When you’re ready to pack up those winter clothes and get ready for the rain gear of spring. Here are some tips to save space when storing your winter clothes
Pacific Northwest winters are perfect for those of us who enjoy bundling up without the extreme temperatures most of the country experiences. When the season’s over, what are you doing to keep your closet organized as the transition to spring begins?
Whether you’ve got a tiny studio or ten walk-in closets, this article will give tips, tricks and new, creative ways to safely store your winter clothes. As a professional cleaning company based here in Portland, we’re in homes every day and have seen more ways (good and not so good) people are transitioning their attire from season to season. Here are our best tips to keep your closet organized year-round.
Are you the ultimate space saver who needs to replace one season’s wardrobe with another? Or are you someone who has to simply rotate your closet and reorganize? An organized closet keeps decision making easier, it saves you time searching through clothes you know aren’t going to be worn for several months, and most importantly reduces stress.
Here are some practical tips to storing and organizing your winter clothes:
Start here: Seasonal organization. It’s called spring cleaning for a reason. Now is the perfect time to start fresh and donate any old or unwanted clothes to your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or any other local non-profit. Saving space means more than buying more totes or shoving those old coats to the back of the closet. If you’re anything like us, you probably have multiple articles of clothing just sitting there taking up space.
When you’re ready to start storing your winter clothes, be sure to wash everything before storing for multiple seasons. If you’re using vacuum bags or totes, be sure to also consider deodorizers. Failing to wash your clothes before storing them can result in natural body oils deteriorating and wearing down some materials. Pro-tip for those vacuum sealers and tote users, add a couple of drops of essential oils to the bags and totes to keep your clothes smelling fresh. Our favorite is lavender :). Finally, always make sure your containers are as airtight as possible to preserve your clothe’s freshness.
Looking for ideas on where to keep your winter clothes?
If you’re short on space, there are several creative ways to rotate your clothes throughout the seasons. Your best bet when storing clothes is to keep them in a cool, dark place that’s somewhat temperature regulated. Garages, attics and basements can work, but are not ideal if you’re dealing with a designer or delicate materials. Consider these tips before moving your winter clothes into the garage or basement.
1. Small totes that fit under the bed:
Totes are a go-to storage solution for clothes. They work so well because you can consistently rotate winter and summer clothes using the same storage bins throughout the year. The closet is also a great place to store totes although the short and flat shape of your under-the-bed totes may be different.
2. Install a pop-up closet:
An affordable way to keep your clothes hanging up, but out of the way from the rest of your wardrobe. Popup and portable closets can be airtight, and placed out of site, out of mind. They’re also affordable. For less than $50 you can have a professional-looking clothing storage solutions pace for your home.
3. Folding ninja skills:
The downside to winter clothes is how much room they require. Being a folding ninja is a fantastic way to transition from hanging in the closet to folded in the drawers.
4. Vacuum packing:
Vacuum storage bags for packing clothes gets a bad reputation. As one of the safest, most economical and easiest ways to save space, storage bags when used correctly are always a win-win solution. With multiple size options and durable materials, you can organize your clothes in any way imaginable.
Keeping your closet organized doesn’t have to be a chore. Spend some time planning your clothing system and make it fun for the whole family. We all love those winter weekend hikes, boots and snow gear. But when it comes time to welcome spring, spending a couple hours reorganizing and prioritizing your clothing selection saves time and reduces stress all year long.
Leave us a comment if you have a different storage solution. We’ll always add more to help anyone looking for some new ways to keep their clothing organized. Happy Spring!
