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Moving is a time-consuming task that requires a considerable amount of energy and effort. While you can hire help to pack and move your items, the chances are high that you will still need to do some of the work yourself. When it comes to packing lamps, there are tricks and tips you can implement to keep your floor and desk lamps in great condition.

Packing Your Lamps: Step By Step

To get your lamps from point A to point B in without being damaged, you'll need to dismantle them and store their parts in different boxes. Follow these simple steps to protect them in transit.

1. Unplug the lamps from the wall.
2. Coil the cords and tie them with a rubber band.
3. Unscrew the light bulbs and take them out of the lamp.
4. Remove the lampshades, wrap them, and pack them in a box.
5. Remove any screws and put them in a bag and label it.
6. Wrap each light bulb with bubble wrap and put them into a box. Secure the bulbs with tape so they don't move around. Don't place anything heavy in the box on top of the light bulbs. Use cardboard as dividers for added assurance that the box's contents won't shift in transit. Label this box as "fragile" for the movers. Note: Any light bulbs that use mercury cannot be shipped and need to be disposed of.
7. Wrap each lamp base with bubble wrap or packing paper and place it carefully in a moving box.

Materials to Pack a Lamp

To pack your lamps safely, you'll need supplies to protect its individual components. The materials required are not expensive and can be found in any hardware store.

• Bubble wrap
• Brown packing paper
• Moving Boxes
• Packing Tape
• Permanent marker
• Rubber bands

Packing Table Lamps vs. Floor Lamps

Table lamps and floor lamps follow similar packing guidelines. For both types, you must take apart the lamp and wrap each piece individually, which includes the light bulbs, lampshades, and bases. Floor lamps involve a more complicated dismantling process because their long "stems" will need to be taken apart section by section. Table lamps have a short lamp base, which simply needed to be wrapped and placed in a moving box.

Floor lamps have a long stem that often has a cord running through it. After collapsing the floor lamp, put the parts gently into a box. Secure the coiled cord to the floor lamp's base with masking tape.

Floor lamp bases are often fragile and should be wrapped in bubble wrap before being packed away. It's possible to pack multiple bases in the same moving box. However, don't put anything heavy on top of your bases. This can easily damage or chip them, especially if they are made of ceramic.

How to Take Care of the Lamp Cord

It's important to keep the cord in good condition so that it won't fray and become a safety risk at your new place. First, remove the bulb and lampshade. If you have a floor lamp, follow the steps to dismantling it safely without tugging on the power cord that runs internally.

Then, take the cord and tie it securely after folding it over several times and tuck the plug end of the cord and cover everything with bubble wrap. Then, spread out a length of bubble wrap on the floor and wrap the lamp base and cord with the bubble wrap.

Secure everything with tape and gently place the lamp base and cord in a moving box. Insert more packing paper or bubble wrap if necessary.

Tips to Pack a Lampshade Without Damaging It

Lampshades are delicate items that need to be handled with care. First, choose a moving box that can accommodate the size of your lampshades. It's important to not crush or warp them in transit. Make sure to leave some extra room to account for packing materials.

Packing a lampshade is simple. All you need to do is wrap the lampshade with protective packing paper or bubble wrap and place it inside the moving box. Since lampshades are easily damaged, do not pack other heavy items in the same box.

If you intend to pack more than one shade in a box, place the smallest shade first. Cover this shade with packing paper and place a larger shade on top of it. To avoid staining lampshades, do not use a newspaper, which can rub its ink onto your lampshades.

Repeat this layering process until you run out of room. Make sure that you can close the box without warping the nested shades. Seal this box with tape and label it "fragile" so that your movers will know to handle it carefully.

Sometimes floor lamps have extremely fragile glass shades. These components must be handled carefully and wrapped extensively in bubble wrap and packing paper. When placed in a box, it must not shift at all. If you have multiples of this type, do not layer them, but instead get individual boxes for these shades.

Common Mistakes While Packing & Moving Lamps

While packing lamps seems easy at first, many movers make mistakes that cause these items to be damaged during the move. Avoid these common mistakes while packing and moving and you can protect your valuable belongings.

• Leaving gaps in the boxes that allow items to shift.
• Not sealing the box properly.
• Not labeling boxes fragile.
• Using the box to store heavy items on top of fragile items.
• Not using enough bubble wrap/padding.

By taking the time to pack your lamps correctly, you can enjoy familiar light fixtures in your new home and save yourself money and time.

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