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How To Pack Clothes For Moving

Looking for the best way to pack clothes for moving? We can help. Whether you have a tiny closet’s worth of clothes or much much more (and let’s face it – most of us do), we’ve got the tips you need in order to successfully move your clothes to a new home. From delicate pieces and hanging clothes to your shoes, hats and accessories, each item requires its own packing strategy. Below, you’ll find our expert guide to packing clothes for moving. This step-by-step approach covers: what to do before you start packing, clothing packing methods, how to sort through your clothes, the best ways to fold clothes, how to move hanging clothes, how to pack clothes in different kinds of boxes and more basic moving tips. For advice on the most efficient way to pack, keep reading.

Things to do before packing your clothes

Assess your closet – Before you begin packing clothes for moving, assess your closet. Take a good look at your clothing, shoes, hats, bags and other accessories. Which items are worth packing and which items do you no longer want or need? In order to fully assess your closet, try hanging all clothes on hangers in front of you. Take folded clothes out of drawers and place them on your bed. This will give you a better picture of what you actually own.
Decide what to keep, what to donate and what to sell – To keep or not to keep: that is the question. After taking a long hard look at your closet items, it’s time to divide everything into three piles: keep, donate and sell. To help you decide what to keep and what to toss, we recommend asking yourself several questions: Have you worn this item in the last year? Is the item still in style? Does the item fit you properly? Is it still in good condition? If the answer to these questions is a resounding no, then place the article in either the donation pile or sell pile.
Donate gently-used closet items – Now it’s time to start purging your closet. Begin by taking all gently-used clothing, shoes and accessories in your donation pile to the nearest Goodwill or Salvation Army. Have a large pile that won’t fit in your car? Many of these charities also offer pick-up services free of charge. Just be sure to obtain a tax-deductible donation receipt from the charity when donating household goods.
Sell closet items that are still trendy or recent – Looking to make a little extra money on your clothing items? Try selling them online, hosting a yard sale or dropping them at a consignment store. Online marketplaces for used closet items include Poshmark, Mercari, ThredUP, eBay and Craigslist. Hosting a yard sale is another great way to sell your used household goods and clothing. Use this yard sale checklist when planning one in your neighborhood. Local consignment stores are a third option for selling your used clothing. Consignment stores handle everything from pricing the item to selling it. Keep in mind, though, that they also share in the profits.
Store sentimental closet items – Not ready to part with certain sentimental clothing items? Try storing them in a self-storage unit. From your wedding dress to those off-beat vintage items, some closet pieces are too important to donate or sell. Even though you might not wear them on a daily basis, you’d still prefer to keep them in your possession. For help finding a safe, secure and climate-controlled storage unit, try com’s Storage Center to compare quotes from storage unit facilities near your new home.
Wash or dry-clean clothing – Prior to packing your hanging clothes and folding clothes, we highly recommend washing everything as thoroughly as possible. Packing dirty clothes with clean clothes will only make all of your clothes stinky. Not to mention, if any of your clothes are damp, you can expect plenty of mildew problems. Making sure everything is properly washed and dried prior to packing will prevent this from becoming a problem when moving clothes.

Clothing packing methods and moving supplies

Purging your closet of unused and unnecessary clothing items is the first step towards moving clothes. After you’ve decided what to keep, you’ll need to start thinking about how you plan to move these closet items. You can start prepping for the move by gathering necessary closet moving supplies. Here are the main items you will need when packing clothes for a move.

Cardboard boxes – These boxes will be used for packing folded clothing. Fortunately, you can find them just about anywhere. From online stores and marketplaces to big box stores and local recycling centers, there’s no shortage of cardboard boxes. For advice on where to find free cardboard boxes, check here.
Wardrobe boxes – Wardrobe boxes will come in handy when packing clothes on hangers and items that wrinkle easily. These specialty moving boxes can typically be found on Amazon.com and in Lowe’s stores.
Suitcases – Suitcases are an excellent, low-cost way to pack folded clothing, shoes and more. If you already have suitcases, we highly recommend using them during your next move.
Duffel bags – Have duffel bags in your closet already? These small bags are a great way to pack folded clothes and shoes. Just be sure to roll your clothes when using duffel bags to move.
Vacuum or compression bags – These reusable storage bags are a great way to condense clothing items while also protecting them from the elements. You can purchase vacuum and compression bags from a number of stores including Target and Walmart.

Other moving supplies that may come in handy when packing and moving clothing items include: garment bags, packing paper, hat boxes, plastic bins, shoe boxes and plastic baggies.

In addition to using the right supplies, here are 5 more packing methods and tips for prepping for the move.

Keep clothing on hangers
Keep folded clothes in dresser drawers
Line suitcases and cardboard boxes with packing paper
Reuse old shoe boxes
Protect jewelry with plastic baggies

How to sort through your clothes

After gathering moving supplies and strategizing packing methods, it’s time to start sorting through all the clothes you plan to move. Sorting closet items into categories is one of the best ways to keep everything as organized as possible throughout the move. As you begin to sort through your clothes, use one of these four categories.

Sort by material – Prefer to sort your clothes by material? Try dividing them into several different material categories. Examples include cotton items, silk items, linen items, denim items, wool items, cashmere items, etc. This will certainly make doing laundry in the future much easier.
Sort by season – Sorting clothes by season not only helps you stay organized during a move but also prevents clutter from accumulating after the move. For instance, if you move in the winter, you’ll only need to unpack cold weather garments. Summer, spring and fall clothing can remain packed inside boxes and possibly stored inside a storage unit. This will keep your closet clutter-free in the future.
Sort by pieces – Prefer to pack by item? Try sorting your closet by pieces. This means packing pants with pants, shirts with shirts, shorts with shorts, etc. Once you move, this will make it easier to find certain clothing pieces and will also make the unpacking process much more efficient.
Keep everything separated for each person – Moving with a family? It’s important to keep everyone’s closet items separate. Each person in the family should have their own labeled boxes and supplies. Sorting by person will make packing and unpacking an easier experience for everyone.

How to fold non-hanging clothes

Once your clothing has been sorted, you can start the folding process for all non-hanging clothes. In other words: any clothing that isn’t being moved on a hanger will need to be folded neatly and placed inside a moving box or suitcase. There are several folding methods to choose from when packing clothes for moving. While some are more efficient than others, the decision of how exactly to fold your clothes is up to you. Here are 3 helpful methods to consider.

The flat fold – Without a doubt, the flat fold method is the simplest, most traditional way to fold clothing when moving. To fold a shirt using the flat method, lie it face down and flat on the floor. Fold one side of the shirt and sleeve in towards the middle of the shirt, lie it down and smooth out any wrinkles. Repeat on the other side. Once both sides have been folded in, fold the bottom half of the shirt up. Smooth out any wrinkles. Pants should be first folded with one leg over the other. From there, fold in thirds and smooth out wrinkles.
Military rolling method – This is perhaps the most popular way to pack and move clothing. The army rolling method not only maximizes space in your boxes but also prevents items from becoming wrinkled while in transit. To properly roll a shirt, first lie it flat on a hard surface. Take the bottom few inches of the shirt and flip them inside out. Next, fold the sleeves inwards and lie them on the shirt. Then, fold half the shirt so that it touches the middle. Take the other half of the shirt and fold it on top of the first half. Next, starting at the top of the shirt, begin rolling it down as tightly as possible. Once the shirt is rolled up, you will notice a pouch at the bottom where you flipped the bottom of the shirt inside out. Take that pouch and fold it over the rolled up shirt. This will keep it all in place during the move. Of course, you can always do a more casual roll, which involves simply rolling the item as tightly as possible and placing it inside a box or bag.
The KonMari method – If you’re looking to join the KonMari craze, try using the organizer’s folding methods highlighted in this video below.

hanging clothes to move. From dresses and pants to blouses and collared shirts, most people have at least two or more racks of hanging clothing in their closets. Fortunately, there are a number of strategies to help you successfully move and store hanging clothes. Below, we’ve rounded up five easy ways to transport clothes to your new home.

Use a clothing rack to move clothes. Thankfully, these are easy to find and easy to assemble. All you have to do is order a portable clothing rack, such as this one from Bed, Bath and Beyond. These clothing racks also come with wheels attached to make maneuvering in and out of the home easier.
Use garment bags to protect clothing. When moving hanging clothes, it’s all too easy for them to get dirty or damaged. To properly protect your clothes, try using garment bags when transporting them from one home to another. Covers typically cost anywhere from $10 to $40. You can also find free, plastic garment bags at the local dry cleaners.
Of course, you can always use wardrobe boxes. Though pricier than a simple garment bag or trash bag, these wardrobe boxes are specifically designed to transport hanging clothes. The hanger bar makes it easy to hang any type of clothing inside, while the corrugated cardboard box protects the clothes from the elements.
Use a simple cardboard box to move hanging clothes. If you’re in a hurry to move and don’t mind ironing out a few wrinkles once you arrive at the new home, then consider a plain old cardboard box. All you’ll have to do is take the clothing off the hangers, fold everything neatly and place them inside.
Looking for a low-budget way to move your hanging clothing? Try large, drawstring trash bags. This DIY option is a low-cost way to successfully move all of your hanging clothes. To pack your hanging clothes inside of a trash bag, slip them inside while holding onto the hangers and tighten the drawstrings around the hanger hooks. Make sure to tie and secure the hooks together outside the bag. You can also cut a small hole at the bottom of the trash bag and place the clothing inside with the hangers towards the bottom of the bag. Once the hanger hooks are through the hole at the bottom of the bag, tie and secure them with a rubber band or string. To keep everything together, tie the drawstrings at the top. For a visualization of how to move your hanging clothes with a trash bag, check out this video below.

moving your shoes can be quite the ordeal if you’re not prepared. Not to mention, shoes (especially 10 plus pairs of them) can be very heavy. Here’s some helpful advice on packing and moving shoes.

Still have shoe boxes in your closet? Try packing shoes inside their original boxes. Reusing these boxes is an excellent way to pack everything from high heels and sandals to sneakers and slippers. To keep the shoes boxes closed while moving, tie them shut or use a large rubber band to secure the top to the bottom.
Don’t have the original boxes? Fortunately, you can find clear, plastic shoe boxes at the Container Store for $2. These boxes provide protection for your shoes while moving. They can also be reused after the move to organize and store shoes in a closet.
Shoe bags are another good alternative to traditional shoe boxes. They provide protection while also being extremely easy to travel with, thanks to their convenient drawstrings.
Protect shoes with packing paper. Whether you’re packing them in a shoe box or bag, we recommend wrapping one shoe at a time in packing paper. Stuff the inside of the shoe as well to help maintain its shape while in transit.
Fill the empty space inside shoe boxes with foam peanuts, newspaper, washcloths or dish rags. This extra protection will not only keep your shoes from shifting while they’re being transported to the new home, but will also prevent them from getting scuffed up. For more advice on packing shoes, watch this video below.

Ready to get packing?

Try ordering moving boxes and packing supplies directly through Moving.com. We’ve partnered with multiple vendors to save you time and money when it comes to getting your packing supplies in order. Prefer to hire professionals to pack and move your clothes? Fortunately, Moving.com’s extensive network of reputable and reliable movers also makes it easy to find the best moving company for the job. By choosing a Moving.com mover, you can rest assured that your clothing and other closet items will be in good hands. Best of luck and happy moving!