How to Pack Hangers and Hanging Clothes for Moving

It’s no secret that some things are quite difficult to pack because of their great weight (furniture and appliances), odd shape (specialty equipment and pieces of art), extreme fragility (glassware and chinaware), great sensitivity (electronics and musical instruments), etc. Others are just utterly annoying (jewelry, toys, bathroom items) as they tend to end up in a mess no matter how carefully you pack them.

Hangers and hanging clothes are a fine example of such troublesome items – preparing them for shipment seems simple enough, yet a single mistake may easily result in lots of wasted space, broken hangers, and damaged clothes.

So, how to pack hangers for moving so that they don’t take up too much space or get tangled during transit? How to pack clothes on hangers so that they arrive in your new home in perfect condition?

If you’re looking for an efficient way to pack hangers and hanging clothes for your move, you’ve found what you need – the tips below will help you move your garments and their hangers safe and easy.

How to Pack Hangers for a Move

Moving clothes hangers in a safe and tidy manner can be quite a challenge – they take up a lot of space and are very likely to tangle and cause a huge mess during the transportation.

Moving clothes on hangers is an even greater hassle – you risk not only broken hangers, but ruined clothing as well.

So, before you start searching for the best way to pack hangers for moving, you need to ask yourself if keeping your old hangers will be worth the time and effort required to prepare them for shipment – after all, you can simply take your clothes off their hangers, fold them up, and pack them into moving boxes instead of wondering how to move hanging clothes, right? Besides, ordinary wooden and plastic hangers are quite cheap so unless you have a very good reason to hold on to yours, it may be a good idea to discard them before the move and get new ones after the relocation.

Sort Out Your Hangers

When you start preparing your clothes for moving, make sure you take a closer look at the hangers:

• Set aside fancier hangers – high quality wire or wooden ones, designer hangers, etc. – that you will definitely keep;
• Throw away any damaged hangers and ones that show considerable signs of wear and tear;
• Consider your needs and decide how many of the remaining cheaper clothes hangers that are still in good condition you’d like to take to your new home. Give away the hangers you’re not taking with you to friends or neighbors who might need them;
• Group the hangers that are going to your new home by size and material (wooden hangers, plastic hangers, metal hangers, wire hangers, padded hangers).

Once you’ve sorted your hangers, you need to find a good way to pack them for shipping.

Find Efficient Ways to Pack Hangers for Moving

When packing hangers for moving, you can choose from several different methods, each of which has its own specific advantages and disadvantages:

Stacking and wrapping your hangers

If wondering how to pack hangers efficiently, try this proven packing method first:

• Stack a few hangers of the same size and material (no less than 5 and no more than 12) one on top of the other, so that they’re all facing the same direction;
• Loop a rubber band around the hooks of the hangers, bring it down around their bottom bars, then up again to the hanger “necks”. Tie the rubber band tightly (be careful not to over-stretch it);
• Alternatively, you can use Zip Ties, cable ties, or twist ties (use a roll so that you can adjust the size of the piece) to hold the hangers together. You can also secure the bundles with stretch wrap;
• Wrap the bunches in old sheets for better protection (especially when packing more expensive hangers);
• Fit the wrapped bundles into boxes or bags of appropriate sizes (make sure there are no empty spaces inside, so that the hangers don’t move around during transit).

Your hangers will stay perfectly safe and organized throughout the move.

Packing clothes hangers in a box

If you want all your items neatly packed in moving cartons, you need to know how to pack hangers in a box in such a way that they don’t shift around and get tangled during the transportation:

• Cut out a vertical strip (about 1 inch thick) in the center of the longer side of a box (it should be an inch or so longer than the bottom parts of the hangers you’re about to pack in the box);
• Stack several hangers of the same size and material on top of each other (the stack should match the height of the box);
• Place the stack of hangers in the box so that the stems of the hooks go through the cut-out section in the side of the carton;
• Wrap the hooks in old towels or rags for added protection (secure the wrappings in place with packing tape);
• Pack some small items (belts and other accessories) in the empty space in the center of the stack of hangers;
• Provide sufficient cushioning between the items in the box and seal it tightly.

Packing hangers in a suitcase

Can you pack hangers in your suitcase? Of course, you can – as long as you know the right way to do so:

• Stack hangers of the same size and material in groups of five and secure the bundles as described above (tie the hooks and the bottom bars together);
• Place one bunch in the suitcase, with the bottom bars of the hangers against the side of the suitcase and the hooks facing the middle. Place another bundle on the opposite side in the same way, so that the tops of both bunches hook together;
• Wrap the hooks with towels or old clothes to make sure they won’t damage any other items packed in the suitcase;
• Pack the suitcase tightly to prevent the hangers from shifting during the transportation.

All these methods work well when packing empty hangers. If you’d like to pack clothes with hangers though, you’ll have to use a different technique – keep reading to find out how to pack hanging clothes for a move.

Good to remember: Leaving your hangers in the empty wardrobe may seem like an easy way to pack hangers but you’re strongly advised to refrain from doing so – they won’t be fixed in one place and will move freely during transit, so they may easily scratch the closet surfaces or damage one another. Simply throwing your hangers in a cardboard box is also a bad idea as they will take up too much space and will bump into one another (as well as into other items in the box, if any) during the move which may cause them to get tangled, bent out of shape, or broken.

How to Move Clothes on Hangers

Moving clothes on hangers can make your relocation endeavor much easier (it will save you plenty of time and effort), but it’s a risky task that needs to be done with utmost care and according to the safest packing practices.

You already know how to pack empty hangers (see above), but if you intend to relocate both your garments and their hangers, it makes perfect sense to pack clothes while on the hangers. After all, packing hanging clothes provides you with a quick and easy way to get your garb ready for shipment. It also helps cut down the time it will take to unpack your clothes because all you need to do when you get to your new home is open your suitcase, garment bag, or wardrobe box, pull out the garments, and hang them in the closet – as they are.

Good to remember: It’s very important to sort out and purge your clothes before you start packing them for moving:

1) Get rid of any worn out, outdated, or outgrown clothes you still keep for one reason or another, as well as of all the garments you won’t be able to use in your new surroundings (because of different climatic conditions, changes in your lifestyle, etc.) or don’t like anymore. As a rule of thumb, you should also discard every piece of clothing you haven’t worn in over a year.

You can sell or donate some of your no longer needed clothes that are still in good condition or give the nicer pieces to friends who like them, etc. Just make sure you dispose of your unnecessary clothes before the move to save yourself the money, time, and effort required for packing and relocating them.

2) Set aside the clothes you’re going to wear on moving day and the clothes you’re going to pack in your essentials box (the garments you’re going to need during the last couple of days in your old home, the trip to your new area, and the first several days in your new residence).

3) Group your clothes by size and material to make them easier to pack.

4) Make sure the clothes are clean and dry and close all the garment fasteners (zips, snaps, buttons, etc.) to keep the clothing secure and prevent wrinkles.

Once you have sorted your clothes and prepared them for packing, you can get down to the task. But how to pack hanging clothes for moving?

How to Pack Hanging Clothes in a Wardrobe Box

Without a doubt, the best way to pack hanging clothes for a move is to put them in specialized wardrobe boxes. Wardrobe boxes are designed to provide ultimate protection against dust, dirt, and damage and keep garments wrinkle-free and in excellent condition during a move. They act like real wardrobes and have their own hanging bars to hold the hangers, so you can directly transfer your hanging clothes from the closet to the wardrobe box – fast and easy:

• Assemble the wardrobe box according to the instructions (make sure the metal rod clicks securely into place when positioning it in the openings on the top of the box);
• Take your hanging clothes from the closet, together with their hangers, and hang them on the rod;
• When ready, close the flaps of the wardrobe box and seal them tight. Label the box with its contents and destination room.

Bonus tips:

• Do not pack empty hangers on the rod of the wardrobe box – it’s a waste of space;
• Do not place heavy items on the bottom of a wardrobe box because it can easily break under the extra weight. To optimize the space, you can pack some lightweight items on the bottom (pillows, stuffed toys, etc.);
• Consider covering the protruding ends of the metal rod with tape to avoid personal injuries during the relocation.

Safe and convenient as wardrobe boxes may be though, they’re quite expensive (up to $20 a piece) and take up too much space. Therefore, you may want to pack only your most valuable and most delicate hanging clothes in these specialized moving boxes and use other packing methods for your more ordinary attire.

How to Pack Hanging Clothes with Trash Bags

Garbage bags provide a cheap, quick, and easy way to pack hanging clothes. All you need are some drawstring trash bags, twist ties, and 10 minutes of your time:

• Take a clean 30 gallon drawstring trash bag and make a small hole in the middle of its bottom;
• Wrap a twist tie around a group of 5 to 10 hangers with similar clothes on them – short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, tanks, etc.;
• Pull the trash bag down over the group of hanging clothes until the hooks get through the hole. The bag should cover the entire length of the clothes;
• Pull the drawstring at the bottom to secure the clothes in the bag.

Packing hanging clothes in trash bags is a clever trick that will save you not only time and effort, but space as well – unlike cardboard boxes and other moving containers, garbage bags take very little space in the moving truck.

Yet, they offer very limited protection against damage – plastic bags trap moisture and may cause mold growth on your clothing, they tear easily and may expose your garments to dust and dirt, they may melt due to the extreme heat in the back of the moving truck and ruin your clothes, etc. Besides, they’re very slippery and difficult to secure in place in the moving van.

Plastic wrap may be your better option – it can be used as easily and efficiently as garbage bags but it is much more convenient.

How to Pack Hanging Clothes with Plastic Wrap

Plastic wrap can accommodate any length and amount of clothing. It is not as slippery as trash bags, but it is just as cheap and easy to use – all you need to do is wrap the plastic film around a group of hanging clothes and tie the hangers with a Zip Tie, cable tie, or rubber band to keep them together. Simple as that.

Plastic wrap, however, can tear or melt just as easily as garbage bags. To avoid such risks, you may want to use sheets instead – they can be used in the same way as plastic wrap, but provide a much better protection to your clothes.

How to Pack Hanging Clothes with Sheets

You can just wrap a sheet around a group of hanging clothes (like you do with plastic wrap), but your packing endeavor will be much more efficient if you use a slightly different approach:

• Spread a sheet across your bed;
• Take a group of several hangers with similar clothing on them, tie the hooks together, and lay the bunch in the middle of the sheet;
• Fold the bottom, left, and right sides of the sheet across the top of the clothes;
• Tie the ends into a knot or use plastic tape or plastic wrap to hold the wrapping in place;
• Fold the top part of the sheet into a “point” and wrap it around the hanger hooks.

Your clothes will be well protected in the soft sheet and the bundles won’t be slippery.

To ensure optimal protection to your hanging clothes though, it may be better to use garment bags – they too are very easy to use, but are much stronger and better suited to the purpose than trash bags, plastic wrap, or sheets (of course, they’re also  much more expensive).

How to Pack Hanging Clothes in Garment Bags

Garment bags are protective sleeves that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They feature a clasp that secures individual hangers and provide an easy, safe, and convenient way to transport clothes over a long distance. To properly pack your hanging clothes in a garment bag, you’re advised to:

• Lay an appropriate size garment bag on a flat surface;
• Pack your hanging clothes facing the back of the bag;
• Attach the hangers in the clip at the top of the bag – this will secure both the hangers and the clothes, stabilizing them in the bag so they won’t be moving around during transit;
• Close the bag shut.

Your last option for packing hanging clothes is a suitcase.

How to Pack Hanging Clothes in a Suitcase

Strange as it may sound, you can successfully pack your hanging clothes in a suitcase:

• Lay your clothes (together with their hangers) on a flat surface like a bed or a large table. Place the hooks of the hangers at the edge of the flat surface, with the front of your clothes facing down;
• Fold your clothes back over the packing surface, arms folded in (fold the clothes as many times as needed to make them fit in the suitcase). Pull the fabric as straight as possible;
• Place the folded clothes into your suitcase, with the hangers facing in the same direction;
• Tie the hooks of the hangers together to prevent them from getting tangled. Consider wrapping the hooks in old clothes or rags to make sure they won’t damage any other items in the suitcase;
• Fill any remaining empty space in the suitcase with small, soft items and provide sufficient cushioning to prevent shifting during transportation.

You’re ready to go – and bring your hangers and hanging clothes with you.

See also: The best way to pack clothes for moving; How to pack shoes for moving

Moving hanging clothes can be a hassle, but effective solutions do exist – so, make sure you research your options, learn how to pack hangers, find out creative ways to pack clothes on hangers, and choose the packing method that will work best in your particular case. Once your move is over, share your experience (as well as any interesting ideas you may have about packing clothes hangers and hanging clothes) with us in the comments section below!