Moving delicate items from one place to another is complicated enough, but when those delicate items are glass bottles filled with precious liquor or wine, the task can seem overwhelming. If you are doing the packing yourself, take a deep breath and get a few friends to help. Promise them a drink when you arrive in your new place, and you'll likely have a few volunteers. Here are a few tips for keeping bottles intact during a move:
- Go through your inventory and weed out anything you don't need to bring. Bottles are heavy, so moving anything unnecessary will be a waste of energy. Perhaps you'll want to throw a going-away party and your friends can help you finish off near-empty bottles.
- Ask your local wine or liquor store for boxes with cardboard dividers, which they should give to you for free. Otherwise, purchase divided boxes from your local moving or shipping company. This type of box usually holds one dozen 750-ml bottles. Remember, smaller boxes are best for heavy items, so you don't pull your back out trying to lift them.
- Make sure your boxes are well-secured. Reinforce the bottoms with tape and/or cardboard.
- For odd-shaped bottles, you can place them in a milk crate or large plastic container with handles.
- Make sure bottles that have been opened are capped and/or corked tightly. If a cap seems loose, you may want to wrap that bottle separately in a plastic bag and secure the top with a rubber band.
- Wrap bottles tightly in sheets of newspaper or packing paper. For valuable bottles, do not use newspaper--the ink can stain the label on the bottle. Secure wrapping with tape before placing bottles inside the box.
- Write "fragile glass" prominently on the box so that when you or your movers transport the box, extra caution is taken. The last thing you want at your new home is a big spill on the floor that reeks of Kahlua. You may also want to write "booze" on the box so that you can easily find it and open it first!
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