How to pack rugs when moving

Packing a rug for moving can be a bit tricky because they are so large and bulky. With these simple steps, you can be sure your rug is packed properly for a safe move.

Step 1: Clean Your Rug

Ideally, you should have your rug professionally cleaned before moving. If you have a nice rug, such as an Oriental or Persian rug, the rug cleaners will probably come pick it up, clean it, and then deliver it. They often wrap your rugs for delivery, which means you don’t have to do this yourself.


If you don’t want to spring for professional rug cleaning services, you should at least be sure to carefully vacuum your rug before packing it. Remember that you should vacuum both sides of the rug to ensure it is clean.

Step 2: Packing the Rug

• Roll: Make sure that your rug is on a flat surface with no creases in it. Carefully roll the rug so it is tight. However, it should not be rolled so tightly that creases occur. Almost all rugs should be rolled so the pretty side is up. If you have a very thick pile rug though, you might need to roll it with the pile outwards so it won’t cause stress on the rug’s backing.

• Secure Ends: Once the rug is rolled, you will need to secure the ends so the rug doesn’t unroll. For basic rugs, you can use packing tape. For finer rugs, you will want to use plastic ties to secure the rug so the packing tape doesn’t pull on the rug backing. If the rug is very wide, you will want to secure it in the middle as well as the ends.

• Wrapping: Once the rug’s ends are secured, you will want to wrap the rug to protect it from dust and debris. Generally, shrink wrap is used for this. Apply the shrink wrap from end to end (as opposed to wrapping it in circles around the circumference of the rolled rug). Smaller rugs might be able to fit inside large trash bags. You can also buy special “rug bags” made specifically for wrapping rugs.

• Secure Shrink Wrap: Secure the shrink tape in place with packing tape around the ends of the rolled rug.

Step 3: Moving the Rug

Rolled and wrapped rugs should be laid flat for the move so no creases form. So, you will generally want to put them along the side or width of the moving truck, and put the rugs in first. Avoid stacking any items on top of your rug because this can cause creases.

Step 4: Unpacking

Don’t unwrap your rug until you have unloaded everything from the moving truck. Otherwise, the rug will probably just get dirty. Do be sure to leave an empty space on the floor for where your rug should go (boxes should be stacked in corners or along a wall in the room). Clean the floor and then unwrap and unroll your rug.

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