Tips for Storing Old Season's Clothes

It is used to be general practice at the end of winter and at the end of the summer to bring out the new season's clothes and put the old ones into storage. This is not always possible in modern houses and flats, with their lack of storage space, but if you can do it, it is a worthwhile habit to get into.

A regular turnover makes space in the wardrobe so that cloths are not crammed together. It prevents chaos. You can see exactly what clothes you have, and spot thrilling gaps in your wardrobe.

Before putting away old season's clothes, assess if they still deserve their place in your wardrobe. Generally, I put on probation anything that has not been worn for one season. Anything not worn for two seasons goes into a bag for the charity shop. Or you could try selling them if they are good quality and/or designer clothes.

Mend, dry clean, or wash clothes as necessary before storing them. This is important for several reasons. First, it is depressing to pull out dirty clothes from storage. Second, dirt encourages mildew. Grubby clothes often smell musty too, and the mustiness will permeate them all. Finally, insects, especially moths, are attracted to dirt on clothes and linens. TO insects, it is not dirt, it is dinner. They find clean clothes much less attractive. Ensure clothes are completely dry before storing.

For storing clothes, a large trunk is ideal. If not, large suitcases will do, as will the drawers fitted in some divan beds and storage boxes designed to fit under beds, as long as they have well-fitting lids.

Fold the clothes carefully, and put in the trunk/box, with layers of tissue paper. The tissue paper helps prevent clothes from creasing and should ideally be acid-free. This is widely available - try art suppliers.

Put heavy winter coats and suits in cotton garment bags, padding the sleeves with acid0free tissue paper, and outing a couple of lavender bags in the pockets. It is best to hang them somewhere if you have room. If not, lay them in a cool, dry place - in a little-used spare room on top of the bed is one possibility.

Use tissue paper when packing for a holiday as well. Your clothes will emerge as uncreased as when they went into the suitcase.

To be double sure that the clothes are protected from moths, put moth-repellant sachets in with them. There are several brands available - herbal, cedar, or chemical. Even nicer is to strew dried lavender stalks on top of each layer of tissue paper. Lavender is a traditional repellant and smells delicious.

Store woolens in compression storage bags. There are a great way to save space. You put the clothes in a bag and then suck the air out with the vacuum cleaner, squashing them down to a fraction of their original bulk. Look out for brands with a double layer of plastic, which gives protection from puncturing. Because the bags are sealed, the clothes are protected from damp and moth attack, Interestingly, they do not seem to come out too creased.

These bags are also recommended for packing clothes to go on holiday. The only problem is that unless you can guarantee that there is going to be a vacuum cleaner at the other end, how will you get them all home again?