Stay organised with Seasonal Clothes Storage. Living in a cold climate like London and the UK requires a more extensive wardrobe than in areas with stable temperatures. Wearing shorts outside in the middle of January is not an option for Londoners, unlike those who live in warmer regions.
As one of the world’s fashion capitals, London allows residents to express their personality through their wardrobe. However, inadequate wardrobe space can be a challenge for city dwellers. For fashion enthusiasts, a new season means new trends to follow.
If your wardrobe is too crowded, you might be considering ways to save some space. One of the most effective ways to declutter your wardrobe is by SMART Wardrobe, with our Seasonal Clothes Storage solutions.
It’s time to face the truth: you need more space. Your wardrobes are so full that they might burst if you try to add anything else. It’s time to declutter your wardrobe and create some space.
Twice a year, it is common practice to store seasonal clothing.
For those who wear clothes appropriate for the weather, it’s a fact of life to have a perpetual cycle of seasonal clothes storage. In spring and fall, it’s time to swap your seasonal clothes for the ones best suited for the upcoming season.
Whether you’re packing away your swimwear or shorts in the fall or your mitts and sweaters in the spring, there’s a right way and a wrong way to store your seasonal clothes. It is worth taking the time to do it properly, as this can help extend the life of your clothing.
Additionally, when your seasonal clothes emerge from their hibernation months later, they’ll be well-organized, and you’ll have fewer headaches. Use these nine seasonal clothes storage tips when switching over your wardrobe.
1. It’s a good idea to simplify your wardrobe.
As seasons change, it’s a good opportunity to evaluate your wardrobe and eliminate clothes that are no longer useful or desirable. According to a recent poll, 63% of people plan to declutter their closets in the next year, but sometimes life gets in the way, and we don’t always follow through on our plans.
This is why many of us have unworn or barely worn clothing, taking up space in our closets. Some of this clutter may be seasonal clothing that doesn’t fit, is out of fashion, is damaged beyond repair, or was bought on sale but never worn.
Take some extra time to go through your clothing collection and eliminate items you don’t wear. This will free up closet and drawer space and save time when looking for something to wear.
2. Wash and repair your clothes before storage
When storing your seasonal clothes for several months, washing and folding them properly is essential. It is advisable to take delicate items to your dry cleaner. Leaving an untreated stain on your clothing can cause more significant problems later on, as the stain will set in further and cause a worse discolouration of the fabric.
It is also important to deal with smells of body odours, perfumes, or colognes left on unwashed seasonal clothes. If left unattended, these smells will become more challenging to eliminate, and your clothes will attract pests like closet moths, especially if they are not washed.
To avoid mould or mildew problems, ensure your washed seasonal clothes are completely dry before being put into storage containers. Damp clothes stored in a sealed space with no airflow can lead to mould and mildew problems.
Before storing your seasonal clothes, take care of any sweater de-pilling or necessary mending tasks, such as fixing broken zippers or replacing missing buttons. By investing a little extra time to make sure all of your seasonal clothes are fresh and ready to wear the following year, you will thank yourself in the future.
3. Use plastic storage containers
How to get started with your Seasonal Clothes Storage: Always opt for clean plastic containers with secure lids instead of cardboard boxes. Label them appropriately for easy retrieval. Although cardboard boxes may seem like a good option, they eventually fall apart and are challenging to move around.
Moreover, rodents and insects can easily infiltrate them, which is not the case with plastic containers. Clothing stored in cardboard boxes for extended periods of time may also develop white or yellow stains. Therefore, it’s best to avoid using them.
Avoid overstuffing while storing clothes in plastic containers, as this can lead to tough-to-remove creases and wrinkling. Also, leave some space in the containers to allow air to circulate, preventing your clothes from developing a musty odour.
4. Proper Usage of Mothballs for Storing Seasonal Clothes
Mothballs are a great solution to prevent insects from damaging your clothes, but using them correctly is important. Mothballs are pesticides with a certain level of toxicity, which can be harmful to pets, children, and you if used improperly. To avoid any safety concerns,
wearing gloves when handling them is recommended. You can opt for chemical-free mothballs or use cedar blocks or cedar-lined chests as a safer alternative to eliminate any safety worries.
Also, remember that mothballs must be used in an airtight container or bag to be most effective. You should also use the right amount of them and remember that after a while, they lose their effectiveness and must be replaced.
5. Where to store your seasonal clothes in your home.
Not everything can be folded and stored in storage containers for seasonal clothing. Some clothes need to be hung, so it’s a good idea to install a wardrobe organizer and some helpful accessories like extra hanging rods to create more storage space in your wardrobes.
You can also add an extra shelf in the upper area of your closet to store items you don’t need for some time. However, be careful not to overcrowd your closets with too much seasonal clothing, as it may limit your everyday use of the space.
Other areas in your home can be used for seasonal clothes storage, such as wardrobes, larger walk-in closets or dressing rooms, bed surrounds with under-bed storage, suitcases, and laundry rooms with extra cabinet storage space. Remember that if you store your clothes in the laundry room, you’ll need to use a dehumidifier due to the high moisture levels.
6. It’s advisable to store your belongings in a climate-controlled storage facility.
If you’re planning to store your seasonal clothing, it’s important to ensure that you choose a climate-controlled facility. SMARTBOX Storage facilities across London offer stable storage conditions with consistent temperatures, which are recommended to keep your clothes well-preserved.
If you plan to store your clothes at home, ensure your basement is not too damp and avoid keeping your clothes too close to your furnace. Also, don’t use your garage unless it’s climate-controlled.
Your storage space should be clean and, if possible, kept in a darker space to prevent your clothes from fading, especially if you use clear storage containers. Attics can be too hot and dusty for seasonal clothes storage, so it’s better to avoid them.
Finally, some of your Seasonal Clothes Storage may be packed away for a long time without being used, so it’s important to take extra care when storing them.
7. Hanging certain items is not recommended.
You might be tempted to hang all your seasonal clothes if you have much-hanging space in your closets. However, some delicate knitwear or sweaters may lose shape if left hanging for too long.
To avoid this, fold your sweaters and store them in a drawer or plastic container. Wrap them in acid-free tissue to prevent damage when storing delicate items like quilts or wedding dresses for long periods of time.
If you must use hangers to store something, opt for high-quality padded or wooden hangers, as they provide better support for your clothes than wire hangers.
8. Don’t use plastic bags for seasonal clothes storage
It is not well-known that storing clothes for a long time in a dry cleaning bag is not recommended. The term “dry” in “dry cleaning” is somewhat misleading, as liquid solvents are used in the process.
If the dry cleaner does not completely dry the solvents, moisture trapped inside the plastic bag can lead to yellowing and mildew on the fabric.
Even if your dry-cleaned items were completely dry when you brought them home, the plastic cover does not allow your delicate clothing to breathe, which is necessary. It is best to use breathable garment bags for long-term storage of winter coats, suits, and formal wear that is only used occasionally.
9. Some things are not meant to be stored in vacuum-sealed packaging.
When storing your seasonal clothes, you might think that vacuum sealing them using a vacuum attachment or hand pump is a great idea to save space. However, not all clothing items are suitable for vacuum sealing.
Compression of natural fibres can cause the material to take months to return to its natural form, or worse, never return to its original shape. Clothing made from natural fibres needs some air circulation to breathe, which vacuum sealing eliminates.
Therefore, delicate and fluffy clothing or textiles such as bulky winter coats and down jackets, towels, winter gloves, comforters, pillows, leather products, sleeping bags, and anything made from wool, cashmere, or silk should not be vacuum sealed.
Find better ways to store your seasonal clothes.
Schedule a free pickup with SMART Wardrobe. Let us help you find better ways to store and organize your seasonal clothes storage, everyday clothes, and anything else in your home.
