Closets, clothes and dressers

Clothes are light and unbreakable, which makes them a good place to save time on moving day. The trick is not to fold everything into boxes the night before. Hanging clothes go straight into wardrobe boxes, still on their hangers, and dresser contents follow one simple rule.

Wardrobe boxes are tall boxes with a metal bar across the top, so clothes go from your closet rod to the box rod in a few seconds. On a full-service move they are provided at no charge for use during the move. The crew typically brings around 8; tell us if you think you will need more. At the end of the move we take them back. The $25 you may see on the packing materials list applies only if you want to buy and keep a wardrobe box after the move. On a loading-only job, where we do not drive or unload, wardrobe boxes are not included because we cannot take them back.

All items have to be removed from drawers for safety. A full dresser is far heavier, drawers can slide open when it is tilted on stairs, and the weight strains the joints. The foreman can make an exception on site: if a sturdy dresser holds only a few light clothes, he may decide it is safe to move as it is. Anything heavy, breakable or valuable comes out regardless, and flat-pack dressers should always be emptied.

Using wardrobe boxes costs nothing on a full move. Shoes, folded clothes and accessories go in regular boxes, which are charged as used if you buy them from us, or are packed for you under the Golden Package at $70 per hour added to the move. The move itself is $175 per hour for 3 movers or $235 for 4, every day, with a 3-hour minimum and 15-minute increments after that.

• Leave hanging clothes on the rod; the crew or you transfers them to wardrobe boxes on the day.
• Group hangers in bundles of ten to fifteen with a rubber band or a tie.
• Pack shoes in their own boxes, heavy ones at the bottom.
• Put jewelry, watches and documents in a bag that travels with you.
• Pack a suitcase with three days of clothes in case unpacking takes time.
• Do not use plastic bags for clothes; we do not move items packed in bags.

Long coats and evening dresses fit wardrobe boxes if you fold the hem up once. Garment bags can go inside the wardrobe box on their hangers. Items in dry-cleaning plastic are fine inside a wardrobe box; it is loose plastic bags of clothes on the truck floor that we cannot accept, because they tear, cannot be stacked and get stepped on.