How to Store Clothes the Right Way

One of the main things people need to store are clothes. A self storage unit is a great place to keep your off-season wardrobe, for example, so that your closet isn’t filled with your summer clothes in the winter, and your winter clothes in the summer.

It’s a good idea to know the best practices for storing your clothing and keeping them in good condition. That way, when you retrieve them later, you won’t find them damaged by mold or pests.

Here are the steps to take to store your clothing right.

Clean Your Clothes

This step is absolutely essential. Dirt, sweat, food particles, and other grime on clothing will do several things while they’re in storage, none of them good. They can cause stains which will be much harder to get out later. They can break down various types of fabrics, weakening, or forming holes in your clothes. They can also stink as food and other bits rot. Finally, they can attract pests, both rodents, and bugs. We take measures against pests at Derrel’s, but it helps to know that our tenants are storing clean clothes and other belongings.

So, clean your clothing first. Read the tags or check the Internet for instructions when in doubt. Most, but not all, clothing can go through a normal wash and dry cycle. Those that can’t take extra care.

Remove Stains

Yes, even set-in stains can damage your clothes given enough time. Often we know exactly which clothes of ours have stains, but look over them again and set aside stained garments. Tide stain remover pens work well, but different types of stains often need different solutions. Search the internet by fabric and stain type and you’ll find some excellent solutions.

Say Goodbye to Clothes You No Longer Wear

Over time as we buy new clothes, older clothes tend to go out of favor. Maybe you have a pair of jeans you loved ten years ago but that, though they’re still in decent condition, you’ve moved on from. The same certainly goes for tee shirts and really, anything that just doesn’t feel like you anymore.

Go through all those cleaned clothes and decide what you can get rid of. If you’re having a tough time with it, try the Kon Mari method or something similar. Sort the clothes you plan to get rid of into those that are in gently-used condition, and those that are getting too old. You can donate the gently-used clothing to a charity like a thrift store. Get a receipt for them with their estimated value, as you can deduct this from your taxes. The others can be recycled. You probably have bins around your town that accept them.

Pack Your Clothes

For clothes you can fold, the best way to store them is in plastic bins, which will keep out moisture. Cardboard boxes are all right, too, but get new ones, either small or medium-sized. Do not store your clothes, or anything, for that matter, in boxes you got from grocery stores, which are apt to have food particles in them that can rot and attract pests.

For clothing that needs to be hung up, like suits and certain dresses, purchase new wardrobe boxes. They come with a hanger bar across the top and plenty of space for six to a dozen suits, depending on the width of the box you purchase.

Now, your clothes are ready to store! If you don’t already have a storage unit with us, check our unit size guide so you can pick one that’s right for your needs, whether you’re storing only your off-season wardrobe or more.