.
- Trash bags: Plastic trash bags are a budget-friendly and easy method for moving your clothes.
Sort Clothing by Category
Sorting clothing before packing it can save you a significant amount of time and effort during the unpacking process. Start by separating your clothing based on family member and season, then organize it based on its type or purpose. For example, you could separate your exercise wear from your everyday clothing or business wear. Then, create piles of similar items and match a moving box with the size of the pile for efficient moving box organization. Larger categories may require multiple boxes.
Separate Essentials from Non-Essentials
Unpacking and organizing your home after a move can be a long process. To help save time and lower stress on moving day, set aside the clothes you plan to wear on that day before you begin packing. Then, pack any other essential clothing—along with other essential items—in a moving bag or suitcase for easier access in the days during and immediately after your move.
Fold Your Clothes
Having a method for folding and packing your clothing will save you time and space during the moving process. The best method to use may vary based on the type of clothing you have.
Here are a few of the most common ways to fold and organize clothing for packing:
- Flat Fold: The flat fold method works best for shirts and bulky items like sweaters and jeans. Lay your shirt flat on a solid surface, fold the sleeves toward the middle, and fold the bottom half of the shirt up. For pants, fold them in half so the legs overlap, and then fold lengthwise, either in half or in thirds.
- Rolling Method: The rolling method can save space and help keep clothes as wrinkle-free as possible. Simply lay the item on a flat surface, fold it in half, roll it up, and pack it.
- KonMari Method: Created by organization specialist Marie Kondo, the KonMari method—also known as the file fold—helps keep things organized and accessible while packing. Fold your items in thirds lengthwise and widthwise to make a rectangle, then pack vertically. Roll up smaller items like socks and underwear.
- Bundling: Creating clothing bundles can make the packing and unpacking process easier by grouping items together. Lay down a large item, like a jacket, then put smaller items on top. Wrap the large item around the smaller items to form a bundle.
Keep Clothes & Shoes Safe
It’s important to pack shoes separately from other clothing to prevent damage. Before you pack your shoes in your suitcase or a shoe box, be sure to clean and completely dry them. Then, stuff them with packing paper to preserve their shape during the move. Once ready for transport, pack them in their original shoe box if available—otherwise a standard box is fine. Similarly, delicate fabrics like silk or satin should be packed separately from other items. Wrapping them in tissue paper can give them an added layer of protection. When packing, try sandwiching smaller items between larger pieces of clothing, tucking the top piece to keep things from shifting. Pack efficiently by not overfilling boxes, as clothes can quickly get heavy.
Label & Organize
Labeling your moving boxes can help you keep track of your items and make the unpacking process smoother. To better organize your boxes and minimize the risk of misplacing them, try developing a labeling system that works best for you—like using color-coded labels, numbering your boxes in order of priority for unpacking, or including a brief description of the contents on each box.
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Need a place to store extra clothing or other items during your move? Extra Space Storage has storage facilities across the U.S. to help make your transition easier. Find self storage near you today!
