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Spring is officially here after a very long, exceptionally cold winter, which means you’ve probably got the itch to pack away those heavy winter coats, sweaters, and boots for a few months. Seriously, we’re right there with you! But before you aimlessly throw your winter clothes into a bin under your bed or in your basement, STOP.
If you want to preserve your nice winter coats and wardrobe so you’re able to wear them season after season, a proper storage method is critical. Many people don’t know how to correctly store their off-season clothing or just how important it is. When you spend your hard earned money on your wardrobe, you want to keep it in the best shape possible, especially if you own any pricey investment pieces.
Lucky for you, we have the scoop on how to store your winter clothing, coats, and footwear during the spring and summer months–and it’s actually pretty easy. Get the tips and tricks below.
1. Clean everything. You don’t want to pack away dirty clothing so make sure you give everything a good cleaning. Dry clean wool and cashmere coats, scarfs, and sweaters; machine wash other winter items and your puffy coats. You can dry puffy jackets in the dryer with tennis balls to preserve their look. Your winter outerwear is exposed to countless germs, oils, and fluids so you want to make sure those are all gone before storing. Be sure to check all winter jacket pockets for papers, money, gum, and other items both before and after cleaning them. Make sure you don’t neglect your winter shoes in the step. If you have a precious pair of UGG boots, give them a good cleaning before you put those away as well. We have a step by step guide for cleaning UGGs.
2. Store heavy sweaters properly. Wool and cashmere winter sweaters need to be placed in durable clothing boxes. If you hang your heavy winter sweaters, you risk stretching them out and ruining their shape. Plenty of stores make clothing boxes designed to fit under your bed or on storage shelves.
Our Boot Box ($9.99)
3. Pack away bulky items efficiently. Winter items like puffy coats, thick socks, and blanket scarves can take up a lot of space in storage. Especially if you live in a small apartment, you can’t risk using valuable space on these off-season items. Instead, store them in vacuum-sealed plastic bags. Fill the bags will as much clothing as they will fit and use a vacuum to suck out all of the air and you’ve got yourself a compact little bag of clothing. You can then put these air-tight bags in storage either in your basement or under your bed.
Lekors Vacuum Storage Bags for Clothes ($24.32)
4. Put winter clothing in the right place. The key to preserving your winter coats and clothing during the spring and summer months is making sure you keep them in the right place. It’s best to store clothing in a cool (around 65 degrees Fahrenheit), dry, dark place. Storage bins can be stacked anywhere they fit and other items can be hung up–if space allows. For some extra closet space, you can purchase collapsable cloth wardrobes that can be assembled anywhere. Put them together where ever you have the extra space to give yourself a second closet in your home instantly.
Grey Clothes Closet ($49.99)
5. Keep your shoes protected. You don’t want to toss your winter boots into a random bin and risk them getting squished, bent, and misshaped. If you don’t still have the original shoe boxes that your boots came in, buying new boxes will work just as well. There’s a large selection of boxes in a variety of sizes to fit your tall boots, ankle booties, and everything in between. Hanging boot racks are also available for storing tall or knee-high boots during the summer.
Hanging Boot Butler ($69)
6. Avoid plastic garment bags for certain fabrics. Most coats, but especially leather, suede, and down-filled coats, need to breathe. This means you should stay away from plastic garment bags for long-term storage methods. Instead, choose fabric storage bags.
Home Zone – Breathable Garment Bag Clothes Covers ($12.99)
For more home organization tips, check out these spring cleaning closet hacks on SHEfinds.
