Store as much as you like for as long as you like
Store as much as you like for as long as you like
It’s that time of year when the seasons are starting to change again, and the summer dresses are being packed way in favour of that favourite thick jumper. As you get ready for the colder nights, you might be wondering where you’re going to keep those summer clothes. After all, you don’t want to throw them away, but you may not have space in your house to keep them either. The answer is, thankfully, really simple – store them! The process is nice and easy, and it looks something like this:
Before you start worrying about how you’re going to store all of those out of season clothes, it’s worth going through and working out what you actually want to keep. Having a clear out before you put things into storage is a great way to save time and space, so it’s worth doing. If you’re storing the clothes for the season just gone (so right now that would be summer clothes into storage, ready for winter), then a good place to start is getting rid of anything you never actually wore. Then look at the things you weren’t quite happy in, or that are wearing out or damaged. Your future self will appreciate the organisation, and you will have less to store at the end of it.
Once you’ve gone through and decided on what you want to store, you need to make sure everything is clean. Every single item should be freshly washed before going into storage, even if you only wore it for an hour last time. Any spilt food or drink (which can easily go unnoticed) or even excess skin cells can attract bugs and cause damage to your clothes. Not only that, but if there are any stains you haven’t noticed, they will be much harder to deal with once they’ve had time to settle in storage for months. If you’re storing large or expensive items like a wedding dress you may want this to be done by a professional, but if it’s just normal clothes you can do this yourself.
The next step might seem simple, but it’s one a lot of people forget. Once you’ve washed all your clothes, you need to make sure they are completely, 100% bone dry. A little dampness won’t cut it here – that can cause mould and mildew that will infest the whole load of clothes, staining and destroying it. So whether you’re using a tumble dryer or air drying, make sure they have enough time to be completely dry.
Now, it’s time to figure out how you will store your clothes. You might want to opt for your wardrobe, if there is space, but you’ll most likely be clearing out because you don’t have room, so let’s look at other options. You could use boxes, but the most common option is a vacuum packed back. These are practical, space-efficient, and let’s be honest, there is nothing more satisfying than watching that thick cable-knit jumper get shrunk down to a super thin layer. Because of how tight it packs things, this isn’t great for delicate items, so you might want to have a box on hand for these.
Similar to your food shopping, clothes worn need to be packed efficiently. This mean heavier clothes should be put at the bottom, getting lighter as you work up, without overloading your container. It’s up to you if you want to iron everything before you store it (it may end up wrinkled anyway), but whatever you do your delicate items should be on top so that they aren’t crushed or damaged.
Think also about whether you want to roll or fold your clothes. For things like t-shirts, you may find you can fit more in if you roll them, while dress shirts are best folded. It’s important not to overcrowd your boxes, and if you have any items that need to be hung up (like suits or delicate dresses), then invest in clothes storage with a rail instead.
Now the hard part – where will you keep these clothes? If you’re trying to make space in your home by storing some clothes, then storing them at home defeats the point. Clothes are generally best stored around 12-18°C, not too hot and not too cold. Ideally you would also want complete darkness, as light (particularly sunlight) can slowly fade colours. The area should be well ventilated to avoid insects and moths, and boxes should be stored away from the wall to ensure air can circulate around them.
So what’s the answer? A storage unit! Self storage meets all of these requirements, and it doesn’t take up any space in your home either. At Blue Box Self Storage we have storage units available of any shape or size, from lockers up to double garages, so you can find one that suits your needs. If you would like to find out more about our options, just get in touch with us today.