How to pack clothes for moving

A wardrobe box is a tall carton with a metal rail across the top, so clothes hang inside exactly as they do in a wardrobe. Suits, dresses, coats, lined jackets and anything in linen or silk go in one. The point is not protection: it is that hanging clothes arrive ready to wear rather than needing a day with an iron. Most wardrobe boxes hold about two feet of rail, which is roughly 15 to 20 hanging garments.

Folded clothing in a chest of drawers can usually stay where it is, provided the drawers are secured and the piece can still be carried. Tape the drawers shut with painter's tape rather than packing tape, which lifts veneer. Anything heavy comes out first: books, tools and papers in a drawer turn a liftable chest into a two-person job and put load on joints that were not built for it. Ask your mover, since some will not carry a loaded chest.

Shoes go in their own boxes, not loose among clothing. A shoe carries dirt from wherever it was last worn, and a sole against a folded shirt in a warm truck leaves a mark that does not always come out. Stuff each shoe with paper to hold its shape, wrap pairs together, and pack them flat rather than on their sides. Boots stand upright with paper to the ankle.

Wash and dry anything going into storage or a long transit, because damp fabric in a sealed box grows mildew within days and the smell is difficult to remove. For a same-week local move it matters less. Never pack anything still damp from a wash, and do not use vacuum bags for anything with a natural fibre going into long storage, since compressed wool and down do not always recover.

Overfilled boxes, mostly. Clothes are light, so a large box of clothing feels manageable until it is lifted from the floor, and the bottom seam is what fails. Use medium boxes for folded clothing and keep the large ones for duvets and pillows. The second common mistake is packing shoes and clothes together, and the third is sealing anything damp.