How not to store your clothing.
Storing seasonal clothing is a great idea, especially if you have limited closet space. It’s one of those times when less is more. By that I mean, when you go to your closet to pick out something to wear, and you can actually move the hangers around and see what is in there, you suddenly feel like you have more options. If you are a woman, you might even see outfit combinations you hadn’t thought before. Come to think of it, I guess guys might do that, too.
But if your closet is so jammed with clothes you can barely extract an item without the Jaws of Life, you are going to get frustrated and just grab something that is easy to get to. Again. Or, worse yet, you will be tempted to buy something new, compounding your problem.
But when you remove and store your winter (or summer) clothing, suddenly there is more room, and everything looks better. It will stay looking better, too, because cramming your clothes into an overfull closet is hard on the clothing. Clothes need a little breathing room to stay fresh and wrinkle free.
Okay, so you get it, you are on board and ready to store your seasonal clothing in your storage unit at your local Dollar Self Storage. How do you go about preparing your clothes for storage?
- Step number one: make sure the clothes are clean. Dirt and stains left on the clothing during storage will set into the fibers, making it more difficult to remove the stains later. Not only that, food particles and odors will attract insects that will eat right through the fibers to get to those yummy bits.
- Fold clothes neatly before putting into a container, and put the heavy items on the bottom, lighter items on top. Plastic is probably better than cardboard for clothing. A plastic container with a tight fitting lid will keep out the damp and the insects.
- Skip the mothballs. They smell horrible, and they are dangerous to children and animals. Honestly, if your clothes are clean and you are using properly sealed plastic containers, moths and other insects shouldn’t be a problem. But if you live in an area where bugs are really a problem, or you are just worried about those beautiful wool ski sweaters, cedar blocks are a safer and equally effective alternative.
- Label your containers. I know this seems obvious, but it is really tempting to just throw your stuff in a box and haul it down to the storage unit. A well labelled container can save you time and frustration when a few months have gone by and your memory is not so fresh.
- Put your containers in the coolest part of your storage unit; better yet, opt for an air-conditioned unit.
Safe, secure, air-conditioned units are available at all of our Dollar Self Storage locations, including: