Spring is in the air, the temperatures are slowly rising, the early birds are returning, and it’s time to think about getting outside. In this installment of our series of Getting Ready for Spring articles, we’ll give you a few tips for getting winter clothes ready for summer storage.

Sort into 3 categories

As you get ready to wear more warm-weather clothes, it’s a good time to take stock of your closet. Pull out all your warm-weather clothes and sort them into three piles.

Take out warm clothes from the closet

1. Keep – Just because spring is coming and warmer temperatures are on the way in doesn’t mean that you won’t need some cool weather clothes handy. Keep a few sweatshirts or jackets in your closet for those cool spring days or trips to cooler areas.

2. Donate – Now that winter’s coming to an end, it’s a good time to donate cold weather clothes you no longer need. If you didn’t wear that sweater this winter, chances are you won’t wear it next winter. Get it out of your closet and donate it!

3. Store – This is the pile of clothes that you want to keep, but don’t need in your closet taking up space. These clothes should be stored, whether it’s in your attic, garage, or self-storage unit.

Clean

Make sure that any clothing you plan to store is CLEAN – not just freshly washed or dry cleaned, but stains removed. Stains that sit for months will be much harder to remove, and food particles and sweat can attract moths. Remove the plastic covering from the dry cleaner before storing dry cleaned items.

Store clothes your keeping in boxes

Store

Whether you store your clothes in a cardboard box or a clear plastic tote, line the storage container with an old sheet or acid free tissue paper. Clothes can become discolored or stained when in prolonged contact with cardboard or plastic.

Keep the contents of the box consistent: skirts and pants, shirts, sweaters. And label the outside of the storage container so you can quickly locate the correct box if you need something.

Should you fold or roll your clothes? Folding can create sharp creases that are hard to remove after months of storage. Many experts suggest rolling clothes instead to prevent those deep creases from months in storage.

Following these basic steps will ensure that your winter clothes will be in great shape when it’s time to pull them out of storage next fall. And, if you followed these steps last fall, your warm weather clothes are ready for another season!

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