With every new season comes the chore of putting away last season’s clothes. Discover a few simple tips on how to store winter clothes in the spring and summer months in the best way to ensure your cold-weather wardrobe looks amazing when the next winter season arrives. The most important thing to remember when storing winter clothes for long periods of time is to make sure you are keeping your items in a cool, dark, dry location. Where you store these items can make all the difference in preserving the quality of your belongings. Keep reading to learn the best way to store winter clothes this year!
5 Tips for Storing Winter Clothes
The proper technique for storing winter clothes always starts with a good dry cleaning. This will remove any debris, including oils from the skin so that your fabric is in the best condition before it goes into storage. Even if you only wore it once, or you’ve hardly touched a specific piece of linen décor, it’s still a good idea to get the piece dry cleaned. The environment can leave behind dust and other debris that are just as harmful.
Additionally, some items would be difficult to wash on your own. Heavy parkas, especially those filled with insulation, or woolen pea coats that need careful washing, would be best protected by a professional dry cleaning service like we offer at Mulberrys. You won’t have to worry about your fabric items, because at Mulberrys, we have years of experience with dry cleaning these delicate items. See below for our professional tips on the best ways to keep your winter clothes safe and secure for offseason storage!
1.) Where You Should Be Storing Winter Clothes:
When your winter clothes hibernate for the spring, they’ll spend seven to nine months stored away with little access to fresh air. To avoid a strange-smelling closet transition next winter, wash and dry clean all your clothes before storing them away. It might seem like a daunting undertaking at first to wash and fold all your clothes prior to storing, but that’s just less work you’ll have to do when pulling your wardrobe back out again next year! Trust us, the best way to store winter clothes is to store clean clothes. You could also use scented moth repellent, such as lavender or cedar, to keep the moths away and your clothes smelling fresh all spring and summer.
2.) How To Store Winter Clothes:
There are many storage methods for storing winter gear in the offseason once it has been dry cleaned. Vacuum sealing is popular because it saves space and ensures that dust does not get near your clothing. However, vacuum sealing can put undue pressure on special features, like embroidered designs, causing them to look less attractive when they are removed later in the year. The typical ways are using large plastic bins or garment bags, but extra luggage and suitcases can act as great storage items, too. Whatever you do, do not use plastic bags! Plastic bags allow for no air circulation which traps moisture that can quickly transfer over to your clothing, attracting smells and pests. Clear plastic totes with lids that seal tightly are a great solution; clothing is easy to identify and they tend to stack together for easy storage.
When it comes to how to store winter coats or sweaters in the summer, one thing that many people ask is what, if anything, they should add to their stored items, to keep away pests and keep them smelling great. Mothballs have been shown to be less desirable than they once were, so two other choices include cedar and lavender. As long as your clothes have been dry cleaned before storage, and are stored in an air-tight container, you may not even need to add anything; pests need air to breathe like any other organism, and dry cleaning will remove anything that has attached itself to your clothing, including larvae and eggs.
3.) Avoid Color Bleeding:
Did you know your clothes can bleed while in storage? Place a piece of white tissue paper between each piece of clothing you plan to store for the winter to avoid bleeding. Also, for extra precaution, color code your clothes in storage.
4.) Divide up Delicates and the Not-So Delicates:
Clothes made of fur, leather, and cashmere are more delicate fabrics that should be treated with care. When storing your winter clothes, don’t overstuff them into your storage bins. Hang your fur and leather items in a garment bag. Keep your cashmere sweaters folded in a separate container by themselves to avoid damage.
5.) Don’t Forget About Storing Your Winter Accessories: Shoes & Scarves
When you’re storing winter clothes don’t forget about your seasonal accessories. Put baking soda or lavender oil in your shoes to avoid smells and pack your dress shoes, boots, and gloves with tissue paper to help keep their shape. If you have a large collection of thick scarves, consider rolling them instead of folding to save space in storage.
You can also get your winter clothes dry cleaned to ensure they’re fresh and clean for the next cold-weather season. Check out our deals and promotions to save on your next laundry and dry cleaning order!
FAQ
Is storing winter clothes in an attic, basement, or garage okay?
When the cold season has passed, many ask themselves where to store winter clothes. Most people gravitate toward utilizing the “non-living” areas of their homes. Truth is, none of these places are ideal for storing winter clothes. Even if you’re able to pack away your clothes in a way that resists the unchecked humidity, the large drops in temperature that these rooms can experience during the winter aren’t great for stored clothing.
It’s best to put them somewhere that’s room temperature or a bit cooler, and you’re also looking for somewhere dark, clean, and dry. Closets or the space beneath your bed are great options.
What is the best way to store winter clothes when you have limited space?
Vacuum bags are second to none when storing winter clothes despite limited space, but be careful with any feather or down-filled winter clothing as they can be damaged by vacuum bags (opt to hang these or store them in a plastic container instead). It’s also a good idea to throw some humidity packs in between or at least near any stored vacuum bags to help block humidity.