How to pack food and perishables

There are many things that you need to think and worry about when packing for a move. This process often takes up most of your time, because there is just so much to do. From picking out the things that you will need in your new home, to getting the materials, to actually packing your stuff – you might be surprised to find out that you just left something behind. This is one of the reasons why moving checklist is such an important thing to create when moving. On that list, however, there is one thing that you need to pay special attention to. These are the special type of items – which include food and similar stuff. In this article, find out how to pack food and perishables for your move.

Some movers will refuse to pack food and perishables completely

There are some things you need to realize when it comes to packing food and perishable items. Some movers will simply refuse to transport them to your location. The reason for that is that food can easily go bad during transport. When you are moving to Florida with a family, especially from across the country, it might take a few days for the truck to reach your destination. A lot can happen during that time – and the food can spoil because of the heat. This is why it usually takes special care and preparation to transport these items.

Due to this fact, a lot of movers will advise that you plan to use up all your food before the move. This is why it’s important to plan for the move a couple of months in advance. It will give you ample time to consider just how much food you have left in your fridge and your freezer, and figure out how to deal with all of it. The trouble, however, can occur when you need to pack on short notice.

If you want to move your food when the moving day arrives, then you need to talk to your moving company. They will probably have some special tips on how you can pack food and perishables – if they even are willing to move such items. In case they do, what is it that you need to know?

Dry foods are easy to pack

Let’s start with the easiest thing – dry foods. These are your regular boxes of dried food like rice, macaroni, and cereals. You can also include all your powdered food as well into this. They don’t contain much (or any) liquid so it can get tough for them to go bad. Because of this, they are the least “dangerous” items you can pack during a move. You can even ask your movers for packing services or some useful tips that can help you.

When you pack food and perishables for your move, you will pack accordingly to what type of food they are. Dry items are easiest to pack – all you need is just some good tape. Simply seal their boxes well and make sure that nothing can burst or rip them open. This way, you secured your first food package.

If you also have some herbs and spices or condiments and flavorings, you can pack them with ease as well. Put them in a box, and then secure the box well. Of course, if these spices come in shakers, you should also seal the holes with tape. Otherwise, you might find your herb box filled up with salt!

Canned goods might be the best left alone

When people want to pack food and perishables for a move, they often consider canned goods as a safe bet for transport. After all, as long as you don’t open you can, these can survive without going bad for a couple of months, right? This is true, but there are other things that you need to consider here.

First, when you want to pack canned goods, you need to be very careful about how you do it. You can stack the cans easily, and then put them in a secure box. Also, make sure you add a lot of padding. The goal here is not to let anything press on the cans too hard. Some of them might be quite sturdy – but others can bend easily, and leave you with a bad surprise when you start unpacking.

However, the more important thing to consider when moving cans is how much that will cost you. When you are preparing a relocation budget, you might notice that the heavier things tend to cost more to move. And as we all know from our shopping sprees, cans can get quite heavy. So, the main question you need to ask yourself is what is cheaper – moving the cans you have, or just getting a new supply after the move?

Evade frozen goods when you pack foods and perishables for the move

When it comes to frozen foods, there is a high chance that your movers won’t move them. This is because it is not advisable to transport these items in an unplugged appliance. Basically, you will need a special type of temperature-controlled truck to move your frozen food – so your company might need to work with a third party.

However, this might not always be the case. When you pack food and perishables for the move, a lot of what you can and cannot bring will depend on the moving company itself. So, make sure you contact your movers early in the moving process. Only then can you plan for the move carefully, and avoid any unexpected things!