A Simple Guide To Properly Storing Your Clothes

Whether you are storing clothes for memorabilia purposes, keeping them to wear another time, or storing them to make more closet space for new clothes, there are certain rules for storage you should keep in mind. This will prevent you from storing your clothing, only to reopen them later to find pests, stubborn yellow stains, or musty smells coming from mildew. If you are looking for tips and advice on how to store clothes, look no further!

Make Sure Your Clothes are Clean and Organized

The presence of trace dirt, sweat, and soil compounds can easily encourage mold growth. You do not want to remove your clothes from storage and find mold stains on untouched clothing. Moreover, dirty clothes encourage pests. Simply clean your clothes or send them for dry cleaning before storing. Do ensure that your clothes are properly dried before storage.

After cleaning, you want to have some basic organization. One possible way of organizing your clothes is by season and activity. Winter clothes can be packed together and separate from your collection of summer clothes. This facilitates retrieval as well, so you can easily have access to the clothes you need later on.

Storage of Different Types of Items

Not all types of clothing can and should be stored in the same manner.

• Button-down shirts and blouses should be hung on wire hangers on the top closet rod or upper shelves, while sweaters should be stored folded in your closet. Unlike cotton tops, sweaters may get stretched and deformed if you put them on a hanger.
• When it comes to bottoms, denim and casual pants can be folded and stored, whereas dress pants and skirts should ideally be hung on wire hangers.
• When storing vintage clothing, extra care should be taken to protect the delicate materials from the surroundings. You can consider storing them in fabric or canvas bins. The material allows for breathability and helps to protect your clothes while keeping dust out.

Choosing a Storage Location

When choosing a good storage location, consider areas in your house that provide ventilation, yet remain cool and dry. This is because moisture encourages mildew and makes your clothes musty, whereas excess heat will worsen clothing stains and damage material fibers. Depending on where you live, the attic or garage might not be ideal places for clothes storage. Whichever place you choose to store your clothes, make sure you can easily access them when you need to. Popular storage spots include shelves in your current closet, an indoor storage area, or even under your bed.

Protecting your Stored Clothing

You can further protect your clothing by including some moisture absorbers and moth-repellant sachets into the storage boxes and fabric bins. Doing so will allow you to keep mildew at bay while repelling clothes moths or carpet beetles. Instead of turning to mothballs, you can also consider the use of cedar blocks as a healthier way of deterring insects. Moreover, cedar blocks avoid the problem of undesirable-smelling clothes that come with the usage of mothballs.