How to Store Winter Clothes and Gear
At last! The cold, dark, and snowy days of winter are finally behind us and we’re looking forward to all of the fun and beauty of spring!
To transition to the new season, you’re likely putting together a list of spring organization tasks, like sorting through your closet and deciding what to keep, sell, or donate. Storing bulky winter clothes and equipment can feel like a burden unless you have a good strategy, so here are some tips from the experts at Stop & Stor.
Preparing for Winter Storage
Winter coats, boots, clothing, and sports gear tend to cost a pretty penny, so it may be in your budget’s best interest to keep these things looking great and performing well from one year to the next. Make sure to clean your winter clothes before stashing them away so that they don’t attract insects and aren’t targets for mold and mildew. Whether they’re washed or dry-cleaned, freshly cleaned winter clothes will preserve much better than dirty ones so that they’re ready to use again next winter.
To further protect your clothes before storing them away, use deodorizers so that items don’t start smelling musty and shock your sense of smell when you open up the containers later this year. Lavender sachets or dryer sheets help prevent musty smells in clothing and winter shoes, so toss a few of these in before closing up your container. Meanwhile, humidity packs work great for keeping moisture out of your vacuum storage bags to prevent mold and mildew.
Options for Storing Your Winter Clothes and Gear
If you’re debating how to store winter coats, clothing, and gear, you should know there are a few different options depending on how much stuff you have and how much space your home has. If closet space is limited, you might consider using plastic bins or cardboard boxes under the bed to maximize your in-house storage solutions. For off-season clothing, you can also install a few storage racks in your home to “go vertical” and utilize empty wall space.
Once you’ve maxed out the clothes storage areas in your home, consider renting a storage unit so that you can keep all your winter items accessible but out of sight. Stop and Stor offers month-to-month flexible renting so that you only pay for the seasons of storage you really need.
Best Ways to Store Winter Items
Plastic bins are a great option for storing winter clothes because they are lightweight, waterproof, and stackable. Bins will keep your clothing cool and dry, and they’ll hold their shape better than cardboard boxes. Sweaters should be folded and laid flat to prevent them from stretching out. Casual shirts and pants can easily be folded and placed in plastic bins, or perhaps even rolled to take up less space in the bins.
For delicate items that you don’t want to get wrinkles or fold lines, such as winter coats and suits, use garment bags and hangers. Cotton garment bags are better than plastic dry cleaner bags when you’re storing items for several months or longer. Before sealing up the bags, wrap everything in acid-free tissue paper to protect natural fibers and delicate materials. Meanwhile, bulky items, like puffy coats and ski pants, do well in vacuum-sealed plastic bags to reduce the amount of space these things take up.
To store winter shoes and boots after cleaning them, put boot shapers inside of them to preserve their shape. Boot hangers can be used for special boots if you have a lot of extra closet space. Rather than haphazardly tossing everything else in a big plastic bin with an airtight seal, you can store winter shoes away in their original cardboard boxes or plastic bags where they can get some air and breathe.
For winter sports gear, such as skis snowboards, use stretch wrap to keep equipment together, be easy to transport, and so that edges and blades don’t rust. Plastic shrink wrap is a better choice than flimsy cardboard boxes or hole-prone plastic bags for keeping your gear protected from prolonged moisture, humidity, dust, and scratches.
We hope you’ve found these tips for how to store winter clothes and gear helpful and are now inspired to declutter your closet! To keep your winter items in great condition while making room for your spring and summer clothing and gear, now is a great time to look into a climate-controlled storage unit from Stop & Stor. Established in 1980, Stop & Stor is a family owned and operated business that has become New York’s Self Storage Leader by offering cutting-edge facilities in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.
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