You did it—you survived another New York winter!
It’s time to celebrate with a wardrobe change. But once you swap out those boots for sandals, sweaters for tank tops, and jeans for shorts, you need to pack all your cold weather clothing away. You may be tempted to toss it all into a bag and just be done with it, but if you don’t pack your clothes away properly, you’ll regret it when the cold weather makes its way back to the city. Follow these tips now and start your summer off guilt-free and organized.
1. Wash everything.
One of the best things you can do is wash all of your clothing first—yes, even the things you washed last month and haven’t worn again yet. Dirty clothes are vulnerable to deterioration from even the smallest amount of body oils, which produces bad odors and attracts moths.
2. Speaking of moths… trade moth balls for lavender.
The reason moth balls are so effective is that they contain insecticides that aren’t just dangerous to moths, but also to pets and children. Don’t take the risk—lavender is just as effective and much safer. You can add some lavender oil drops to cotton balls or fill a muslin bag or coffee filter with dried lavender to keep your clothing—and your family—safe.
3. To hang or to fold…that is the question.
And the answer depends on the clothing. Sweaters, casual shirts, and jeans should be folded and stored in a dark bin; coats should have their zippers zipped and buttons buttoned, then be loosely folded (if you have any coats made of real fur, they should be hung up); and delicates should be moved from plastic dry-cleaning bags to cotton garment bags.
4. Splurge on acid-free tissue.
If you don’t have room to hang your delicates, wrap them in acid-free paper. These fabrics don’t survive well in plastic, they need to “breathe.” If you use normal tissue paper, the acid in it can actually break down the fibers, ruining your favorite clothes for good.
5. Treat your footwear.
Take the time to sprinkle some baking soda into all of your shoes before packing them away. This will absorb odors that could also affect the other clothes you’re storing. Shoes should then be stuffed with tissue paper to retain shape and stored in plastic bins, and boots should be stored on their sides with an old shirt or pillowcase between them.
6. Pick the right place.
Perhaps the most important part of this process is to choose the right place to store your clothes. It should be a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight and humidity—which can create mold and mildew and cause your clothing to fade over time.
So, your winter clothes are all washed, dried, hung/folded, and treated, but you don’t have an appropriate place to store them in? No problem! Contact the experts at Gotham Mini Storage for the best Manhattan mini storage offering a secure, climate-controlled place to keep your NYC winter wardrobe until temperatures drop again.