How to Move Ashes From One Urn to Another

Have you recently bought a new cremation urn for your loved one? Are you wanting to know what the best way to move their ashes into it is? This article will tell you exactly how to move your loved ones ashes into another urn and give you some helpful tips and tricks in doing so.

Moving Ashes

Moving ashes from one urn to another is not a difficult process but it can potentially be a bit finicky, especially depending on what type of urn you have purchased. In this article we're only going to be focused on the standard aluminium cremation urns. Let's take a look now at a step by step process on how to move your loved ones ashes from one urn to another.

Choose an Appropriate Area

Firstly you will want to select an appropriate area in which to move the ashes. You want to select a place which has no moving air such as from a fan or an open window. You'll also want to avoid any sort of distractions and so kids and pets should not be allowed near you as you are moving the ashes. Pick an environment which is clean and has a table which is non-porous so if any ash is spilt, it will be easy to collect.

Open Your Previous Urn

You want to now open your urn and you can do this by unscrewing the top of the lid. Keep rotating until the lid comes fully off of the urn. Make sure you have a hand on the urn as you are unscrewing the lid to keep it nice and steady and avoid it being knocked over. If your urn has been sealed through the use of an epoxy, you'll need to get rid of the sealant first. Depending on what type of sealant has been used will change the best prescribed method on how to remove said sealant. You also want to take note of the material that your old urn is made of in case you want to keep it undamaged for the future. If you don't mind the old urn being damaged, then you can simply use acetone or alcohol to remove the epoxy and unseal your urn.

Begin Transferring

Once the urn has been opened you are now ready to transfer the ashes into your new urn. Open the lid of your new cremation urn and make sure it is on a flat steady surface that will be easy to pour into. You can also consider using a funnel to make sure that none of the ash will spill outside. Grab your old urn and now simply pour the ashes into your new urn directly or with the funnel, whichever you prefer. If you find this to be a difficult task, you can also consider using a spoon or other utensil to slowly transfer the ashes that way.

Close the Urn

Once you have finished transferring all of the ashes into your new cremation urn, you can then proceed to close the urn. If you prefer your cremation urn to be sealed you can also consider doing this at this stage too.

Sometimes you don't purchase the perfect urn for your loved one the first time around and that's completely ok. Learning to transfer the ashes from an old urn into a new one is a valuable skill to have and will give your loved one the perfect memorialisation if you didn't already have one for them. As Australia's largest urn store, Eternal Urns has an extensive range of the best quality urns available, so check out our range today.