How to Pack Bathroom Items for Moving Long-Distance

Posted How-to / July 21, 2021
Blake Shaw

Bostonian and residential moving and packing expert. Blake Shaw enjoys bar-hopping, music, and writing insightful content.

It’s safe to say that the most important room in our homes is the bathroom. Everything starts there in the morning and ends in the evening, just before going to bed. Therefore, it’s logical that learning how to pack bathroom items for moving is vital for the relocation process, so we’ve prepared some tips on doing it right.

The First Step Is to Sort and Purge Your Bathroom Before Packing

An essential part of your relocation to-do list should be creating an inventory list of all the toiletries and other toilet essentials. Once there’s an overview of everything in your washroom, it’ll be easier to decide what to bring and what to throw out. You can sort all of the stuff into different categories, like:

  • Toiletries – hair and body products such as shampoos, conditioners, body wash, and personal hygiene products such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving cream, and alike,
  • Cosmetics and makeup – face cream, hair gel, makeup removers, and all of your makeup products,
  • Appliances – hair dryers, curling irons, straighteners, electric razors, and other electrical devices for personal maintenance,
  • Paper and cotton products – toilet paper, cotton buds, and tissues,
  • Towels and bathrobes,
  • Medicine,
  • Fragile and breakable stuff – anything made of porcelain or glass such as the soap and brush holders,
  • Deodorants and perfumes,
  • Brushes and accessories – in case you don’t have many hairbrushes, you can put them together with other accessories.

What About Cleaning Supplies and Toilet Brushes?

You may have noticed that we didn’t put cleaners and brushes on the list above, and that’s for a good reason. If you’ve wondered how do you pack cleaning supplies for moving, the answer from many cross-country movers and us would be that you don’t. Chemicals such as disinfectants, liquids, and gel cleaners are on the list of items movers won’t move because they’re flammable and can cause damage to other packages in the relocation truck.

Other cleaning supplies such as washbasins and toilet brushes are too bulky to pack and go against the rules on how to relocate efficiently. Still, luckily enough, they’re also super easy to replace. In addition, you know you have to change your toilet brush every six months, right? If you didn’t know, now is a great time to find out. It’s probably for the better if you got rid of it.

Which Toiletries Should You Not Pack When Moving?

Besides cleaning supplies, there are other items you shouldn’t have on your checklist for relocating to another state. Having the relocation tip for sorting out toiletries isn’t only good for helping you package easier, but also to see what should be thrown out. Here are some things that shouldn’t be on your bathroom packing list:

  • Anything expired – cosmetics and medicine that are past their limit can cause health and skin problems, so maybe skip on packing these for the next house,
  • Half spent or almost empty bottles and tubes – if you feel like your shampoo could give you one or two more washes, why would you bring it? Leave it for the last few days of your out of state relocation process and make sure to use up all of the nearly empty things in your washroom before relocating,
  • Everything in the suite that you haven’t touched in a while – we all have cosmetics, makeup, and beauty products that keep sitting in our toilet cabinets, waiting for the day when we’ll use them. We have news for you – if they’ve been waiting so far, they’ll continue to wait if you bring them, too. Get rid of that stuff and reduce the relocation stress that comes with packing,
  • Damaged and broken things – this is especially important for appliances like hairdryers and curling irons. If they’re malfunctioning or damaged in any way, it may be more worth replacing them with new ones as soon as you move out. It also applies to damaged and worn-out towels and bath mats because they need to be replaced at least once per year, just like a toilet brush.
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We’ve Established What Not to Pack, But How Should You Get Rid Of It?

Something to note about throwing out these items is that you shouldn’t flush cleaners and expired medicine down the toilet. Chemicals released from particular medication and cleaners could end up in the water system, directly affecting the environment and wildlife. You should also avoid throwing these directly into the trash for the same reason. You can check out the video below for regulations on throwing out medicine.

YouTube video

How to Pack Bathroom Items for Moving

Most packaging tips on how to pack toiletries for moving aren’t complicated. Everything in your washroom can be packed differently, so make sure you write down and remember relocation hacks that’ll save you time and money. Before packaging anything, the first things you need are essential packing materials, such as boxes, plastic bags and wrap for bottles, duct tape for sealing each box, and markers for labeling.

You can get relocation boxes at home, or cheap or free in certain places and establishments. Additionally, look up the best kinds of packing paper to secure the more delicate and fragile things in your washroom inventory. Getting ready for a move isn’t an easy task, especially if you’re relocating out of state alone, so preparing the supplies and all your stuff on time can be of great help.

The Best Tips for Packing Liquids

You must be wondering, how do you pack open toiletries? As mentioned above, if the bottles and packages are almost empty, don’t pack them, but if they’ve just been recently opened, there are hacks to keep them from spilling. Take the lids off, put plastic wrap over the bottlenecks, and then put the caps back on by screwing them tightly. You can do this with full-on plastic bags, too. This hack makes for stress-free relocation since it prevents liquids from spilling all over the relocation truck.

In addition, you should let some excess air out of the bottles so that they don’t pop open under pressure during relocation. When you pack them into the box, ensure that they’re standing up straight. The usual advice is to get medium-sized boxes for everything you want packed, but having a smaller container where everything will fit tightly is a better call when it comes to toilet essentials. You may want to skip cardboard containers here, too, and opt for something leak-proof, such as plastic.

Box Up Toilet Essentials With Only One Step

The best step for packaging any toilet essentials is to utilize padding and as much of it as possible. This is where you can go for packaging paper, but other types of padding can be found in your washroom, too – towels and washcloths can do the trick just as well. Using them may even turn out for the better because they’re soft and act as the best cushions and void fillers in a box with sensitive cargo. Ensure there’s a layer of padding on the bottom of the container, too, and you should double the base with duct tape so it doesn’t collapse while loading the relocation truck.

How to Efficiently Package Makeup and Cosmetics

For makeup and smaller cosmetics containers, you should have a makeup bag or a kind of plastic packaging. Here, you’ll find some good use of plastics and paper, too – utilize them to wrap eyeshadow palettes and pressed powder so it doesn’t go loose and color the other things in the makeup bag. You can package creams, nail polish, perfumes, and other smaller items into sealable zip bags. Note that some cosmetics are sensitive to transport in different weather, so if you’re relocating in winter, for example, you’ll need to add some cushioning between each item.

Packaging Fragile Toilet Essentials Requires Some Care

Depending on the size of the fragile things that need to be packed, you can get crazy with the amount and sizes of boxes for them. Of course, the fewer boxes you package, the less effort it’ll take to load the relocation truck, and the costs of cross-country moving services will be lower. Bear that in mind when packaging, but don’t cram as many things as you can into the boxes. With breakable toilet equipment, ensure you have enough wrapping paper and towels to pad between them. Seal the containers tightly and label them as “fragile” so long-distance movers know they should handle them with care.

You Should Prepare an Essentials Kit

One of the most important things you’ll need for your first apartment is an essentials kit, which will contain everything you’ll require for the first few nights after relocating to a new home. The kit should include every washroom item you use on a daily basis – toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, toilet paper, face towel, and alike. You shouldn’t go anywhere without essential things that help you wash up and stay clean.

Besides adding toilet essentials into it, you should include other stuff that’ll make settling into the new home more manageable and less stressful. For example, there should be comfortable shoes and clothes, food that doesn’t spoil too quickly, electronics, and linens. You have the freedom to decide what’s really important for you and what you couldn’t survive without during the first couple of weeks after relocating. If you’re relocating for the first time, we hope you don’t forget to package an essentials survival kit.

Contact a Long-Distance Moving Company to Get Extra Help With Packaging

If you ask any long-distance moving expert what is the easiest way to pack when moving, their answer would be – hiring long-distance moving services. We’ve established how to prepare your washroom for relocation all by yourself, but with the assistance of cross-country moving experts, you’ll get the best packaging services without ever worrying about your stuff. Movers have the challenging task of packaging everything you ask them to, but as it’s their job, you can rest assured that they’ll do it professionally and with lots of care.

The basic relocation service also provides you with storage facilities. You can take advantage of storage services to store the stuff you don’t immediately need, free for a whole month. You also get relocation insurance, so when your fragile toilet essentials get transported, they’ll be protected until the destination. You can unpack the cosmetics, shampoos, and makeup as soon as you arrive, without worrying. Actually, you’ll only worry about how much to tip movers after they’ve helped you settle in.

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