For those of us who live in smaller spaces, the arrival of fall also signifies that it’s time for the seasonal clothing changeover. We’ve put together a time-saving guide to help you store all of your summer clothes quickly, easily, and properly.
Sort and Clean Before You Store
The best time to get rid of anything you don’t wear is before you put it away. Sort all of your summer clothing according to what you want to keep and what you plan to donate. Place all clothing heading for donation into a box, and place it in your vehicle right away. This will keep your items out of sight, reducing the temptation to keep them for another season.
Anything going into storage should be laundered so they’re ready to enjoy next season. Clean special fabrics like linen according to their care suggestions, and take any items requiring professional attention to the dry cleaner. You’ll definitely want to make sure all clothing is completely dry so that they won’t trap moisture during storage.
Consider and Choose Your Storage Options
Planning how and where you’re going to store your clothes is an important step that shouldn’t be missed.
Evaluate Your Space
Take a look at your closet or other available storage space. Is there room to put all your clothes into plastic storage bins, or is space at a premium? If you don’t have the room for a lot of boxes, save your plastic bins for your summer shoes, bags, and other accessories like belts.
Hang It Up
If you have the closet space, those breezy summer dresses can be stored in garment bags on padded hangers to prevent wrinkling. Keep in mind that fabric bags are far more breathable than plastic, and so will keep your clothes dryer.
Flatten It
One of the superheroes of clothing storage are vacuum sealed bags. This option is not only simple but allows you to make room in your closet. Just fill, and then attach a vacuum cleaner hose to the bag to remove the air. You’re left with a flattened version of your summer wardrobe that can be stored virtually anywhere you have room, including under your bed.
Prepare Storage Location
Check your bags and bins for damage, and wipe dust and dirt away before filling them. Summer clothing can also become the victim of other unseen invaders unless you take steps to prevent it. Cedar is a non-chemical way to freshen your clothing, and it’s also an effective moth repellent, making it a great choice for any storage option.
Lavender is another chemical-free alternative to dryer sheets that keeps clothes smelling fresh and repels moths. Place some dried lavender into a piece of fabric and make a sachet. You can also add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a small swatch of fabric to hang with your dry cleaned items.
Fold or Roll?
Your next task will be to decide whether your clothing will be folded or rolled. If you don’t want knits and other items to be wrinkled, keep them out of the vacuum bag and roll them before placing them into bins. Rolling instead of folding will prevent stubborn creases that can shorten the life of your fabrics.
For clothing that must be stored flat, it’s a good idea to place a few sheets of tissue paper between each piece to prevent wrinkling and damage.
Storing Summer Accessories
Hats, bags and other accessories that you only use in the summer also need to be stored until warmer weather returns. Here again, take a look around and find space that you aren’t using, such as the top shelf in a closet.
Help your bags keep their shape by stuffing them with brown packing paper. If you have expensive bags, place them in their dust jackets. Store your summer hats in hat boxes—or you can stack and place hats into a laundry basket with your summer bags.
Other Space-Saving Ideas
Living in a smaller space sometimes means that you have to get creative. Some inventions, such as the vacuum bag, help you use space you didn’t know you had. The same is true of other inventions like tiered clothing hangers. These products are ideal for summer clothing that will be hung up in your closet.
Tiered hangers allow several items of clothing to be hung vertically. This helps you make use of vertical space while creating more room on your closet rod. Tiered hangers are available specifically for certain garments, while others allow you to hang several garment types on one product.
Remember to Keep It Dry
We can’t overstate the importance of dryness when storing your summer clothes. In addition to making sure all items are completely dry before storing, be sure to leave plenty of room for your items to breathe (unless you’re using vacuum sealed bags). If there are too many clothes in one storage option, place them in another container.
Your Solution for Long-Term Storage
You may not have the room to store more than one season’s worth of clothing at time. Solutions from Samba Moving provide safe and reliable storage for all of your important items. To learn more about our many top-notch storage options, stellar moving, and packing services and why we’re New York’s choice for moving company, visit our website or contact us today: 212-756-1263.
