Tips for Storing Seasonal Items – Clothes in Particular

Life moves along with the changing of seasons — from putting up holiday decorations to spring cleaning and summer vacations, there’s definitely a lot of movement in your home. It’s no secret that your wardrobe changes along with the seasons, and there’s always the challenge of finding the right storage for your seasonal clothing.

For a lot of us, storage for seasonal clothes often comes with the question of closet space, and because affordable real estate footprints are getting smaller these days, it’s time to consider smart and compact storage solutions for seasonal items. Here’s a quick guide to help you get started in storing your seasonal clothes the smart way:

Prepare Clothes for Storage

Alternating between summer sunshine and cold breezes calls for a changing cast of wardrobe choices, and this means managing a cycle of bringing out and storing your seasonal garments.

Whether you’re packing away heavy winter coats or beach apparel, the first step is making sure that these clothes are properly washed and cleaned. In the same way, you wouldn’t want to be caught wearing a smelly shirt or stained white pants, chucking dirty clothes directly into storage isn’t a smart idea. Storing dirty clothes for the season is an invitation for lingering foul odors and stains, and possibly attract insects, and other vermin. Over time, odors and stains will settle in the fabric and damage your favorite pieces beyond repair.

Aside from properly washing seasonal clothes for storage, it’s also important to dry them properly before packing. Doing this keeps damage-causing mould and mildew from building up.

Opt for Proper Packaging

Storing seasonal clothes doesn’t simply mean washing and drying them only to be forgotten in the deepest recesses of your closet. Not only is this a waste of limited closet space, but it may not be the best way to preserve the materials of your favorite clothes.

Depending on how long you’re planning on storing your clothes, you can consider different ways of packing them up. For example, airtight, vacuum-sealed bags are great space-savers, but these are only ideal for short-term storage; prolonged storage in vacuum-sealed bags cause the fibres in clothes to compress, which can ruin their shape and fit. Plus, it’s also not the smartest way to store special items, so think twice before vacuum-sealing your special summer cocktail dress or prize coat.

A great, longer-lasting alternative to vacuum-sealed bags are containers with clip-on lids. Closed containers can easily keep out pesky dust, mould, mildew, and moisture. When lined with cotton sheets and reinforced with cedar balls, you can also be certain that your clothes will last longer and smell fresh next season.

Rent a Storage Unit

With limited closet space and skyrocketing real estate prices, sometimes all you need is a permanent, cost-effective storage solution that allows you to reduce clutter and meet the demands of modern minimalist living. Sure, it sounds silly to rent out a storage unit just for your winter jackets, boots, and resort apparel, but self-storage also allows you to store many other different of items at once, for smarter use of space at home.

Climate-Controlled Storage

Your trusty seasonal gear gets you through the harshest weather conditions and for that, they need to be stored properly until it’s time to harness their powers again. Just like electronics, furniture, and other personal effects, your clothes need to be stored properly to preserve them.

Climate-controlled storage gives you unparalleled peace of mind when storing just about any item, including seasonal clothing. With protection from extreme temperatures, dust, insects, and mould, you can mix-and-match your favorite pieces for many years to come.

State-of-the-Art Security

Clothing is an investment, especially heavy winter gear and designer dresses, and your investment requires protection. It may sound superficial, but when you live in a city like Toronto or within its vicinity, having the right type of clothing is essential not just for lifestyle considerations, but more importantly for navigating the extreme temperatures of the changing seasons. You can’t afford to lose your favorite items to vandals or thieves. Before renting out a self-storage unit, make sure that the facility has adequate security features, such as electronic gates, unique access codes, and 24/7 video surveillance.

Organize Your Storage Unit

Just as it’s not recommended to dump seasonal clothing in the back of your closet when not in use, it’s also not enough to leave coats, boots, and sweaters simply lying around inside your storage unit. As well as carefully placing them in bins with securely fastened clip-on lids, it’s also important to clearly mark these boxes, stack them against the wall, and keep a detailed list of all items placed in storage. Following these storage tips makes it easy to keep an organized space and retrieve items as they’re needed again.

Check on Your Storage

Your storage unit isn’t an abyss designed to be forgotten about over the years. Besides the need to retrieve and store clothes as the seasons change, it’s important to check on the unit and the items stored inside periodically. This allows you to detect and alert the facility to any problem with the unit. This helps to ensure that your essentials remain in perfect condition. Regularly checking on your items in storage also allows you to check on the condition of containers for cracks and stains and stay up-to-date with the latest periodic security upgrades in the facility.

For more tips on storing your seasonal clothes, call Abacus Self-Storage at (289) 807-1033 or contact us here.