Spring has officially sprung today! Now is the perfect time to pack up your winter clothes and make room for spring and summer. Here are some tips on keeping your winter essentials safe for the next six or so months.
Clean Everything
Before you even stop to think about putting away your clothes, make sure it is all clean. That might mean an extra trip to the dry cleaners or running a few extra loads of laundry. If there are any stains, they will permanently be there if you don’t take care of them first. Also, making sure everything is clean first ensures that it will be nice and fresh when you pull it back out the next time.
Say Goodbye to Plastic Bags
Storing your clothes in those plastic bags from the dry cleaners will actually do more harm than good when it comes to storage. Clothes need to breathe so you want to get them out of those suffocating bags. Those bags also can turn your clothes yellow, so ditch them asap.
Find the Right Storage Solutions
One material does not fit all. Plastic bins are great for non delicate items (t-shirts, jeans, polyester, etc) but make sure you don’t pack them too tight. Remember, clothes need some air so leave some space in those bins. Delicate items should be wrapped in acid free tissue paper. Once wrapped pack them away in 100% Cotton Canvas bins/bags.
Avoid Hanging
At least when it comes to sweaters, hanging them is the enemy. Sweaters (or any knit for that matter) can stretch from hanging and you end up with weird shoulders. Make sure you are folding any sweaters and knits to avoid pulling.
Portable Closets
If you have room for them, canvas portable closets are the perfect place for your coats. Make sure there is nothing in pockets (only thing I will allow is paper bills, because finding money in your coats is the best surprise), zippers are all done up, etc. Hang your coats on thick wooden hangers. Ideally you are looking for a hanger with a curve to help keep the natural shape of the garment.
Cool, Clean, Dry, and Dark
This is what you want to remember when storing any clothes. Avoiding light and heat helps protect the material and avoids any color change. Obviously you want things to be as clean as possible. Dry, well, no one wants mildew smelling clothes when they pull them out of storage.
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