How to Pack Clothes for a Move in Kelowna (Closet Guide)
Updated: 2 days ago
The easiest way to pack clothes for a move in Kelowna is to sort first, fold or roll everything flat into 102L plastic moving totes, move hanging clothes on their hangers in garbage-bag bundles, and pack one "open first" clothes tote per person. If you rent moving totes from Bin Ready Tote Rentals, you get clean plastic moving boxes with snap-on lids and a free dolly dropped at your door, and the empties picked up when you're done. Packages start at $99 for 14 days.
Clothes are the biggest category in most homes, and they're the easiest to pack badly. This guide walks through a closet-by-closet plan that works for apartments in Glenmore, family homes in the Upper Mission and moves across the bridge to West Kelowna.
Step 1: Sort before you pack a single shirt
Packing clothes you'll never wear again costs you totes, time and lifting. Before anything goes in a tote, pull every item out of one closet at a time and make three piles:
Keep: fits, gets worn, and you'd buy it again.
Donate: good condition but not worn in the last year. Kelowna has plenty of thrift and donation drop-offs in Rutland and downtown.
Recycle: stained, torn or worn out. Textile recycling bins take a lot of this.
A good rule: if you're not sure, it goes in the donate pile. Most people cut 20 to 30% of their wardrobe this way, which can drop you a whole package size.
Step 2: Pack out-of-season clothes first
In October, that means summer clothes. Shorts, swimsuits, sundresses, lake gear and sandals can go into totes two weeks before move day without you missing them. Do the same in spring with parkas, ski gear and snow boots.
Label each of these totes with the room, a tote number and "OFF-SEASON" so they go to the back of the closet at the new place and don't get opened first. Our guide to labelling moving totes has a simple four-part label system.
Step 3: Fold or roll clothes flat into plastic moving totes
A 102L tote holds a surprising amount of clothing. Lay folded items flat, or roll t-shirts, leggings and jeans tightly and stand them in rows. Rolling fits more and keeps creases down.
How much fits in one tote?
About 40 to 50 rolled t-shirts, or
About 20 to 25 pairs of jeans, or
About 12 to 15 bulky sweaters or hoodies.
Clothes are light, so you can fill totes to the top. That's different from books or dishes, where a full tote gets too heavy. Snap the yellow lid down and the tote is sealed against rain, dust and the back of a dusty truck.
Use soft items as padding
Socks, scarves and towels make great padding. Tuck them around shoes, belts and small accessories so nothing shifts when you roll the stack out on the dolly.
Step 4: Move hanging clothes on their hangers
You don't need to take dress shirts and coats off their hangers. Two easy options:
Garbage-bag bundle: gather 10 to 15 hangers, pull a large garbage bag up from the bottom, and tie the drawstring around the hooks. Hang them straight back up at the new place.
Lay flat in a tote: fold a bundle of hanging clothes in half and lay it across the top of a tote. This works well for kids' clothes and short items.
Wardrobe boxes cost money, take up truck space and are usually thrown away after one move. Bundles plus reusable moving boxes do the same job for free.
Step 5: Shoes, accessories and dresser drawers
Pack shoes in pairs, sole to sole, at the bottom of a tote with heavier boots underneath. Put jewelry, watches and anything valuable in a small bag that travels with you in the car, not on the truck.
For dressers, take the clothes out. A full dresser is heavy and the drawers can slide out on a staircase. Empty each drawer straight into its own tote and label it "Dresser, top drawer" so unpacking is a two-minute job.
Step 6: Pack an "open first" clothes tote for each person
Every person in the house gets one tote with three or four days of clothes, pyjamas, a towel, toiletries and phone chargers. These go in the car or in the last load. If you're moving with kids, our family packing guide shows how to pack a first-night tote for each child.
How many moving totes do you need for clothes?
A rough guide for a typical Kelowna home:
Studio or 1-bedroom: 4 to 6 totes for clothes.
2-bedroom: 7 to 10 totes.
3-bedroom family home: 12 to 18 totes.
For the whole home, see How Many Moving Totes Do I Need? Every Bin Ready package covers 14 days and includes a free dolly, free drop-off and free pickup of the empty totes:
Start: 20 totes, $99.
Apartment: 30 totes, $149.
Home: 40 totes, $189.
Family: 65 totes, $249.
That works out to about 35¢ a tote, per day. Need longer? It's $2 a tote per extra week.
Why plastic moving boxes beat cardboard for clothes
Snap-on lids: fall rain in the Okanagan soaks cardboard on the driveway. Snap-lid totes stay dry.
No tape, no collapsing: clothes totes stack square on a dolly and don't crush.
Clean: every tote is sanitized between rentals, so your clothes go into a clean bin, not a used grocery box.
Reusable: no pile of cardboard to break down and recycle after the move.
Read more in our moving totes vs cardboard cost breakdown.
We serve the whole Central Okanagan and beyond
Bin Ready drops off moving totes in Kelowna (Glenmore, Dilworth, Upper and Lower Mission, Rutland), West Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland, Vernon and Penticton. We drop off, you pack and move at your own pace, and we pick up the empty totes. We don't haul full totes and we're not a moving company. See how it works or browse more Kelowna moving tips.
FAQ: packing clothes for a move
Can I leave clothes in my dresser drawers when I move?
It's better not to. A full dresser is much heavier and the drawers can slide open on stairs. Empty each drawer into its own labelled tote, then refill the drawers at the new place.
What's the best way to move hanging clothes without wardrobe boxes?
Bundle 10 to 15 hangers in a large garbage bag tied around the hooks, or fold the bundle and lay it flat on top of a full tote. Both are free and the clothes go straight back on the rail.
How many plastic moving totes do I need just for clothes?
Plan on 4 to 6 totes for a 1-bedroom, 7 to 10 for a 2-bedroom and 12 to 18 for a 3-bedroom family home. Sorting out donations first usually lowers that number.
Do your totes keep clothes dry in the rain?
Yes. Each 102L tote has a yellow snap-on lid that keeps rain out, so clothes stay dry from the front door to the vehicle, even on a wet fall moving day.
Ready to pack? Book your moving totes online, read our FAQ, browse the blog or contact us.
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