As the weather gets warmer, you’ll be paying less attention to the sweaters and winter coats hanging in your closet and the wet snow boots that take up space in your entryway. It’s a much-appreciated change for those of us that have been living in the cold, but seamlessly transitioning from winter to summer isn’t as easy as swapping sweaters for breezy shirts.
Before you completely shift to your spring and summer wardrobe and say goodbye to winter for good, it’s important to pack your heavier clothing and winter coats in a way that keeps them fresh for next season. Trust us—there’s nothing worse than pulling out a sweater after months of storage only to find that it smells musty (that smell is most likely mildew, by the way). If you’re curious about how to keep winter clothes fresh, you’ve come to the right place.
Avoid the extra work when winter inevitably rolls around again. Check out our helpful, step-by-step guide below, for tips on how to pack winter clothes for storage.
4 Steps to Store Winter Coats in Summer
- Find an Appropriate Place for Storage
- Sort Your Winter Clothing
- Wash and Dry Your Winter Clothing
- Use deodorizers
How to Pack Winter Clothes for Storage
1. Find an Appropriate Place for Storage
Before you start packing up your winter coats and clothes, make sure you have enough space in your home to store them.
Do fold your winter clothes and coats and store them in plastic containers, vacuum bags, or even luggage. Completely dry your winter boots and place them in plastic containers as well. You can even go the extra mile and get rid of boot smell in the off-season with Fresh Wave Odor Removing Packs so your boots smell fresh when you pull them out of storage.
Don’t hang them or store them in basements, garages, or attics.
Areas like basements, garages, and attics, are all susceptible to drastic temperature changes and moisture, so it’s best to store your winter clothes and boots in a temperature-controlled environment. If you’re tight on space, you can pack your winter clothes and coats in long, flat, plastic containers and store them under beds, in clean luggage, or even vacuum-seal them so they lay flat in drawers or closet shelves. Effectively storing winter coats in summer starts with finding the appropriate place in your home.
Bonus Tip: Folding winter clothes versus hanging them is easier, cleaner, and keeps your sweaters and coats from changing shape!
2. Sort Your Winter Clothing
When you’re positive your winter coats and clothes have seen their last days of use for the season, begin to remove them from your drawers and closets and sort them into piles.
Do separate your favorite winter clothing items from the pieces that are hit or miss.
Start by making three different piles: one for the items you know you’ll keep; another for the items that are gently used; and another for the items you wear the least throughout the season. Keep in mind that some of the most needed items at donation centers are socks, hats and gloves, and coats.
Don’t keep every article of winter clothing you own and deplete storage space for the clothing items you wear throughout the winter.
Winter coats and clothing are bulky and can be difficult to find space for. The best way to pack winter clothes for storage is to sort through your winter wardrobe and determine what you’d like to give away to those in need. Then, before you put the items you’re going to keep in storage, use these tips to make your closet smell fresh to ensure everything stays fresh while it’s tucked away.
3. Wash and Dry Your Winter Clothing
Another important step when packing winter clothes for storage is to wash everything first. Yes, this sounds like extra work just so you can put your winter clothes away and forget about them for a few months, but you will appreciate it when you ultimately unpack them.
If you store winter coats and clothing that already have an odor or possibly some stains, it’s more likely that pests like moths and beetles will find a way to get to them and ruin them.
Do wash and dry everything you’re going to place in storage, even if they’re already clean.
Don’t risk washing heavy coats or delicate materials yourself.
If you try to wash and dry heavy winter coats or delicate materials (wool, cashmere, etc.) yourself, you may not get a thorough clean or dry. Instead, take these items to the dry cleaner before storing at home. This is a surefire way to keep your winter clothes fresh in storage during the summer.
Bonus Tip: Use Fresh Wave Laundry Booster to give your laundry detergent an extra boost to remove set-in odors!
4. Use Fresh Wave Deodorizers
If you want your winter coats and clothes to smell extra fresh when you pull them out of storage, try using a natural deodorizer.
Do store your clothing with Fresh Wave Spray and Fresh Wave Packs, dryer sheets, or a drop of essential oil.
Try Fresh Wave’s Lavender Odor Removing Fabric Spray or Fresh Wave’s Odor Removing Packs before you store your winter clothes away this year. Fresh Wave’s combination of natural ingredients makes our Sprays, Packs, and Gels safe to use in closets and around your delicate winter items as they sit in storage until next season.
Don’t spray clothing with perfume.
Perfume just adds extra moisture to clothing and moisture leads to mildew. Instead, try storing your winter clothing with simple, natural products.
For more tips, check out where to use Fresh Wave around the house. Get ready to say goodbye to winter, here’s to the warm weather on the horizon!
