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How to use towels, T-shirts, sheets, socks and other household items to protect breakables during your next move

Pop. Pop. Pop.

During our last move, my daughter found the bubble wrap, and that was the end of my productivity for about twenty minutes. I was in the middle of packing an entire house, trying to remember which box had the phone charger in it, and she’d parked herself on the floor and turned an entire roll of packing material into a percussion instrument.

Anyone who’s moved with a kid in the house knows this sound. It doesn’t stop. It just… continues.

Eventually I started doing the math on how much of this stuff I’d bought, versus how much of my actual house, towels, T-shirts, sheets, socks, blankets, was sitting there doing nothing, when it could’ve been doing the exact same job. For free. While also getting to the new house anyway, since I was taking it with me regardless.

That’s more or less the whole philosophy at Alabama Moving Bins. Pack better, move smarter, and stop paying for things you already own two of.

So before your next trip to the store for a giant roll of bubble wrap, take an inventory of your closets first. There’s a decent chance the good stuff is already in your dresser.

How to Pack Breakables Using Things You Already Own

Moving has a strange way of making you buy a bunch of supplies just to move the stuff you already had. Boxes, tape, packing paper, bubble wrap, more boxes because you underestimated, more bubble wrap because the first roll somehow vanished. Then the move ends and you’re standing in a garage full of cardboard, wondering what to do with it.

There’s a simpler approach for at least part of this. If you’re already hauling something to the new house, it can do a job on the way there instead of riding along for free.

Your towels are making the trip regardless. So are your clothes, your sheets, your blankets. Instead of boxing all that soft stuff up on its own, some of it can protect what’s around it.

Mostly this comes down to two things: cushioning breakables, and keeping them from sliding around and smacking into each other in the truck.

1. Put Those Alabama, Auburn or UAB T-Shirts to Work

That drawer full of old Alabama, Auburn or UAB game-day shirts is finally going to earn its keep.

T-shirts are good for packing because they’re thin, so you get cushioning without eating up all the space a bath towel would. Use them to:

Thicker items like sweatshirts, hoodies and sweatpants can handle heavier lifting — use those around sturdier breakables, or to line the bottom and sides of a bin.

Don’t pack all your shirts in one bin and all your dishes in another like they’re strangers. Combine them, and you’ll get more use out of both.

Alabama and Auburn shirts, for what it’s worth, can share a moving bin without incident.

2. Towels Are Doing More Work Than You Think

Every house has an unreasonable number of towels in it. Bath towels are good for cushioning bigger, bulkier stuff, and dish towels and washcloths are better suited to tight spaces.

Use them for:

Dish towels and washcloths work especially well between smaller items, since they don’t take up much room to begin with. Given that the towel is making the drive either way, it may as well be useful along the route.

3. Your Socks Have a Job, Too

Clean socks are unreasonably good cushioning for small spaces. Stuff them inside mugs, wrap them around handles, wedge them into gaps between packed items — anywhere you need a little padding without much bulk.

That single sock that’s been sitting in a drawer for six months, mysteriously missing its match, finally has somewhere to be.

4. Use Sheets for Surface Protection

Sheets don’t cushion like a thick towel or blanket does, but they’re still useful for a different reason. Use clean sheets to cover or wrap:

Mostly they’re there to stop things from scratching each other rather than to absorb an impact, so for anything genuinely fragile, pair a sheet with actual cushioning instead of asking it to do the whole job alone.

5. Blankets and Comforters Aren’t Just Taking Up Space

Blankets and comforters are some of the bulkiest things in the house, and that bulk turns out to be useful for something besides sitting folded in a closet. Wrap them around bigger items like furniture, mirrors, artwork and large décor pieces, where their size actually works in your favor.

Wrapping a coffee mug in a full-size comforter is technically packing. It’s also not a great use of either your time or the comforter.

6. Turn Pillowcases Into Packing Bags

An empty pillowcase is a missed opportunity. It can hold shoes, toys, cords and chargers, small linens, lightweight bathroom items — basically anything you’d like to keep grouped together without buying a bag for it. When you unpack, there’s nothing left over to throw away. The pillowcase just goes back on the pillow.

The AMB Packing Method: Pad, Wrap, Fill, Top

When you’re packing a reusable bin, this is the order to go in.

Pad the bottom first. A folded towel or sweatshirt works fine as a base layer.

Wrap breakables individually using T-shirts, dish towels, washcloths or whatever soft item makes sense for the item’s size.

Fill the empty pockets of space. This is the step people skip most often, and it’s arguably the one that matters most — empty space is exactly what lets items shift, slide and crash into each other in transit. Socks, washcloths and T-shirts all work fine as filler.

Top it off with one more layer before closing the lid, if the contents call for it.

Then pick the bin up and give it a gentle shake. If you hear or feel something moving, open it back up and add more padding before you seal it for good.

How to Pack Dishes for Moving Without Breaking Them

If your instinct is to stack plates flat, one on top of the other, resist it. Once plates are wrapped and cushioned, stand them up on their edges instead, more like records in a crate than a stack of pancakes. Keep them snug, and fill in whatever space is left around them so they can’t shift on the drive.

For valuable china, crystal or anything with real sentimental weight, this is also a good spot to know when not to improvise — use proper packing paper, bubble wrap, dividers or whatever specialty protection the item actually calls for.

Grandma’s china doesn’t need to make the trip wrapped in your 2009 SEC Championship shirt.

Don’t Move Empty Space

An empty suitcase, an empty laundry basket, an empty cooking pot — all of it is space you’re paying to move without getting anything out of it. A big pot doesn’t need to travel empty when it could be holding lightweight kitchen items instead.

Take stock of what you’re already moving that has room inside it:

You’re moving all of it regardless, so it might as well be carrying something.

When Bubble Wrap Is Still the Right Call

None of this means bubble wrap is banned from the house. Some things genuinely need more specialized protection, no matter how many towels you own:

Household linens and clothing are useful for a lot of things, but they’re not a substitute for proper protection when the stakes are actually high. Save the bubble wrap for what genuinely needs it, and let the towels and T-shirts handle everything else.

Less to buy, less to throw away, and considerably less popping coming from the living room floor.

A Smarter Way to Move in Birmingham

This is essentially the whole idea behind Alabama Moving Bins. If you’re moving in Birmingham, there’s not much reason to buy a stack of cardboard boxes you’ll use exactly once and then have to break down, store or awkwardly haul to the recycling bin.

Reusable moving bins give Birmingham movers a sturdier, stackable option. Combine them with the towels, clothes, sheets and blankets you’re already taking with you, and you end up using more of what you already have while buying a lot less of what you don’t need.

Skip the cardboard. Pack. Seal. Stack.

Alabama Moving Bins | A Smarter Way To Move.

Frequently Asked Questions About Packing Breakables for Moving

Can you use towels to pack dishes for moving?

Yes. Towels are good for cushioning, separating sturdier items and filling empty space so nothing shifts around. For delicate dishes or valuable china, stick with proper packing paper, bubble wrap or specialty protection instead.

Can I use clothes instead of bubble wrap when moving?

For many everyday household items, yes. Thin items like T-shirts work well as separators and gap fillers, and thicker clothing like sweatshirts adds more padding. Save specialty packing materials for anything genuinely fragile or valuable.

What can I use instead of bubble wrap for moving?

Towels, clothing, blankets, sheets, washcloths and socks can all cushion items or fill empty space, depending on what you’re packing. How fragile the item is should decide how much protection it actually gets.

How do you keep breakables from moving inside a moving bin?

Cushion the bottom, wrap items individually and fill the empty spaces around them so nothing has room to shift. Add one more layer on top before closing the bin, then give it a gentle shake. If something moves, add more padding.

Should plates be packed flat or vertically?

Vertically, once they’re wrapped and cushioned, like records in a crate rather than a stack of pancakes. Pack them snug and fill in the space around them so they stay put.

How can I use fewer packing materials when moving?

Start with what you’re already taking with you. Towels, clothes, bedding, suitcases, pillowcases and other household items can usually do double duty. Save the purchased materials for the things that genuinely need the extra protection.

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