Moving with small appliances such as an electric grill, coffee maker, blender, toaster, microwave, food processor, mixer, fryer or rice cooker seems easy on the surface, but it can actually be quite challenging to handle these oddly shaped electronics. That’s why we recommend you follow the below tips and procedures for packing kitchen appliances to ensure that these fragile items make it to your new home in one piece.
Clean and dry the small appliances
Before packing small appliances, make sure they are clean and dry. This means emptying the crumbs out of the toaster, making sure your juicer is free of any orange peels, and so on.
Disassemble each part of the appliances
After you have thoroughly cleaned out the inside of your appliances, they are ready to be packed. You should start by carefully removing any detachable parts from the main part of the appliance. For example, the glass tray inside of the microwave should be removed to prevent the glass from shattering during transit. You should also check out our tips for packing a microwave for more info.
Gather necessary packing materials
If you have the original packaging for any of your small appliances, use it; this is the best way to keep your appliances safe during your move. But if you don't have the original packaging, get some packing materials such as:
- Small-to-medium-sized boxes
- A stack of packing paper
- A roll of packing tape
- A permanent marker
Wrapping and packing small appliances
Here's the right way to pack small appliances:
- Prepare the box: Take a regular moving box and prepare it by placing a layer of crushed packing paper in the bottom of the box as cushioning.
- Tape the box properly: Reinforce the bottom seal of your box with packing tape to make sure it's strong enough to withstand the move.
- Wrap the appliances individually: Use packing paper to wrap the small appliances. If the appliance is heavy, like a microwave, wrap it in two to three sheets of plain packing paper. If necessary, secure the paper with packing tape. Place the wrapped item at the bottom of the box. Remember, heavier items should always go at the bottom of the box.
Place the packed appliances into boxes
If you're packing multiple appliances into a single box, don't force items in because doing so will make them much more likely to break. Any additional room in the box should be filled with crushed packing paper to prevent the contents from shifting around while in transit. Then, add one final layer of packing paper on top of everything as cushioning.
Seal and label the packed small appliances boxes
Finally, seal the boxes with packing tape and label them with their contents and destination (e.g., kitchen). Now they're ready to go on the truck!
No matter how well you prepare and pack your kitchen appliances, it's always a smart idea to hire professional movers to handle it for you.