LIOO Moving · Packing Guides
How to Pack Dishes & Glasses for Moving
Two packing mistakes cause most of the avoidable breaks: plates stacked flat and boxes with room to shift. Here is the exact sequence, box by box.
Key Takeaways
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Pack plates standing on edge in a row, like records in a crate, never in a flat stack.
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If you carry the boxes yourself, use small 1.5 cubic foot boxes and keep each under about 40 pounds.
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A dish pack is a large double-wall box. U-Haul’s measures 18 by 18 by 28 inches and is rated to hold up to 120 pounds, so a full one needs two people or a hand truck.
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Wrap dishes in plain packing paper. Printed newspaper is for cushioning only, because the ink rubs off and can embed in fine china.
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Stuff each glass with paper, wrap it, and stand it in the top layer. Never lay a glass on its side.
Step 1 The right box
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Small boxes only (1.5 cu ft). Dishes are dense — a medium box of plates is already too heavy to carry safely. If it goes over ~40 lb, split it.
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Double-walled if possible. A true dish pack (dish barrel) has thicker walls; it is worth it for a full kitchen. It is the one exception to the small-box rule: U-Haul’s Dish Barrel box measures 18 by 18 by 28 inches (5.25 cubic feet), has double walls and is labeled to hold up to 120 pounds (U-Haul Dish Barrel Box). Filled with dishes it is a two-person or hand-truck lift, so stay with small boxes if you are carrying alone. See the moving box guide for sizes and how many you need.
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Tape the bottom seam three times. One strip along the seam, two across it.
Step 2 Wrap & load plates
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Cushion the bottom with 3–4 inches of crumpled packing paper.
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Wrap each plate individually. Corner of the paper over the plate, roll and tuck. For speed you can bundle 3–4 same-size wrapped plates together with one outer sheet.
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Load plates vertically, on edge, like records in a crate. A plate on edge can take road vibration; a flat stack cracks from the bottom up. Allied Van Lines’ packing instructions say the same: wrap each piece, bundle two or three, and place the bundles in the carton in a row on edge (Allied Van Lines kitchen packing tips).
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Heaviest items lowest: plates and serving dishes on the bottom layer, bowls in the middle, glasses on top. Add a paper layer between layers.
Step 3 Glasses & stemware
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Stuff each glass with paper first, then wrap it. The inside stuffing is what saves thin glass.
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Stemware wraps twice: once around the bowl, once around the whole glass with the stem padded. Load upright, never on its side. Stand stemware on its base with the rim up. Allied Van Lines’ rim-down instruction is for cups, not stemware.
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Cell dividers help if you have them, but they don’t replace wrapping — they only stop contact.
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Fill every gap. Crumpled paper in every void, a final cushion layer on top. The gentle-shake test: if you hear movement, add paper.
Packing paper, bubble wrap or newspaper for dishes?
Plain packing paper is the right wrap for dishes. Packing paper is unprinted newsprint: it molds to each piece, crumples into cushioning and leaves nothing on the glaze. Bubble wrap is worth adding as an outer layer on stemware and thin or heirloom pieces, but it is bulky, so each box holds fewer dishes. Printed newspaper is for cushioning only. North American Van Lines warns never to place newspaper against items, because the ink rubs off and can become embedded in fine china (North American Van Lines, Pack Like a Pro). Dish towels and linens work as gap filler between wrapped bundles.
What the pros do differently
Professional dish packers get their speed from setup, not shortcuts: a clear counter as a wrapping station, a stack of paper, and one box for one cabinet at a time so unpacking stays sane. Label every box with the room and contents (“Kitchen — everyday plates”). If the kitchen is large, fragile-heavy, or you are short on time, professional packing brings coverage on what the crew packs. Under LIOO’s Terms of Service, boxes you pack yourself are excluded from damage claims, while boxes the crew packs fall under released valuation: a basic liability of 60 cents per pound per item, not insurance. For the rest of the house, start with the full packing guide and the supplies checklist.
Common questions
Should plates be packed flat or on edge?
On edge, always. Plates loaded vertically like records absorb road vibration; flat stacks concentrate weight on the bottom plate and crack.
What box should I use for dishes?
A small (1.5 cu ft) heavy-duty box if you are carrying it alone, or a double-walled dish pack, a larger box of about 5 cu ft that takes two people once full. Keep a box you carry alone under about 40 pounds and tape the bottom seam three times.
Do cell dividers replace wrapping glasses?
No. Dividers stop glass-to-glass contact but each glass still needs paper stuffed inside and a wrap around it.
LIOO’s packing crews pack full kitchens with dish barrels, paper, and labeled boxes — billed hourly, quoted in writing. Tell us the home size and how much is fragile.