You have your bathroom set up just the way you like it. Maybe it’s full of fun storage hacks, which means you’ve packed it to the gills, or maybe you finally figured out what essentials you need for a minimalist look. Either way, when it’s time to move, it’s time to pack bathroom items alongside everything else.
Packing a bathroom is tricky. You’re dealing with odd-shaped items like hairdryers, open bottles and fragile containers, as well. From the plastic bottles of shampoo and conditioner down to the bath mat, here’s how to pack your bathroom and get ready for a successful move.
Empty out all cabinets and drawers
The easiest way to understand what toiletries you have to pack is to see everything all in one pile. Take all your stuff out of your bathroom cabinets, empty drawers and pull items from the shower or tub. You can lay it all on the floor in the bathroom.
From there, you can assess the number of moving boxes you’ll need, as well as any additional packing materials. Since you’ll deal with liquid hair products, glass bottles and opened plastic bottles, among other items, you’ll need a decent amount of zip-top bags to prevent spills. In addition, to start packing you’ll need packing paper, packing tape and maybe even some bubble wrap.
Don’t forget to purge
Gathering all your toiletries together to pack everything up is also the perfect time to lighten the load by throwing out items that just shouldn’t make the move with you. These include:
- Nearly empty containers of liquid hair products
- Half-used bars of soap
- Unused or broken bathroom appliances like that super-old curling iron
- Everyday makeup that’s expired or you don’t use anymore
- Expired medications (which you cannot throw in the trash)
- Grimy shower curtains or bath mats
You also won’t want to pack cleaning supplies you keep in your bathroom. They’re inexpensive to replace, you’ll need them to clean your current bathroom once you’re all packed and many contain harmful chemicals movers aren’t allowed to transport. Include your toilet brush and plunger in this group, too, since they can contain germs and bacteria from being used that you don’t want to bring into your new home.
Separate your essentials
The next step before actually starting to pack a bathroom is to think about essential toiletries. It’s not uncommon to get so caught up in the moving process that you forget about that first night in your new home. If you pack up everything you’ll need that night in boxes, and it’s separated out all over the place, you’ll never find it all in time to go to bed.
The trick is to think about packing an essentials bag first to keep these items separate so you don’t accidentally pack them. Clothes and important documents belong on your essentials list, but so do certain toiletries.
Think about what toiletries you’d put into an overnight bag if you were going to stay at a friend’s house. These are your bathroom essentials and should, at the very least include:
- Deodorant
- Soap
- Lotion
- Shampoo
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Hairbrush
If you wear contacts, make sure you have contact solution and a case (unless you wear dailies). If there are any additional items that go into your morning or evening routine, like eye cream, add that, too.
You also may want to consider creating a small first-aid kit for this essentials bag, as well. Grab some band-aids, painkillers and any allergy meds from your existing supply.
Set all these items aside to either put into a suitcase you carry with you or a small essentials box you clearly label so you know to open it first.
Pack your bathroom correctly
Once all that’s done, it’s time to begin packing. Grab some small sturdy boxes and start by lining each with a few clean towels. Not only will they provide cushioning, but unlike packing paper, they’ll absorb any spills that may happen.
Using small boxes ensures there’s not too much extra space to fill, and the less of that you’ve got, the less risk of stuff tipping over and spilling while within the moving boxes.
Make sure everything is completely dry to avoid the risk of mold and start to pack your bathroom items.
How to pack makeup
There are two ways to go about packing makeup when you’re working your way through the bathroom. If you’re not packing too much makeup, consider getting toiletry bags that have multiple compartments. They’re often waterproof on their own and can keep everything safe and secure. You’ll still want to bag glass containers like those holding foundation, to avoid spills, but putting specialized makeup bags into a box keeps everything much more secure.
The other method is to simply pack the makeup into a small box. You’ll want to arrange it all carefully, in layers, adding packing paper between so nothing can bang into itself. Contain all your makeup brushes and similar soft accessories in a plastic bag, and use plastic wrap as an additional layer of protection for eye shadow containers and similar items.
If you’re worried about pressed powder, you can put a cotton pad between the powder and the lid to prevent crumbling. If you’re packing nail polish, make sure to group it together in sealable plastic bags, force out the excess air and then wrap the entire bag in paper or bubble wrap. You can also get some small cushion foam pouches for all the fragile containers.
How to pack perfume
Perfume is a tricky bathroom staple to pack. It’s definitely one of your fragile bathroom items and belongs in a box with things like porcelain soap dishes and decorative glass containers. However, it also contains a liquid that can spill.
Regardless of what’s in it, wrap fragile items separately either with packing paper or bubble wrap. Empty bottles can just go into the box from there, but perfume bottles should then get put into sealable plastic bags. All fragile items should go together in boxes tightly packed and sealed, clearly labeled as fragile.
How to pack toiletries
When we’re talking toiletries, it’s all about the shampoo bottles, other liquid hair products like gel or mousse, lotions and more. Basically, anything that can spill fits into this category. Assuming everything is in a plastic container, you don’t have to worry about bottles breaking, so your priority is the lid. It needs to stay closed. Aside from making sure it’s on there really tight, you can use plastic wrap to create an additional seal. This is for already opened bottles only. Simply unscrew the lid, place a layer of plastic wrap over the opening and put the lid back on.
All toiletries should get put into plastic bags, where you’ve removed the excess air. They should then get packed into a few moving boxes upright to decrease the spill risk.
If you’re dealing with bottles with a pump on them, try to lock them into place so they can’t depress. If you can’t do that, separate the pump from the bottle and rinse and bag separately. Then, put a regular lid on the bottle or seal it with plastic wrap to prevent spills.
How to pack bathroom appliances
Since a spilled toiletry can damage anything electric, make sure your appliances go into their own moving containers. This means your hair dryer, straightener, curling iron, electric razor and more. Even better, if you can put them back into their original box, and then, box those up, everything is sure to stay safe.
If just putting items directly into the box, consider wrapping each in a towel for protection, and don’t forget to include all the appliance accessories in the box, as well.
How to pack other bathroom items
You’ve covered all the big parts to pack a bathroom successfully, but you’re probably still not done. You’ve most likely got a ton of small hair accessories laying around and a bunch of other stuff you want to get on that moving truck.
Thankfully, most of the leftover stuff is light. That means these bathroom items can go on top of heavier things in other boxes, or just get tossed into a small box on their own.
For hair accessories, toss them all into a plastic bag and put them at the top of any bathroom box. They’re not fragile and don’t need wrapping up or anything.
When it comes to shower curtains, bath mats and any towels you’ve got left over after you pack toiletries, they all make a perfect top layer for heavy boxes with stuff from other rooms.
Don’t forget to include paper products in your bathroom supplies either. Pack up your toilet paper here, too, or combine it with other paper products from the kitchen. Make sure to label this box in a way that you know it has toilet paper in it, though. You’ll want to open it pretty quickly when you get to your new home.
Pack a bathroom right
No matter how many bathrooms you have to pack up, assess how much extra stuff you can get rid of first, then, take care to bag and wrap everything up. You’ll have fewer spills and leaks when it comes time to unpack. This translates to a smoother move for everyone involved, whether you’re going a mile away or moving cross country.
