How to Store Clothes: Expert Tips for Off-Season Clothing Storage

If we all had closets like this one, in Bethenny Frankel’s former SoHo home, we wouldn’t need clothing storage!

It’s one of the many ironies of New York City living: We’re a world fashion capital, and yet, the majority of us have barely enough closet space for one season’s worth of clothing at a time, let alone all the accompanying shoes and bags. How can you indulge your fashionable tendencies — and be prepared for dramatic weather shifts — without your apartment becoming overrun? We spoke to organizing experts Karin Socci of the Serene Home and Lisa Tselebidis, both of whom are certified KonMari consultants, for their best tips on how to store clothes efficiently, especially in space-challenged NYC apartments. Here are four easy steps to successful clothing storage, whether it’s winter or summer.

Edit: Pare Down Your Closet

In keeping with Marie Kondo’s KonMari philosophy, both experts agree that it’s best to start by editing your wardrobe down to essential pieces that you love. “A decluttered closet is a happy closet,” Tselebidis says. “If something makes you feel good when you put it on, it’s a keeper.”

Socci suggests asking yourself a few questions as you’re editing, to make the decision process easier: Did I wear it at all last season? Is it in good condition? Does it fit well? Does it fit my current lifestyle? Do I have duplicates that I like better? Am I just holding onto it because maybe someday I will have a reason to wear it? Once you’ve sorted out which items can go, donate them to your favorite local charity. Now you’re ready to stash away the “keeper” stuff that’s not in season!

Prep: Get Your Clothes Ready

“Before you store any items of clothing away for the season, make sure to wash them, even if you’ve only worn them once,” advises Tselebidis. Storing away dirty clothes will cause smells to worsen and stains to settle in permanently. And if that sundress is clean when it goes into storage, it’ll be fresh and ready to wear when summer rolls around. “Ironing is optional, because you may just have to do it again later,” notes Socci. She recommends rolling garments up, as opposed to folding them, to reduce the risk of wrinkles.

For storing heavy winter coats, dry-cleaning it beforehand will help avoid fabric damage. While winter coats can be folded in a pinch, Socci advises hanging them in garment bags for best results. Another little tip: Dry cleaners are usually obligated to hang on to garments for up to six months before donating them to charity — so if you really don’t have the space, you could potentially leave your coat at the dry cleaners. Just don’t forget to pick it up again!

Organize: Store Your Clothes Smartly

Socci touts vacuum storage bags as a great clothing-storage solution for the space-challenged. After all the air is sucked out, you’re left with a much flatter, more compact package that will easily fit under the bed, or wherever you plan to hide it away. “Also, use your vertical space and put off-season things up as high as possible, so they’re out of the way,” she says.

If you’re willing to pay a fee, you can take advantage of services like urBin and MakeSpace that will pick up, store, and drop off your out-of-season items whenever you want them. And if you’ve got storage in your building or a separate storage locker elsewhere, count yourself lucky — but, Socci warns, be sure you’ll actually be motivated to get your clothes out when it’s time. “So many of my clients tell me they have left sweaters in storage for years because they just can’t be bothered,” she says. It’s another great reason to edit yourself ruthlessly: What New Yorker has space to waste on clothes they don’t even want to wear?

And don’t forget to label, label, label: Mark every bag and container with its exact contents, so you can easily find what you need whenever you go back to it. “One great tip is to take a photo of what is going in each bin, and then keep a folder of these photos on your computer, so you know for sure what’s in the bins,” says Socci.

Optimize: Create the Right Storage Conditions

When it comes to how to store clothes successfully, dry and dark conditions are generally best. “Ideally, the environment you store your off-season garments in should be dry, cool, and protected from sunlight,” says Tselebides. Socci adds that air circulation is also important when storing leather, fur, or wool items: “For most things, airtight containers, like plastic bins or vacuum storage bags, work best, but for certain special items, your dry cleaners or may recommend linen or fabric garment bags.”

Shoes and boots should be cleaned and stuffed with newspaper, if possible, to maintain their shape, says Socci. ‘“You might consider using cedar pillow inserts to keep them smelling nice during storage,” she suggests. And instead of just throwing them all into a bin together, she recommends first wrapping each shoe with newsprint or shoe bags, if you have them, to prevent damage.

Many of Tselebides’s clients use cedar blocks or balls to deter moths. Washing items in hot water can kill off moth eggs, as can freezing woolens for 24 hours. But if you suspect you have a real pest problem, you may need to take a more aggressive approach. “The only way to be sure that moths have been eradicated is by professional extermination,” says Socci.

For more great organizing ideas, check out both Socci (@theserenehome) and Tselebidis (@lisatselebidis) on Instagram.

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