Moving day is a major milestone for most people regardless of the destination. Packing away your items takes attention to detail and a bit of strategy. Take a look at how our tips can help you with the moving process. The best way to pack clothes for moving includes several guidelines.

Purge the closet

Remind yourself that you don’t have to pack every item that you own. Start out by analyzing your closets. There will always be a few items that aren’t needed anymore.

Create sections in the closet that are divided out by destination, such as:

a. To be packed

b. To be donated

c. To be discarded

The best way to move clothes is to lighten the load right away. You may find that there aren’t as many items to be packed afterward. Be sure to donate as much of the gently used items as possible so that others can benefit from them.

Separate the clothing types

Another tip from our experts is separating the clothes after sorting them. Gather all of your shorts together to fold them as a group, for example. You may also separate the clothes by material or season.

Experiment with the separation guideline because it can streamline the packing process. Items of the same material or shape can fold and fit into each other, which reduces the clothing volume. When you learn how to pack purses, for example, fitting smaller bags into the larger ones creates more space in your suitcases.

Use your shoes

The best way to move clothes includes some creative ideas. Consider the space within your shoes. It may be limited space, but it’s possible to use it for small items. As you figure out the best way to pack shoes, be sure to fill their interiors with socks, underwear and other items. We’ve discovered that plenty of intimate items can fit into a closet full of sneakers, slippers and dress shoes.

Avoid placing any valuables or liquid containers within the shoes, however. Most shoes don’t have the support to protect these items from breaking or spilling.

Work with the hangers

Removing hangers and folding your clothes creates a huge chore. It’s not really necessary with our clever tips. Learn how to move clothes on hangers by purchasing a wardrobe box. You simply transfer the hangers to the box, and you’re done with this packing process.

Another trick for how to move clothes on hangers is by using garment bags. They slide over a handful of hung clothes, which can be laid or hung up as necessary. If you’re short on garment bags, garbage bags with a hole created for the hanger hooks is just as functional as the official bags.

Try the rolling trick

You may know how to pack purses, but there’s another trick that many movers use for packing clothing. Instead of folding clothes, try rolling them. Their cylindrical shape is ideal for packing into a suitcase or box; it saves space. Don’t use a bag for this packing trick, however.

The rolling process also prevents most wrinkles from occurring. Roll the clothes out afterward, and it looks as if they haven’t been through a major move. Most clothes can be rolled, from pants to dresses.

Tackle the cabinet drawers 

Old-fashioned advice used to include taping up cabinet drawers so that the clothes within are simply moved with the furniture. The weight, however, often negates the ease of this advice.

Ideally, remove the folded clothes from the drawers. They can be automatically transferred into a suitcase, bag or box. They can be quickly whisked into the drawers once again after the move.

Keep a duffel bag handy

Upon arrival at your new destination, finding basic clothing in all of your boxes can be a challenge. Simplify your packing by creating a personalized bag for the first day or night after the move. Grab a duffel bag, and fill it with your important items. A shirt, pants, underwear and other items may work well in this scenario. The best way to pack shoes in this duffel is by adding them first. Any other items can rest on the shoes so that you’re ready for any clothing changes before unpacking at the new destination.

Remember to start your packing adventure as soon as possible. Leaving everything until the last minute will create unnecessary stress. The best way to pack clothes for moving can be a neat and orderly process when you follow our suggestions.