Storing your winter clothes properly requires a few considerations. To keep your winter clothes in great condition and prevent their life from shortening, follow these simple steps.
The first step is to go through all of your winter items. Anything that is ripped or beyond repair, toss it. Anything that is still in good condition, but you did not wear this past winter or no longer fits, consider donating it. If they are really nice pieces, you can also consider selling them.
Even if you look over all of your winter gear and it doesn’t look dirty, clean them anyway. Your winter clothes and winter accessories go through a lot and can get covered with salt and mud.
Storing your winter items without cleaning them first can be harmful. Even the smallest amount of body oils and dirt can cause the fabrics to deteriorate over time, as well as discolour or even smell. Dirty items can also attract pests and cause mold or mildew to develop.
Take any clothing to the drycleaners if it can’t be cleaned in your washer and dryer. Another benefit of cleaning everything before it’s put into storage is that when it’s time to pull it all back out again, it’s all clean and ready to go.
Wipe down all boots and shoes and apply a protective coating, such as wax, if needed.
Plastic storage bins are the perfect storage solution for your winter gear. They will help protect your items from any water damage, dirt and dust. If you use clear plastic bins, it will also be much easier to locate what you are looking for when needed.
When packing your clothes, follow the same rules as anything else. Put the heaviest items on the bottom of the bin and lighter on top. Clothing needs to be packed lightly together, as they need some room to breathe.
Vacuum sealed bags are perfect for any of your puffier items, such as jackets and snow pants. They will save you a ton of room.
Empty all pockets and do up all zippers and buttons as an added step to help keep the shape of your items.
Stuff all shoes and boots with acid free tissue paper or newspaper, so they keep their shape while in storage and cover each pair in an old t-shirt or towel for added protection. It’s best to store all boots upright in a plastic bin, but if you are unable to do so, make sure no heavy items are put on top that could cause the boots to lose their form. Throw some silica gel packs into the storage bin to help protect them from any possible humidity.
After all of your winter gear has been packed up, you will need to find a place to put all of the boxes and bins. A self storage unit is a great storage solution to store all of your winter items. They will be kept clean, safe and secure until the next season rolls around.
At Riel Park RV & Self Storage, we offer both drive-up access storage units, as well as climate controlled storage units for your more sensitive or valuable items. With no long-term contracts and month to month rentals, you can rent a storage unit for as long as you need.
Give one of our friendly customer service representatives a call today at 780-459-6435, or reserve a unit online today and move in as soon as you need. With storage units of various sizes let us help you estimate the storage unit size you need.
