The 7 top tips on how to pack your seasonal clothes for storage has been a long journey of trial and error for me. I have refined the system and it now works beautifully. I live simply and I do not have much but I do need some storage solutions that work.
@amilliongraces, living simply has made keeping fit in a busy schedule and being a frequent traveller possible. This is why seasonal clothes and bedding storage has been simplified too.
What is your why for storing seasonal clothing simply & easily?
Knowing my why for storage has helped me prevent it all from overwhelming or running away from me.
Know your why? It is important.
what containers are best to use for storage
The 7 top tips: how to pack your seasonal clothes for storage starts here:
TIP 1 – plastic containers work for me.
These plastic storage containers come in different sizes and stack well together. The clip-on lids add a bit more security to the items inside. I get them from Ikea.
TIP 2 – use see-through containers and you will find what you are looking for.
Plastic bins are wonderful because they are sturdy and easy to keep clean.
There are other suitable ways of storing clothing but it does depend on where you will be keeping the container and for how long you are planning on storing a piece of clothing.
- vacuum bags can be used when space is limited and you need to compress the items to make them smaller. I have used them to store duvets under our very low beds. It was a good temporary solution. The vacuum sealed bags will sometimes leak and not maintain the vacuum, so keep an eye out for that.
- wardrobe boxes can very successfully be put on the top of a wardrobe. It is best to use them where you can keep an eye on them. Do not use them where there is a possibility of water damage or damp.
- cardboard boxes are excellent for temporary storage, like when you are moving house. They are inexpensive and light, so are easy to carry.
- garment bags are excellent for storing things hanging in your cupboard that you do not wear too often, but need access to. They protect the clothing from dust and pests.
- duffel bags are wonderful for storing other duffel bags in and sports bags. They are then easily accessible to use for a sport’s event or as extra luggage space for a trip. They can always easily be folded flat and compressed. But storing bags in bags is an excellent idea.
how to prepare & pack the clothing for storage
TIP 3 – only store clean clothes away.
TIP 4 – only store clothes away that are in good condition.
It is very disappointing to return to a storage bin and find out that you had forgotten how poorly an item was when you packed it away. Keep only what is usable.
Keep the following pointers in mind when putting something away for storage:
- is this item clean? Dirty clothes will not be in any better condition after being in storage, only worse condition.
- what is the best way to clean the item before storage? Does it need to be taken to a dry cleaner? A good idea is to read the label of an item and find the best option to have it cleaned. This will preserve the longevity of the item.
what to put in storage
TIP 5 – know your why. Why do you store seasonal clothes?
Why do you want to store this item.
Know your why, because that will determine your how of storage.
Is it a wedding dress, is it a special cotton sheet and are these items special to you individually or to family members? A wedding dress may need to be stored for a long time.
Long periods of time need careful thought because, very often these items may be stored in a self-storage unit.
TIP 6 – know for how long you want to store this item for.
This will help determine the how to store the item.
The why’s could be the following:
- baby clothes can be stored for long term or for short term. For the longer term it could be for the arrival of another baby. Or for shorter term, when a baby has outgrown something, the item is still in good condition and you want to pass it on to a friend. I found that a large plastic garbage bin was a very good idea when I passed and received clothing for my children when they were little.
- seasonal clothing – I only use one see-through plastic bin for myself and my husband. Because I keep to this one bin for each of us – I often curate what is in there. I purge the things that are worn out, too small, too big or just plain ugly. Our seasonal clothing consist mainly of clothing items to layer with for the colder months. What does your seasonal wardrobe look like? Does it change much?
- clothes long-term, what to do about those? We have two plastic bin that take care of our long-term clothing storage. One bin has our winter ski gear in and the other bin has special national dress in. These items we may need access to once a year or once every two years. The national dress clothing that we have gathered from India, Mongolia and Germany are very special to us, so we store them carefully in our plastic containers. They are always easily accessible too.
know your materials before putting something in storage
TIP 7 – know your material when you put something into storage, small little critters sure do!
Natural fibers such as cotton or cashmere are very delicious for any small critter.
What to do, what to do?
Take note of the points above ie. what container you will be storing your natural fibre piece of clothing in and for how long it will be tired for.
Pest or critter natural defence will be cedar chips or cedar blocks. ‘No-one’ will be harmed, they will just not like the smell and therefore stay far away – win-win.
So, how do you use the cedar?
- place it, covered in the storage box with the clothing going in to storage
- make sure it does not come into direct contact with any clothing, it will stain it
Acid-free tissue paper provides a very good barrier between the layers of clothing. I like to think of it as also being a layer that would absorb any unnecessary moisture that could lurk in a storage container that could develop during some unforeseen extreme heat. That is why a climate-controlled storage unit is sometimes sought after when people are not able to provide that for themselves.
Long-term storage has to be carefully thought through because no-one want to lose an item of clothing to hold growth. If we take the care to store a precious item of clothing then we all want to have it back in good, wearable condition again.
why should I put it in storage – 7 top tips: how to pack your seasonal clothes for storage, this is why!
Firstly, because I have storage space! And I have precious items to store. There is a right way and sometimes a great way to do this without it being too laborious.
I store because I only like to keep what I am currently using in my wardrobe.
This means I can find everything I need really quickly.
And, lastly – this means I can pack for any trip really quickly too.
WHAT IS YOUR WHY? Drop me a line in the comment and let me know;)
7 top tips: how to pack your seasonal clothes for storage
What are your 7 top tips: how to pack your seasonal clothes for storage? Or do you have more tips to share? Let me know in the comments;)