Bathroom Packing Guide

Bathrooms are often fairly simple to pack up. Most of the furniture is going to stay put—unless you have a fancy and expensive smart toilet—and a lot of the items in it are consumables such as medications and toiletries. With that in mind, where do you begin?

Declutter

This is the perfect time to purge your collection of partially finished shampoo bottles that have piled up because you always run out of conditioner first. Because toiletries often add a lot of weight to a box, getting rid of as many of these items as you are willing to part with can save you money during your move. It may even be cheaper to buy new items when you arrive at your new home than it is to transport your old ones. Here are some more tips for decluttering your bathroom:

• Use up or clean out and discard items with small amounts of product left.
• Toss out any expired cosmetics. Be careful with things like nail polish—the EPA considers nail polish to be household hazardous waste (HHW), so it needs to be disposed of properly at a local HHW facility.
• Any usable but unwanted products and appliances should be donated. You could also check with your friends and family first to see if they want them.
• If unopened or expensive products are in good condition, consider selling them online or donating them to a local shelter.
• Take all of your expired or unused prescriptions back to your pharmacist for proper disposal. Check with your pharmacy first to see if they accept unused prescriptions.

Prep & Packing Materials

Now that you have a rough idea of how much stuff you’ll be bringing with you, you can gather up your supplies. You will need:

• Boxes—if you have a lot of liquids, you may want to use plastic bins instead of boxes 
• Plastic bags for liquids
• Cushioning material like bubble wrap and packing paper
• Packing and masking tape
• Pens and pencils
• Writing paper or a notepad for making inventory lists

Get Packing

With all your packing materials in reach, it’s time to set up your packing station and get down to business:

• If you have any electronics or appliances, make sure you pack them with all their parts. Drain any liquids (for instance, remove the water from oral irrigators), put their cords and attachments in a labelled bag, and tape it to the item or pack it in the same box.
• Towels are relatively light, but they can be bulky, so if possible it is always good to vacuum seal them to save space. Alternately, then can be used to cushion breakables, hair dryers, and other appliances.
• Lightweight items like toilet paper can be packed into larger boxes.

Because they can be fragile, small, oddly-shaped, and sometimes heavy, toiletries require some additional consideration when packing. Here’s how to pack toiletries for moving:

• Use small boxes—toiletries can get heavy fast.
• Liquids can open or break unexpectedly. To protect the integrity of the box and your other belongings, place them inside of resealable plastic bags or tied plastic grocery bags.
• Perfumes and other glass containers should be wrapped in bubble wrap. For additional protection, after wrapping them in bubble wrap, place them in between your folded towels.
• Label boxes as “FRAGILE” and indicate which side should face up.