Seasonal Clothing Storage

Where do you store your seasonal clothing? The ideal situation is to store clothing from all seasons together, but not everyone can do that. If you have a huge closet with plenty of storage, it may not be an issue. For those of us that don’t have big closets and not so much storage, we have to get creative when we switch our wardrobe twice a year.

Spring is here and it’s time to make a wardrobe switch. Warmer weather means we can put away the warm sweaters, wool pants and bulky coats. Short sleeves, jackets, and other lightweight pieces can now come out and play.

It’s a good time to do a purge as you put away your winter seasonal clothing. The less you have to put away, the less space is required.

Maybe you can take this opportunity to hold a clothes swap party with your family and friends. This is sort of a double-edge sword since you may end up with more clothes! Try to keep in mind that you are trying to reduce the amount of your clothes. After the swap is done, all the items that no one wants are typically donated to a favorite charity.

After you do a seasonal clothing purge, you need some options for out-of-season clothing storage to keep your in-season clothes easily accessible. The option you choose will be specific to your situation.

Before you store any type of clothing for a long period of time, please make sure they are clean and dry. It’s also a good idea to place sachets of lavender in the container to keep out moths (moths hate lavender), and keep your clothing smelling fresh.

Check out the options below for ideas that fit your situation.

• Space Bags – There are a number of companies that sell space bags. If you aren’t familiar with these, they are plastic bags to store clothing & bedding. You place items in the bag, then vacuum out the air and then seal them with the attached plug. They’re great for bulky items to store in small spaces.
• Underbed storage containers – Some beds have built-in drawers, if yours doesn’t, there are underbed storage containers that work pretty much the same way. They are flat, have lids and some even have wheels for easy access. They work well to store seasonal clothing.
• Basement – This option is a little tricky. Some basements are damp and musty, so I wouldn’t recommend clothing storage for these types of basements. For others that are dry, plastic bins work well, as long as the clothing is clean and dry, and you place lavender sachets in the containers to keep out moths and keep your clothing smelling fresh as mentioned above. Wardrobes work well in dry basements also. I have one in my basement that I use for seasonal hanging clothes, and have never had an issue.
• Cedar chests and closets – This is a wonderful option for long-term clothing storage. Moths also hate cedar so it’s built-in protection! Some people don’t like the cedar smell so it’s a preference thing but still a good option.
• Off-site storage – There are companies that will store seasonal clothing for a fee. These companies are typically a dry cleaner service that will store your seasonal clothing at their locations. If this is something you are interested in, search for this service in your area. The other option for off-site storage of clothing is a public storage unit. If this is an option that may work for you, consider the tips above for storing clothing in a basement.There are storage units that are climate controlled. This may be a better option for storing clothing.