Remember all those super-warm sweaters, scarves, gloves and coats you needed during this past winter? It’s time to say goodbye to them — at least for a little while — and say “hello” to summer duds! Before you kiss your winter apparel bye and send it to your self-storage unit, you have to make sure you prepare each item so it will be ready when the cold winds decide to blow again.
Not surprisingly, each type of winter apparel item requires a particular type of storage prep. That’s why we’ve designed this quick-and-easy guide.
Storing Leather Items
Whether you’re planning to store leather shoes or leather jackets, they should all be cleaned prior to putting them into storage. Plus, any shoes or purses that are made of leather should be polished using special conditioning oil. This will keep the leather from cracking.
Storing Fur Items
If you have a coat made of fur or a jacket with real fur trim, you may want to get it professionally stored at a furrier. If this isn’t an option, ensure your self-storage unit is going to be kept at a cool temperature all summer. Fur needs to be cool.
Storing Wool Items
As we all know, moths and other bugs enjoy munching on wool garments. Before you put wool into storage, get it professionally dry cleaned and then remove it from the plastic wrapping. Put the wool item into a garment bag that will “breathe” or a box that has holes in it. Instead of moth balls, which have a foul smell that some people find highly irritating, put cedar blocks into the containers or bags. Moths and similar insects do not like the smell of cedar.
Storing Other Items
Other apparel items made of fabrics like rayon, cotton and synthetics should be cleaned and either neatly hung or folded for storage. Avoid putting them into non-breathable containers, as this can cause damage to the fibers in the cloth.
With a little prevention and planning, you can ensure all of your winter attire will look like new when you take it out of storage in the fall!