Clothes are one of those categories that seem simple until you actually start packing them. A full closet can fill more boxes than the entire kitchen, and if you pack it wrong, you spend your first week in the new place ironing shirts and hunting for a specific pair of jeans. Whether you are packing up a Summit Avenue Victorian, a Highland Park bungalow, or a Rochester townhome, a little strategy goes a long way toward a smoother residential move.
Sort Before You Pack a Single Piece
Moving is the best excuse you will get to thin out a wardrobe. Pull everything from closets and drawers into three piles: keep, donate, and toss. If you have not worn something in a year, be honest with yourself about whether you will wear it in the next year at the new place. Donation options across the Twin Cities include Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and neighborhood-specific spots like the ARC Value Village in Richfield. Rochester families can drop off at Goodwill on 41st Street NW or Hope Lodge collections. The less you move, the faster the packing goes.
Wardrobe Boxes Earn Their Keep
For hanging clothes, nothing beats a wardrobe box. It has a built-in bar, and you transfer garments straight from your closet rod to the box without unhanging anything. Shirts, suits, dresses, and coats stay on their hangers and arrive at the new place ready to rehang. Good Housekeeping’s packing guide recommends filling the bottom of a wardrobe box with shoes or a duffel of soft items so nothing shifts. Ask your moving company about wardrobe boxes in your supply order; they are worth every penny for anyone with a real closet.
Pro Tip: Do not overstuff a wardrobe box. If clothes are jammed against each other, they will wrinkle no matter the fabric. Leave a few inches of breathing room so garments can hang naturally. Metcalf Moving & Storage can bring the right box count to your walkthrough.
Leave Folded Clothes in the Drawer
If your dresser is sturdy and not too heavy, leave folded clothes right where they are. Wrap the whole dresser in moving blankets, tape the drawers shut with painter’s tape (regular tape can pull off the finish), and the crew moves it as one piece. This trick works well for T-shirts, underwear, socks, and workout gear. It saves an entire step of unpacking and refolding at the new home.
Special Care for Fabrics That Wrinkle Fast
Linen, silk, rayon, and lightweight cotton crease at the slightest excuse. For these, either use the wardrobe-box method or take the time to fold with tissue paper between layers. Roll knits like sweaters instead of folding; the roll prevents the horizontal crease line across the middle. Delicate items like wedding dresses, tailored suits, and formalwear should be packed separately in garment bags and handled by you personally, not loaded onto the truck.
Shoes, Belts, and the Little Stuff
Pack shoes in their original boxes if you still have them, or wrap each pair in packing paper to keep dirt off other items. Stuff the toes with paper so they hold their shape. Jewelry, watches, and anything valuable should travel with you, not on the truck. A weekend duffel with your first-week outfits also saves you from digging through boxes for work clothes the Monday after your move.
Move In With a Ready-to-Wear Closet
A little planning up front means your clothes arrive at the new home looking the way they left the old one. Whether you are settling into a St. Paul brownstone or a fresh place in Rochester, reach out to Metcalf Moving & Storage for a free quote and let a team with over a century of experience handle the wardrobe boxes, the heavy dressers, and everything in between.