How To Pack Clothes For Moving
Clothes are one of the easiest categories to overcomplicate. A few practical methods save real time and box space compared to folding everything into standard boxes one item at a time.
Hanging clothes: skip the individual folding entirely
Instead of taking garments off hangers, folding them, and rehanging everything at the new place, bundle groups of hanging items together — roughly 10 to 15 at a time — and pull a large trash bag or contractor bag up over them from the bottom, with the hanger hooks sticking out the top. Secure the hooks together with a rubber band or zip tie so they don’t slip out during transport. Wardrobe boxes, which include a hanging bar, work the same way if you’d rather not use bags.
Dresser drawers: often don’t need to be emptied at all
For a standard dresser, folded clothes can often stay right in the drawers. Movers typically remove each drawer individually, transport it separately, and replace it at the new location — check with your mover whether this applies to your specific piece, since very heavy or fragile furniture sometimes needs drawers emptied first to reduce weight.
Suitcases and duffel bags: use what you already have
Before buying extra boxes, use your own luggage. Suitcases with wheels are especially good for heavier items like jeans, shoes, and sweaters, since the wheels make them easier to move than an equivalent box.
Fold versus roll
- Roll — best for t-shirts, gym clothes, and pajamas. Rolling saves space and reduces wrinkles compared to folding.
- Fold — better for structured or heavier items like jeans and thick sweaters, which hold their shape better folded and stacked than rolled.