The Proper Way to Store Your Summer Clothes During the Winter

When you store your summer clothes in the right way during the winter, you can expect less wrinkling to delicate fabrics and a longer life for all your bright and colorful wear. Here are some tips on the proper way to put your summer clothes away for the winter.

Winter Clothing Self-Storage Tips

Prepare Your Clothes for Storage

All your summer clothing should be washed or dry-cleaned and ironed if necessary. Dirty clothes that are stored will tend to deteriorate quicker, and smells such as perfume or sweat may become ingrained within the fabric.

Also, you may want to consider deodorizing your summer clothes before storage. This will prevent them from having that musty smell. Add a dryer sheet to each storage bin or bag to keep summer clothes smelling fresh during storage. A few drops of lavender oil on a cotton swab tucked inside will also work!

Fold and Hang Clothes Properly

It is best to roll shirts, pants, and skirts to reduce wrinkling in the container. Delicate fabrics, like silk can be rolled in a tissue paper first. Sweaters should be folded, and not stored in bins that are not packed tightly. You may also want to put tissue paper in the toe of soft fabric shoes to help them retain their shape.

Jeans, of course, can be folded along with your lightweight jackets. Avoid hanging summer clothes for storage as these fabrics tend to stretch out of shape when hanging for long periods of time.

Storing Your Summer Clothes

If you don’t have the storage room in a basement that is dry and temperature controlled for the winter, you should consider renting a self-storage unit. This way, you can cycle your spring/summer and your fall/winter clothes each year with confidence. Instead of brown boxes which can deteriorate or become water damaged, consider plastic bins with tight-locking tops to store your summer clothes.

Sweaters do well folded and placed in plastic zipper bags. If you must store hanging clothes, invest in an enclosed garment rack and or cover an open rack with a cotton sheet. These tips for storing your summer items will help your clothing investment last longer and remain fresher each year you wear them.