Nail polish is one of those tricky things to move. You don’t think about it until you’re planning your move, but nail polish tends to both grow over time (you only had one polish, now you have dozens!) and end up all over the house. We’re going to discuss how to pack nail polishes for moving them safely and effectively to your new home.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Gather the Nail Polishes
One of the significant difficulties of moving nail polish is that they tend to get distributed all over your living space. Maybe you sat down to watch your favorite television show and left a few bottles of polish in the living room. Some are in the bedroom, some are in the bathroom, one or two somehow ended up in the kitchen. It can become an absolute free-for-all.
The first step for moving nail polishes is to gather them all up in one centralized location. There are products that can help this be a more straightforward process, like a nail polish organization box where you can keep all of your polishes in one place.
However, if you don’t necessarily want to purchase a specialty product or want to find something that you already have around the house, a plastic shoebox or storage box can work just as well.
Keeping your polishes in plastic or something with more reinforcement is ideal, as cardboard or other paper-based boxes tend to warp over time. Cardboard can get damaged or permanently discolored from the polish if there is a leak or if acetone accidentally spills.
Having a separate box for nail polish accessories, like acetone and Q-tips, can make the whole organization process easier. These things tend to get messy and out of control fast if there isn’t a system to keep them in place. Knowing how you want to organize your items and what method will work best will keep you from constantly hunting down these products when you need them.
Step 2: Ditch Your Old Nail Polish
Most of us are probably guilty of not “getting around to” de-cluttering our nail polish from time to time. Now is as good a time as any to ditch that 8 year old bottle of polish that’s been sitting in your bathroom for almost a decade. No need to waste space in a box on something that should be in the trash anyway.
Not sure if your polish is still good or expired? Generally polish lasts about two years, but Bustle did a great article on 7 ways to know if you need to throw away your polish that you can use as a reference.
Step 3: Reinforce the Organization System
Next, depending on how you decided to store your nail polish, you’ll need to reinforce the glass bottles. Because of the type of chemical solvent used in nail polish, nail polish will always come in glass bottles, with very few exceptions. This fragile glass can make it a little bit tricky to move, as glass is, obviously, breakable.
If you’re using a dedicated nail polish organization box, you can pretty much skip this step. Those boxes are designed to be transported and keep the bottle safe. However, if you’re using a plastic storage box for any other type of box where the polishes are just rattling around, you may want to take some extra steps of precaution.
These precautions could look like rolling the bottles up in bubble wrap or even socks and hand towels. Providing extra cushion for the bottles will prevent chips or even breaks. The glass used for nail polish tends to be thicker and more reinforced than, say, a wine glass. This does not mean that they could not break, particularly if the whole box is dropped or dented.
Step 4: Prepare the Polishes for Maximum Protection
The last step will be to make sure that the box is handled with care. Adding a “fragile” sticker will cue whoever is carrying the container that they need to be extra careful, as the contents contain glass. There should also be extra precautions to ensure that the box of nail polishes should not be stored under anything heavy, as the weight can crush the box and destroy the contents.
If you are using a moving company, don’t hesitate to let them know what is and is not fragile. They are professional movers, but it can’t hurt to give them a heads up about which items are more likely to break.
This clarification will not offend them, and in fact they will likely appreciate the heads up because it makes their job easier in the long run. After all, they are not mind readers!
Idea: Take a Carload of Breakables
Moving can be a stressful and daunting task, and things often get broken in transit. It may even be worth taking an extra trip of breakable items, just so that everybody who is doing the moving can be mindful of taking their time and moving the items gently. A carload of fragile stuff could include:
- Glassware
- Ceramics and dishes
- Lamps and decorative items
- Mirrors
- Electronics (think TVs and Computers)
- Plants
- Cosmetics (including nail polish!)
Conclusion
While the glass they use to store nail polish is strong, it is still best to use precautions, practice organization, and prepare your nail polish for the best possible move. Following the above steps will ensure that your nail polish arrives in your new home intact and that your nails will stay looking gorgeous.
