How to store your winter clothes?

If you are relocating to a smaller home and bringing all of your items with you, you might run into the issue of storing seasonal clothes. Winter clothing can be quite bulky, after all, and you might even need to rent a storage unit or consider a plastic bin rental for the purpose. But there are steps you need to take before you can safely store your winter clothes. You will need to sort them out, repair them as necessary, as well as wash and dry them beforehand. You will also need to consider how to keep various pests away. In this article, we will be covering the entire process, from start to finish.

How to properly store your winter clothes?

• Sort all your clothes out - Repair what is damaged and donate what is unnecessary
• Wash and dry all winter clothes before storing
• Use plastic storage bins to store your winter clothes
• Use garment bags instead of dry cleaner bags
• Keep the pests away
• Rent a storage unit well in advance

These are the steps you will want to take when storing your winter clothing.

Donating your unwanted items is the best way to "store" them.

Sort all your clothes out

The first thing you will need to do is sort all of the clothes. While doing so, try to identify if any apparel needs repairs, and is it feasible to do so. After that, you may want to donate any unnecessary items. This will allow you to only store the clothes that you will actually use in the coming years. Storing everything without sorting is usually a bad idea. You can use plastic wardrobe boxes for moving for this occasion, as they will provide you with greater convenience. You can also ask your friends and family members if they would like to have some of your old clothes. The important thing is that you do not simply throw them away, better to allow someone else to use them. If you end up deciding to donate them to charity, know that your apparel needs to be in good condition.

Wash and dry all winter clothes before storing

Once you finish sorting, the next task is to thoroughly clean the clothes before you send them to storage. Depending on their number, this may be a process that will take quite a bit of your time. But you don't need to do everything at once, of course. You may also want to consider the moving supplies that will be necessary for their storage at this point. The next part of the process will have you using them to further secure your belongings. Follow the instructions on the labels, or send your clothes to a cleaner for the best effect. Once all of your clothes are squeaky clean, you can proceed to the next step.

Use plastic storage bins to store your winter clothes

The best containers for the purpose of storing winter clothes are plastic bins. You can acquire them from a specialized company, such as Capital City Bins, or from a local specialty store. You will want to avoid packing everything into as few storage bins as possible, as that might make it difficult to find the item that you might need at some point. A much better option is to divide your clothes by type and label the bin appropriately.This way, you will be able to easily get to a piece of clothing that you require. While you may think you will not need these items before their season, chances are that you will have a use for them at some point. You might want to hold a couple of the boxes with more versatile items in your home for this very reason. You can send the rest to a storage unit.

Plastic storage bins are much more suited for storing winter clothes than regular cardboard boxes.

Use garment bags instead of dry cleaner bags

If you have decided to utilize dry cleaning for your items, you will want to remove them from the bags that they came in, and put them in garment bags. The main reason for doing so is the chemicals that are used in the dry cleaning process. If your clothes are left exposed to them for too long, they might turn yellow or even grow mold and mildew. Of course, this involves them not being properly dried in the first place, as the dry cleaner bags will trap all the moisture and expose them to these dangers. There are many problems with dry cleaner bags, actually. If you plan on storing your clothes for a long period of time, your best option is to procure some garment bags for them. They will allow your clothing to remain wrinkle-free, and ready to be used at a moment's notice.

Keep the pests away

Whether you are storing your belongings inside a storage unit or in your home, you will want to protect them from various pests. Chances are that you are not going to check up on your stored items regularly, so ensuring their maximum protection needs to be at the forefront of your thoughts. If your home serves as a storage unit, make sure to vacuum the closets regularly. This will make them less prone to accumulating any food particles that may attract various insects. Regular cleaning will also allow you to spot any signs of an infestation, such as small holes, flying insects, etc.You can use mothballs for the purpose of safeguarding your clothes, of course, but they do come with their downsides. You may not like the scent and there is the fact that they are a pesticide. However, there are mothballs that are chemical-free, and you might want to explore that option. Alternatively, you can try utilizing cedar products as well. Just make sure to change them regularly, as they lose their potency with time.

A cedar a day keeps the pests away! You don't really need to switch it every day, though.

Rent a storage unit well in advance

Lastly, if you are planning on using a storage unit to store your winter clothes, you may want to rent it in advance. This will allow you to get the best deal on it, and you can check in from time to time to see what the conditions are like.