How to pack a laundry room for moving

Laundry rooms are frequently used and greatly needed – especially in the weeks prior to a house move when laundry tends to accumulate rather quickly and every clothing item that will be taken to the new home needs to be washed and dried. It is, therefore, only natural that the laundry room will be among the last rooms to be packed for moving.

Fortunately, laundry rooms are easy to pack – they’re small and there isn’t really much in them – so you’ll be able to complete the task quickly and get everything ready in time for your move.

If you’re taking your laundry appliances with you, however, packing the laundry room won’t be that simple – you’ll need to take proper care of the washer and dryer, so the process will take longer and will require more effort on your part. And if you have a lot of small items in your laundry room – clutter collects easily in such out-of-the-way places – the packing challenge will become even greater. You need to know exactly what to do and how to do it in order to complete the job in a safe and timely manner.

Here is how to pack a laundry room for moving – quickly, efficiently, and correctly.

Declutter the laundry room

As always when packing for moving, your first step should be to declutter the space, decide what you’re going to move to your new home, and get rid of the things you’re not taking with you.

Start with the big stuff:

• Are the washer and dryer yours and if so, are you planning to take them to your new place?
• Is there any shelving, cabinetry, or other furniture (like a table for folding clothes, for example) that you’ll be moving to your new home?

Then, consider the smaller items – laundry baskets, ironing boards, hangers, lint brushes, wall decor, etc. Decide what is worth taking and leave behind damaged and worn-out items – you can easily replace them after the move.

Go through all the things stored in your laundry room – old or rarely used clothes, extra linens and towels, clothing accessories, sewing supplies, cleaning supplies, and all sorts of miscellaneous items.  Figure out which of them you really need and want to keep and get rid of everything else before the move – the less stuff you relocate, the cheaper and simpler your relocation will be.

Related: How to get rid of things when moving house

Keep in mind that your movers won’t move any hazardous materials (such as detergents, bleach, cleaners, etc.), so unless you can transport them to your new home yourself (which is only practical when you’re moving short distance), you should not pack them for moving – use them up, give them to friends or neighbors, or just dispose of them before the move.

See also: What not to pack when moving – non-allowable items

Set aside the laundry room items you can use as packing containers

Laundry baskets, bins, and hampers can serve as free packing containers – they can hold all kinds of non-breakable, lightweight items (like clothes, linen, pillows, stuffed toys, etc.) and help you save both money and space on your move:

• You will pack some of your belongings in your laundry baskets, so you will need to buy fewer packing boxes and will, therefore, spend less money on packing supplies;
• You will maximize space by moving some of your items inside other items (bins and hampers) that need to be moved to your new home.

So, you don’t need to wonder how to pack laundry baskets and hampers for moving, but how to pack as many of your items as possible inside them. (Make sure you cover the packed items with a large towel or sheet to keep them clean and safely contained in their improvised packing container. Alternatively, you can wrap the entire basket in stretch wrap to keep your items secured in place and protect them against dust, dirt, and moisture.)

The laundry room trash can (which is typically only used for dryer lint and scraps of clothes’ packaging materials) can also be used as a moving container – you can transport some cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, dryer sheet packs, sets of mesh bags, and other similar items in it.

See also: Packing materials for moving you already own

Pack all the smaller laundry room items first

Before you can pack any laundry appliances and furnishings, you need to empty them, take everything off them, and get any miscellaneous items out of the way.

• Pack like items together;
• Pack heavier items in small boxes;
• Add plenty of cushioning inside the moving boxes to prevent the items inside them from shifting around during transit;
• Seal the cartons well and label them with their contents and any necessary handling instructions;
• Place very small items (like clothespins) in sealable plastic bags before packing them in boxes;
• Stack hangers one on top of the other, secure them with rubber bands, and wrap them in an old sheet (See also: How to pack hangers for moving);
• Make sure sewing kits are properly sealed and pack them in small moving boxes together with other non-breakable items.

Finally, turn your attention to your laundry supplies. As already mentioned above, your movers won’t load them on the moving truck for safety reasons, so you need to either dispose of any remaining laundry products or transport them in your car (if you’re driving to your new home).

It’s best not to move any liquids and chemicals, but if you want to take your laundry soap, fabric softener, stain remover, spray starch, or any other laundry essentials with you, you need to pack them with utmost care, so they don’t spill during transit – place each container in a sealable bag, arrange the sealed containers in a plastic bin (they need to remain upright at all times, so be sure to immobilize them in the packing box), close the plastic bin and secure the lid with packing tape. (See also: How to pack liquids for moving)

Avoid moving laundry products that have already been open, bleach, and other hazardous liquids.

Prepare your washing machine for moving

If you’re going to take your washing machine to your new home, you need to get it ready for shipping:

• Empty and clean the washer. Run a normal wash cycle with an empty load and no detergent or use a cleaning cycle if your machine has that option;
• Completely drain the water from your washing machine;
• Turn off your washer and unplug it from the electric system. Tape the disconnected electrical cord to the back of the machine;
• With the help of slip-joint pliers, disconnect the supply hoses from the water supply (empty any remaining water in a bucket) and from the washing machine;
• Secure the drain hose to the washer with plastic wrap;
• Leave the door (or lid) of your washing machine open for 24 hours so the drum can dry out completely;
• Install transit bolts to keep the drum suspension stabilized and safe during the move;
• Secure the door (or lid) with plastic wrap;
• Wrap the washer in moving blankets to protect it from dents and scratches during the relocation.

You can find more detailed information on how to pack and move a washing machine here.

Good to know: Preparing a washing machine for moving is not a simple task, so it may be better to leave it to the professionals – your chosen movers will have the specialized equipment, technical know-how, and rich experience to handle the job in the safest and most efficient way possible.

Get your dryer ready for moving

Clothes dryers are much lighter and much easier to pack and to move than washing machines. Yet, you still need to be very careful, especially with gas dryers:

• If you have an electric dryer, unplug it from the electrical system and secure the cord to the back of the appliance with packing tape or stretch wrap;
• If you have a gas dryer, turn off the gas, secure the gas line with a gas line cap, disconnect the hose and store it inside the dryer drum;
• Disconnect the metal dryer vent house and store it inside the dryer drum;
• Wrap your dryer in moving blankets.

Pack the iron and the ironing board

Packing your iron(s) and ironing board(s) for moving will take very little time and effort:

• Coil the iron cord, wrap it with a Velcro tie, and secure it to the iron with packing tape;
• If you keep the original box your iron came in, place the iron in it. If not, find a sturdy box of similar size;
• Fill any remaining space with crumpled packing paper (or wadded newspaper), bubble wrap, old towels, or any other appropriate padding materials to prevent the iron from moving around the box during transit;
• Seal and label the box;
• Empty all the water from your laundry steamer, coil the electrical cord, secure it with a zip tie, tape it to the steamer, and pack the device in a small, sturdy box with plenty of cushioning inside;
• Close your ironing board and wrap it in plastic wrap to protect it from dust and dirt and to keep it from accidentally opening during the move.

If you have a collapsible drying rack, it should also be packed and moved in the folded position so it takes up as little space as possible. Secure the collapsed rack with packing tape or rope so it doesn’t open during transit.

Take care of the laundry room furnishings

Lastly, you need to prepare any laundry room furnishings you’re taking to your new home for moving:

• Roll area rugs and floor mats and tie them up. Wrap more delicate rugs in Kraft paper to keep them well protected during the move;
• Fold curtains, arrange them in a large cardboard box lined with packing paper, place a sheet of paper on top of the curtains and seal the box;
• Pack lamps and light bulbs together with the other lighting fixtures in your home;
• Break down shelving units, place the hardware in a sealable plastic bag, and secure it to one of the larger pieces;
• Get any chairs, stools, and tables in your laundry room ready for shipment.

The above laundry room packing tips will help you get your washing space ready for moving in a quick and efficient manner and will ensure that your laundry items arrive at your new home safe and ready for use. Good luck with your relocation!