Can I leave clothes in drawers when moving?
Quick Answer
For local moves, most movers allow soft items (clothes, linens) to stay in dresser drawers. For long-distance moves, empty all drawers to reduce weight and prevent damage. Always remove heavy or fragile items from drawers regardless of distance.
Whether you can leave clothes in drawers depends on the type of move and the type of furniture.
Local moves (same metro area): most movers are fine with leaving lightweight, soft items in drawers - clothes, towels, linens, and socks. This actually saves packing time and boxes. However, remove anything heavy (books, tools), fragile (jewelry, perfume bottles), or valuable.
Long-distance moves: empty all drawers. Long-distance moves involve more handling, transfers between trucks, and rougher transport conditions. Heavy drawers can cause the dresser to tip, crack, or be dropped. The extra weight also increases your moving costs since long-distance pricing is weight-based.
Regardless of move distance, always remove drawers from dressers during transport. Movers will wrap the dresser body and carry drawers separately to prevent them from sliding out during the move. If your mover prefers to leave drawers in (some do for local moves), they will typically wrap the entire piece in stretch wrap to keep drawers closed.
For IKEA dressers and particle-board furniture: always empty the drawers. These pieces are less structurally sound and more likely to break under extra weight.
Pro tip: if your mover says to empty all drawers, you can pack the drawer contents in garbage bags and label them by room. Quick, cheap, and easy to unpack.