Even here in sunny Santa Barbara, we need to store our off season clothes when the season changes. There’s an art to storing your clothes. I found an article in Houzz that offers excellent suggestions:
1) Choose a storage space that’s clean and stays cool, dark and dry, and be sure to clean each item before storing. Begin by considering what items you want to use between seasons; for instance, if you like to wear some of your winter sweaters on chilly mornings in early spring and again in the fall, find an accessible place, separate from the current season’s clothes.
2) When it comes to choosing storage containers, consider the fact that clothing (particularly when made of natural fibers) likes to breathe, but it also needs some protection from dust and bugs, and that can make choosing the right storage containers a bit tricky. Here are some ideas:
- Canvas hanging bags are a good choice for keeping off-season coats, dresses, suits and jackets neat and dust-free — plastic versions don’t allow the material to breathe.
- Use air-vacuumed plastic storage bags sparingly. While they’re great for some items, they can really squash your clothing, and it can be a pain to open and reseal them, which doesn’t make sense if there’s a chance you’ll want to wear the item between seasons.
- Plastic tubs can be a good bug-proof solution, but these can trap moisture in warm climates and don’t allow natural fibers to breathe. Sturdy canvas storage boxes, which come in various sizes (including under-bed boxes) are good for storing sweaters, tees, and jeans, and most come with a slot for placing a label of the contents.
3) For those of us who have a love affair with our shoes, here are some tips for storing the off season favorites. Just like clothing, shoes and boots should be thoroughly cleaned before storing, and the leather conditioned or polished. Once clean, give your shoes and boots some breathing space and stand them upright. Sprinkle baking soda inside to keep them fresh and use shoe stretchers if desired. You can also stuff tissue paper inside boots to help them hold their shape.
We who are lucky enough to call Santa Barbara home need to consider how to store our off season clothes just like those who live back east. Do you have any additional storage tips? I would love to hear them. Are you searching for a luxury estate in Montecito, Hope Ranch or any of Santa Barbara’s upscale communities? If yes, then please call me at 805.886.9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com. I also have all the intel on pocket listings in the area, perfect for my discerning buyers.