The Best Ways to Store Off-Season Clothing
Unless you live in a place where the climate is consistent year-round, it is likely that you have different seasonal wardrobe items. If your primary closet is large enough to handle all of your things, you are basically spared the chore of having to move your clothes from that closet to other locations twice a year. However, if that is not the case and you do have to swap out your cold weather/warm weather wardrobes, here are some tips to help so you can properly store your clothing to keep your favorite items looking great.
Here are some tips on how to effectively store your off season-clothing.
Declutter and Sort
According to Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner, “the majority of people wear 20% of their closet 80% of the time.” Before you pack away clothes for the season, now is the perfect time to make those hard decisions on items you no longer wear, are out of style, or need a repair or stain treatment that you just never seem to get around to. Purging these items will free up storage space and allow you take an inventory to see what might need to be replaced. Start by grouping items by those which need to be repaired, those which you are keeping and those which can be donated or thrown out. We have some tips for how to accomplish this and declutter with our keep, trash, or donate method.
Wash and Clean All Outfits
All items to be stored for a lengthy period should be washed or cleaned if necessary, making sure that the clothing is completely dry before you pack it away. If not, moisture could potentially lead to mold which is a surprise you don’t need when you retrieve them at the next change of season. It’s a good idea to check your clothing for stains you might have missed (after washing) because stains can set permanently once the clothing is stored for several months. An article by organized interior says “The smells of body odors, perfumes, and colognes left on unwashed seasonal clothes will be more difficult to get rid of the longer you don’t deal with them. Clean clothes will also be much less likely to attract pests like closet moths.”
Where to Store Off-Season Clothing
There are many ways and places to safely and efficiently store off-season clothing. An ideal location is one that is climate controlled, cool and dry. It is not recommended to store clothing in a garage, basement or attic. Plastic containers should also be utilized, rather than cardboard boxes, to keep humidity and any little critters out. Containers will also protect your clothing from leaks or water damage that may occur unexpectedly. The Spruce recommends caution when using mothballs and prefers nonchemical alternatives like cedar blocks or cedar lined storage.
A wardrobe cabinet is an alternative and efficient solution which is easily customized for all of your belongings and can be built on almost any open wall. Wardrobes can be configured with a variety of different (and adjustable) shelves, drawers, and long, double, or even triple hanging to provide as much, or even more, useable storage than a typical reach-in closet. For especially deep wall units, slide-out shelves can be included to allow full access to belongings without having to rummage around behind other items. Both hinged and sliding doors are available to keep out dust and conceal clothing. The cabinet itself can be simple and utilitarian or a truly beautiful piece of furniture with a wide selection of finishes, door and drawer front styles (including clear or decorative glass fronts) and decorative hardware to coordinate with your existing room décor.
If you already have enough space in a walk-in closet for your off-season clothing storage, you can still designate and design an area specifically to accommodate more long-term storage and maximize the available space. If there is sufficient space, a center island can add dramatically to amount of available storage and provide more than ample drawer and shelf space to store your bulky wardrobe items like sweaters and fleece year-round.
Season-specific accessories such as hats, gloves, scarves, jackets and boots can be housed in mudroom drawers, cubbies, shelves, under-bench storage or hung on hooks. You can even store seasonal sports equipment and footwear to keep the clutter minimized and items remain quickly accessible when the new season starts.
Not sure where to start with one of these solutions? Reach out to us for a free in-home or remote design consultation. Our space optimization specialists will take the time to listen carefully to your thoughts and assess your needs to create a solution that has proper and appropriate storage, is functional, aesthetically pleasing and designed for your unique personal needs.
