When the warmest periods of the year come knocking, you know it’s time to put away those winter clothes. Maybe a quick way to save time and hassle is to toss all your winter clothes in a bin. But by doing so, you won’t be doing yourself any favor when the winter season knocks. Remember, you still need them for the next winter season.
Improper storage might leave you without winter clothes. Or, you might end up investing in expensive perfumes to get that funky smell off your expensive coat. Proper storage of your winter clothes determines whether you’ll still get them in good condition next winter. Those winter coats, hats, boots, gloves, and scarves need proper care. The only way you can wash, fix, and recycle your winter clothes is to ensure appropriate storage.
Here are some of the winter storage tips that can help you store your cold-weather clothing during summer. If you follow everything to the letter, you might not need a wardrobe upgrade come next winter because you’ll have everything with you. Here is a complete guide for storing your winter clothes.
Decide What Should be Stored in Your Winter Clothing Space
Determine the specific number of winter items that you’re going to wear when the weather changes. It doesn’t make any sense to fill your winter storage space with clothes you’re not going to wear when the cold season begins.
You need to be proactive and curative with your wardrobe. Everything that you store in there should help you when the cold season returns. When sorting your closet, do away with worn-out items which are damaged and cannot be repaired. What’s the need to store the things that you’ve outgrown and no longer fits you?
Don’t keep items that were bought some years back and never worn. Design your storage according to your style and get rid of anything that doesn’t suit your style. You can incorporate a one year rule by getting rid of clothes you haven’t worn for the past year.
Pick the Right Spot for Storing Your Winter Clothing
Just because you’re getting into the summer period doesn’t mean that your winter items should be all over your home. It’s best to store clothes that you’re not going to use for long in a dry and climate-controlled environment with good ventilation. Make sure that heat sources and direct sunlight don’t reach your stored items.
Don’t store your winter clothing in attic and garage spaces. These spaces are prone to experience humidity and condensation, which might cause mold and mildew in your clothing. The garage doesn’t maintain a stable temperature, meaning that your clothing can become more brittle.
The ideal place to store your winter clothes is in the basement, especially if there’s no pest or moisture threat. You can also have that peace of mind by running a dehumidifier in your basement in the room that you’re going to store your winter clothing. If you lack winter clothes storage space and you’re not stepping out for a vacation, then use your luggage bag as extra storage for your cold-weather clothing.
Ensure Your Clothing are Clean
Make sure you dry clean your winter clothes before storing them away. Everything should be completely dry before you think of packing. You can either use a machine to wash or dry clean them by yourself. Remember that when clothes are stored for long when dirty, they might attract pests and produce unwanted odors, mildew, and mold.
Dirty things that contain perfumes, oils, lotions, and perspiration can make your fabric stain and even turn yellow. Consider laundering each of your winter items before packing them up for storage during summer. Use a machine wash to clean all of your winter items that are not delicate.
From a dry cleaning perspective, you can dry clean your winter items made from natural materials such as wool, silk, and cashmere. Avoid plastic garment bags when storing these items. Washing your winter clothes means that you won’t spend much time sorting your items when the cold season returns.
Repair Your Damaged Items
Of course, you’ll come across damaged items when cleaning your winter items. Where do you take such items? Such broken pieces can be repaired and put into good use. So, don’t throw them away; instead, take them for repair.
Think of how you can get back your missing coat buttons. Your winter shoes might as well need a new sole, so don’t throw them away. If you’re good at sewing and repairing small holes, then you can fix your sweater pulls and broken zippers by yourself.
If you lack the skills, bring them to a seamstress or a professional tailor to repair your winter clothes. Solutions will always be there if you decide to repair your cold-weather clothes. You can also use household items such as razor blades, sandpaper sponge, and Velcro strip to remove such disturbing fuzzballs.
Get the Right Storage Bins
Consider storing your clothes in plastic bins instead of wood, paper, or cardboard boxes. This is because plastic containers are waterproof, hence protecting your items from pests. Using cardboard and wood can damage your clothing because they contain chemicals easily transferred to your clothing.
Avoid using boxes because they can become a breeding point for pests due to proteins found on the glue that holds them together. Use plastic boxes that are not completely airtight. This is because some clothes need to breathe.
Good air conditioning may also go along well with natural fibers. Storing your clothes in less airtight storage may also reduce creases and wrinkling. You can go ahead and label your containers for easy retrieval when you need them.
Avoid packing lighter items on the bottom of your storage unit. Pack the bulkier ones first, and then put lighter items on top. If you notice moisture issues in your wardrobe, add some silica gel packets to absorb the excess moisture.
Fold Your Winter Clothing instead of Hanging
Your winter clothes are made of natural fiber fabrics which gives you enough reason to fold. Make use of acid-free tissue when folding your synthetic fabrics. For sweaters, place them in a storage plastic bin after folding them properly. Avoid cramming your sweaters in one container since you may be calling mold and mildew.
When it comes to winter coats, the case can be different. You can either fold or hang, depending on the material of the coat. For coats made of leather, wool, and faux fur, you should fold them to keep their shape in check while hanging the real animal fur.
Fill Your Winter Tall Boots with Boot Trees
Don’t’ just shove away your tall boots on summer. Throwing them away into a box may make them lose their original shape. To ensure they remain in good shape for the next winter period, insert a boot form in each of them. You should do this after cleaning and polishing them thoroughly.
Make sure you condition them by standing them side by side in your closet. But if you don’t have a closet, you can use a plastic bin to store them. Lay them on their side in your bin. After that, secure your boots with a cotton shirt or muslin shoe bag.
Think of Your Non-Winter Boots
Maintain the good shape of your non-boots by stuffing them with tissue paper. If you fail to store them properly, they might lose their shape over time. To ensure your winter ankle boots maintain their original shape, fill each of them with tissue paper.
After stuffing tissue paper inside, stack them carefully in a storage facility, whether a plastic bin or a basket. Remember to wipe, polish, and condition them before storing. You can also avoid stuffing them together with other winter items by placing them in a designated shoe organizer. Also, use a new tissue and not the old one.
Don’t Keep Unnecessary Items
While sorting through your winter items, don’t keep items that you’ll no longer wear. Donate them to a charity organization or give them out to friends who need them.
There’s no need to keep items that no longer fit you or haven’t worn them for a long time. Bring such items to a donation center and ask for a tax deduction as well. If there’s no one in need, then sell it to a consignment shop to make some extra cash.
Keep Pests Away from Your Storage
Don’t overlook your closet when cleaning your home. Make sure you vacuum your closet regularly to keep pests away. Keeping your storage clean will reduce the accumulation of food particles in your storage, hence keeping pests away. Cleaning more often can also enable you to spot early pest infestations such as flying insects, bug droppings, and holes in your clothing.
You can use mothballs if you’re comfortable with their scent. You can also keep pests away using cedar-lined storage chests, cedar blocks, balls, and chips. Also, remember that mothballs and cedar won’t control pests for long because they’ll become less effective.
Summary
Once you notice that the temperatures are becoming warmer, start organizing your winter clothes. Don’t let the next winter period get you without proper clothing because you overlooked proper storage. Ensure you don’t expose yourself to cold in the following winter because you neglected your precious clothes.
