How to Pack Away Winter Clothes

photo courtesy of http://oddessey.com

After this LONG, cold winter I am so happy that spring is here and to teach all of you how to pack away winter clothes. In fact, I don’t think I have ever been as excited for spring as I am this year. Even though the temperatures have been teasing us a bit in the northeast (70 degrees one day and snow the next), I just can’t submit to wearing my warm heavy coats anymore. I’m beyond tired of them and I’d rather freeze in layers of knits, scarves and gloves before I put on one of my coats. I say “YES SPRING, YES!!!!”

Photo courtesy of http://taterandkeela.blogspot.com/

As we get excited by the idea of the warm weather, kicking off our shoes, and wearing light-weight-clothing, it is important that we do justice to our fall wardrobe that brought us triumphantly through many snow-storms, bone-chilling mornings and dreary winter days. Yes, even though we’re sick of them, we do owe our cold weather clothing heaps of thanks…and respect. Here are some great tips on packing away your fall/winter wardrobe so it is in good shape when the fall season is upon us.

Here is my advice on how to pack away Winter Clothes

Clean all of your winter clothing before storing it away.

One of the most important things you can do for your clothing is pack it away without any traces of stains or perspiration. If you don’t remove all stains, by the time you take your clothing out next fall, you may notice that the stains have really set-in causing discoloration. Also, stains are wonderful dinner invitations to insects. If you want your clothing to be hole-free when after waking them from hibernation, make sure they are clean.

Give your clothing some breathing room.

Air-tight containers and plastic bins should be avoided as they are breeding grounds for mold and mildew, especially in more humid climates. If you use plastic bins, make sure they have air holes. Cardboard boxes are better choices for temporary storage but make sure these boxes are new, cardboard box’s corregation can house pests and their eggs…ick. If you hang your off-season clothing that you prefer to hang, never store away in plastic bags, especially dry-cleaning-bags, instead choose a fabric garment bag to store your clothing.

Fold, don’t hang.

I say it all the time, never hang a sweater, and that this rule still applies especially when it comes to storage. Fold your sweaters and place acid-free tissue paper between each sweater. Stack from heaviest on the bottom to lightest on top.

Choose one place for the “little stuff”

Gather all of your scarves, gloves, hats and any other winter-accessories into one out of the way place. I use a big wicker basket that has a hinge closure for my winter-accessories and keep them in there all year long. If you do not have this type of a system for your winter accessories, gather all of them up and store them into one storage bin, this way they will be easy to access later on. Partner or mate-up any gloves so you don’t have to search for the mates later on.

Where you store is just as important is what you store.

Select a storage location that is dust free, dry and cool and out of direct sunlight. Good places to store clothing would be in the least used area of the closet, under the bed and on the top shelves of the closet. Avoid storing next to an outside wall which can cause dampness. Avoid hot attics, damp basements and damp garages when mold and mildew could develop.

Moth balls aren’t the only solution.

Moth balls effectively deter insects, but when they come in direct contact with clothing they can weaken dye in fabrics. If you choose to use moth-balls, use 1 pound of moth balls per 100 cubic feet of storage space, which is about the size of an average closet. We don’t recommend that you use moth balls especially if anyone in your house has breathing problems like asthma. Instead you can use cedar, and if you want something even better smelling and more natural, lavender is also an excellent moth repellent.