After living in San Francisco, a city characterized by perpetual fog and wintry summers, I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to have seasonal clothes. No need for storing sweaters and winter jackets here; they’ll be just as necessary in July as they were in January. But for anyone outside of this city’s foggy confines, spring and summer—and the need for bright, breezy attire—draw near. And what better way to say hello to sunny days than by saying goodbye to the heavy woolen fabrics of winter clothes? Part of any thorough spring-cleaning regimen should include ridding your closet of stuff you don’t need, and that includes winter clothes. However, that doesn’t mean throwing everything into a box in the basement and hoping for the best. If you want to keep winter clothes in top form for next year, you must abide by the laws of seasonal clothing storage.
1. Clean everything, including the clothes that look clean.
Your clothing’s worst enemies in storage are insects. Moth larvae, carpet beetles, and silverfish feed on the natural fabrics in your clothes, causing small holes or shreds. They’re most attracted to clothes that have stains—food, perspiration, and otherwise—so make sure everything that’s fit for storage has been cleaned. Even if you can’t see any stains, it’s possible that lingering oil spots will oxidize and become noticeable (and permanent), so keep that in mind when deciding what needs washing. Take care not to use starch or fabric softener, as they tend to attract insects more.
If you think insects have already infiltrated the clothes, high temperatures (as with dry cleaning) will kill the bugs. Freezing also does the trick; Martha Stewart Living recommends putting clothes in freezer bags and removing the air completely, placing them in a freezer for forty-eight hours, taking them out to defrost for twenty-four, and putting them back in for another forty-eight hours to kill any lingering insects. Whatever you do, don’t put winter clothes in storage areas that are bug-addled or dirty—unless you want to throw them out next year.
