If you are about to move and have decided to pack your items on your own, you should be familiar with some basic packing techniques and moving boxes that will best protect your possessions.

Continue reading to find out how to easily pack your silver items.

Exposure to air and certain chemicals causes silver to tarnish, and random packing leads to scratches and dents. To avoid these problems carefully pack your silverware.

Before packing, it’s best to use some mild soap to hand-wash each piece of silver that you’ve prepared for packing. Dry the pieces with a soft cloth. To protect silver for the time spent in storage, apply traditional silver polish to each piece.

Then, wrap your silver pieces in sets or individually to avoid scratching. You can use cloth pouches, tissues or low-sulfur paper to roll them. Low-sulfur paper is available from most moving companies.

Pack the wrapped silverware or flatware in their original boxes or in kitchen boxes available from moving companies. Fill in all empty spaces in the boxes with tissue paper or bubble wraps. Make sure the boxes are taped closed. Finally, wrap each box with a large bath towel.

Silver bowls, tea sets and serving dishes should be carefully wrapped as fragile items and packed like china.

Note: Never use newspapers or plastic bags, as sulfur in them can tarnish silver. Enclose your fine silver in cloth or silver paper.