Some
clothing items work well from one season to the next, but lots of
clothing items only work for a specific time of year. You don't need
access to your down jacket in July, nor do you need access to your
shorts when it is snowing in January.
If
you have a large wardrobe, keeping all that clothing in your closet
or bedroom can get crowded. Having a small storage unit, where you
can keep your clothing, can make it easier to navigate through your
wardrobe during any season.
Before
taking your out-of-season clothes to your storage unit, you need to
prepare your clothing properly, so it is as fresh and clean when you
take it out of your storage unit as when you put it in. Here are a
few tips for storing your clothes.
Wash
All Your Clothing
Before
you start packing up your clothing, you need to take time to wash all
your clothing correctly. A sweaty shirt is going to smell a whole lot
worse after sitting inside a storage container for a year. A damp,
sweaty shirt may even develop mold. Food stains that sit for an
entire year will be set in place and can attract pests to your unit.
After you wash, allow for ample drying before packing up.
You
should clean your shoes as well. Use alcohol-free disinfectant wipes
to wipe the dirt and grime off all your shoes. Use shoe polish on
your formal shoes, and allow the polish to fully dry before putting
your shoes in storage.
Keeping
your clothing, shoes, and accessories clean will help prevent your
clothing from getting damaged during the storage process.
Prepare
Plastic Bins
For
storing your clothing, you want to invest in a set of plastic bins
with lids. Plastic bins are usually well-sealed, making them an ideal
storage solution for your clothing. Clear bins work best as they
allow you to see what is inside them easily.
The
one downside to using plastic is that moisture can gather on the
inside of the bin, which is not good for your clothing. To protect
your clothing from moisture, purchase acid-free paper, and use it to
line the bottom, sides, and top of the bins. The acid-free paper will
absorb any moisture that could build up inside the bins.
Even
though you can see inside the bins, you should still carefully label
each bin so you know exactly what is inside it. You can even color
coordinate and print out colorful labels that will help you easily
identify what is inside of each box.
For
your shoes, if you still have the original shoe boxes, you can use
those. If you don't, purchase some small plastic bins for those as
well.
Purchase
a Portable Wardrobe
Not
all your clothing is going to stand up well to being placed inside of
plastic bins. If you have clothing you typically hang up, you can
purchase a portable wardrobe. Portable wardrobes usually have a metal
frame with a plastic-based container that covers the frame to create
a closet. Alternatively, you can install a spring-tension rod in your
storage unit and hang up clothing inside of garment bags.
Create
some extra space in your closet by renting a storage unit for all
your seasonal clothing items. Before putting your clothing in
storage, carefully wash all your clothing. Prepare your plastic bins
and purchase a portable wardrobe to keep your clothing safe while it
is in storage.
Give
us a call at Tysons
Self Storage
today,
and we can set you up with the perfectly sized storage unit where you
can store your seasonal clothing.
