Packing up a kitchen is tedious, but you must do it when relocating. Many items are fragile, heavy, bulky, or just in volume. To simplify the job, consider downsizing to cut the clutter and make your packing easier. Here are seven kitchen items not worth packing when making a residential move.
1. Refrigerator and Freezer Items
While it might cross your mind to stock a few coolers with ice and haul refrigerator and freezer items to your new place, it’s not worth the time, money, or effort. So, in the weeks before your move, make meal plans based on the perishables you have left. You can even find recipes based on what you already have. This way, you save money, create less waste, and make your move easier.
2. Expired Pantry Foods
Chances are, if you’re like most people, you have a wide variety of foods left in your pantry. Try to eat these with your perishables to lighten the load. As you go through your stock, throw out any boxed, jarred, canned, or bagged items that have expired. While some things may still be good, they aren’t worth hauling.
3. Mismatched Dishes and Mugs
If you have multiple shelves filled with mismatched dishes and mugs, now is the time to consider downsizing by donating good items or discarding ones that are broken or too chipped to donate. This will lighten your load. Keep a few favorites if necessary, but let go of the extras. Start fresh by treating yourself to new unbroken sets after your move.
4. Unused Small Appliances
Do you have an old waffle maker you never use? An old, slow-cooker without the ability to remove the ceramic cooking part for cleaning? Other once-trendy small appliances now sitting on shelves, taking up space and collecting dust? If so, moving is the perfect excuse to permit yourself to let them go. Make your move easier by donating, gifting, or selling unused small appliances.
5. Old Dishcloths, Dishtowels, and Potholders
Instead of folding old dishcloths and dishtowels for reuse in your new home, plan to repurpose them by using them as cleaning rags or packing materials. No need to carefully pack worn or stained dishcloths. And do you want dingy potholders in your new kitchen? Plan to discard ones that are old, worn, stained, or have burn spots, and gift yourself new ones.
6. Duplicate Cooking Utensils
There’s a good chance you’ve accumulated dozens of cooking utensils over the years. If you have two or more sets of measuring cups, spoons, whisks, spatulas, or other items, consider giving them away, selling them, or donating them. You probably don’t need the excess and can use the extra space.
7. Junk Drawer Items
Junk drawers are probably the hardest to purge because items in these drawers are often ones you think you need but never do. Or they’re filled with takeout menus and other items that probably won’t get used if you’re moving to a new location. A good rule of thumb is to go through the junk drawer and toss items not used in the last year.
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