How to Store Clothes for the Long Term – Without Ruining Them

Organising your wardrobe to suit the season is essential in saving space. When winter rolls around it’s sadly time to pack away your summer gear. But storing your off-season clothes can require a bit of thought, especially if you want to protect them from mould, dampness and moths.

Whether packing away your summer clothes, winter clothes or getting rid of bulky items there are plenty of options for you. 

We’ve put together an expert list of tips for effectively storing your clothes:

1. Wash And Dry Before Storing

2. What To Hang and What To Fold

3. Use Boxes and Containers

4. Using Vacuum Bags (Dos and Don’ts)

5. Find The Ideal Clothing Storage Location

6. Clear Out Your Closet

7. Store Your Shoes and Boots

8. Keep Organised

1. Wash and Dry Before Storing

Deodorants and perfumes left on fabric can stain over time and bugs and moths love dust, so making sure your clothes are clean before storing is essential.

Not to mention, your future self will thank you when winter rolls around and all your warm jumpers are clean and fresh.

But don’t forget, damp clothes make it easier for mould to develop in storage areas, particularly over long periods of time. We strongly recommend drying all clothing completely before packing it away. 

2. To Hang or To Fold

Different materials require different storage solutions. According to Martha Stewart, your typical winter wear, like thick jumpers, will begin to stretch when hung, so make sure you fold these. Common summer materials such as linen, on the other hand, are better to be hung – this will also save you time on ironing once it’s time to take your off-season clothing out of storage. 

For extra protection, we recommend covering your hanging clothes in a garment bag.

3. Storage Boxes and Containers

There are plenty of storage options when it comes to packing away your gear. To store your clothes for long periods without ruining them, airtight plastic containers are your best option. Yes, you can absolutely use plastic boxes for storing clothes. These will keep bugs, moths and mould away from your outfits and ensure your wardrobe is fresh and ready when it’s time to wear them again.

How to pack clothes for storage:

One of the best ways to pack your clothes for storage is to keep your space in mind. Here are a few extra tips on how to get the most out of your storage space: 

• Fold and store vertically, like a filing cabinet. Not only does this save space and make it easier to see what you have, it also reduces the need for ironing! 
• Use the right hangers. Make sure you use the right size hanger for your clothing, this will help avoid misshaping your pieces over time. Wooden hangers also tend to be better at maintaining shape than wire hangers. 
• Avoid using plastic garment covers. These can allow moisture to fester and create mould. 
• Avoid cardboard boxes, these serve as a great snack for bugs and pests. 

4. Using Vacuum Pack Bags

Vacuum storage bags are a great way to save space, shrinking your items to fit in the smallest of spaces, however, they can present some issues. Clothing items made from natural materials such as silk and wool can lose their shape over time, so avoid using vac bags on these.

If you’re storing items for a while before moving house, for example, vacuum bags are ideal. Less delicate (and more bulky) items like pillows and throws are well suited to these storage-saving solutions! 

5. Finding the Ideal Storage Location

Whilst it can be tempting to store your off-season clothes in the garage there is a high chance they’ll go mouldy. Garages are a hotspot for damp and mildew and should not be used to store fabrics over a long period of time.

To keep clothes fresh when storing you should opt for a location out of direct sunlight, as this can cause discolouration, and away from wood, as this attracts bugs. A metal storage container is your best option and for delicate items of clothing, you can even opt for climate-controlled storage. 

6. Clear Out Your Closet

The North London Waste Authority reports the average Briton has not worn 30% of their clothing in the last year. It’s time to start clearing out. Before packing away all your belongings in clothes storage, take some time to go through what you wear and don’t wear. 

What to do with old clothes:

1. Donate to charity. Charities are always looking for new clothes and there are plenty of drop-off points around the UK to make it easy for you. 
2. Sell your old clothes. Haven’t worn something in a while but maintained its quality? Why not sell it? Selling old clothes is a great way to create a little cash and save space in your storage for pieces you intend to wear again.
3. Swap clothes. Clothing swaps are a great way to freshen up your wardrobe without breaking the bank. 

7. Storing Shoes

Shoes can take up a lot of space in your wardrobe so packing them away is important. Whether your leather boots are now off-season or it’s time to put away the football boots there are some key steps in storing shoes properly. 

How to store shoes properly:

1. Clean and dry. Just like with your clothes it’s important to clean your shoes before putting them in long-term storage. Dirt and dust can attract bugs which will feed on the material.
2. Use shapers. Over time your shoes can begin to lose shape so investing in some shoe shapers can be well worth it. 
3. Apply protection. For leather shoes, giving them a polish before storing them is ideal. For fabric shoes, apply your favourite protection spray or balm to look after the material.
4. Prevent Mould. Silica gel packets are great at keeping away nasty winter mould.

8. Stay Organised

If you’ve followed our tips this part should be easy. When packing your clothes into their appropriate storage containers, aim to group them. T-shirts in one box, jeans in another, or however best suits your storage style. Your hanging clothes are easy to identify, but using labels on storage boxes will make life a lot easier when it comes to swapping your wardrobe next season! Using drawer dividers will take your organisation to the next level.

Self-storage with ANVSJ

Are you looking for a self-storage unit for your off-season wardrobe? ANVSJ have multiple self-storage locations across Yorkshire, Derbyshire & Lincolnshire.

Feel free to get in touch with our team today and let us know what your storage needs are.

Get in touch with ANVSJ on 01709 701155 today for more information.