I have just been in a clearing and organizing mode, maybe because Spring is on the way. Last weekend I emptied a storage cabinet and was able to find a home for everything, some of which was the trash, including the cabinet. How do we accumulate so much stuff!
So here’s a Guest Post from Audrey Cupo to help you get into your closet and store your off season clothes.
With a large closet, people are often tempted to keep all their clothes in the one spot and not rotate clothing seasonally. Unfortunately, this sometimes creates cramped closets and makes it hard to see what you really have in your current wardrobe.If you have a smaller closet, this is even more of an issue. If you can relate to this situation, I would suggest the following:
Store out-of-season clothing in plastic under-the bed containers or pretty cardboard boxes that can fit on top of your closet shelf.
Folded clothes should be stored with acid and dye-free tissue paper so they won’t be as wrinkled when pulled out for next season.
Fragrant, insect-repelling herb sachets are a good alternative to mothballs. They will keep your clothing smelling fresh and well protected without being potentially harmful to your family and the environment.
Any out of season clothes that need to be hung should be stored at the very back of the closet since they do not need to be readily accessible. They should be stored in a garment bag to keep them clean and dust free in the off-season. Avoid using dry cleaner bags for this purpose. They should not be used at all, in fact, for any type of clothing protection and storage. They trap the dry cleaning chemicals which stay on your clothes and can be harmful to your health and the environment. Your clothes need to breathe so cloth garment bags are suggested.
This is also a great time to look at what you have not worn the past season and get rid of it. Chances are you won’t wear it next year either. Why pack away something you will not be wearing. Make room for new purchases next Fall instead!
You will need to start planning a time to set aside to convert your wardrobe from Winter to Spring and Summer so be prepared with the proper tools to do so.
Audrey Cupo is a full-time Professional Organizer and sole proprietor of A BETTER SPACE based in Bucks County, PA. She specializes in residential organizing and focuses her business on helping busy moms get organized with her services and her U Can Do It product line. To sign up for her free monthly newsletter “Organizing News You Can Use”, go to www.4abetterspace.com.