Now that Spring is moving into Summer, it’s time to put away the winter clothes and take out the warm-weather items. While this always sounds so easy, as a prepper and planner, I know that it’s not. One of the key things to stay aware of during this process is the idea of “sorting and listing”. Sorting means that as you go through the Winter clothes, you make the hard decisions about what to keep and what to give/throw away. Then, while you’re doing that, start a list of what you’ll need for next year. Are you donating a ski jacket? Great. Will you need a new one next year? Now is the time to look for sales. I know it can be tedious, but next Fall when you pull out all of your clothes, you’ll be grateful that you purchased new hats and gloves for the kids during a Spring sale with huge discounts.
Okay, so you’ve gone through everything. You know what you’re keeping and what you’re giving away and what you need to purchase. Now you need to make sure that everything that is going into storage is clean. It doesn’t have to be dry cleaned, but wool clothes, sweaters, blankets, & coats should be brushed outside to make sure there are no moth eggs. All the snow gear should also be washed so it’s free from dirt/salt that could break down the fibers. There are lots of reasons to make sure that the clothes are clean but one of my favorites is that it’s so nice to pull out clothes for the next season that are clean, that fit, and that you know you’ll use.
But today’s post is specifically about woolens, especially wool sweaters and coats. To make sure they make it through the next two seasons without getting eaten by bugs, and are ready for you when you need them next Fall, here are a few tips for storage.
Storing Wool Clothes
- Make sure EVERYTHING is clean. Wash the sweaters/blankets/socks etc. and allow them to air dry. Bugs will feast on the smallest amount of food stains or grime. Or, if you prefer, dry clean them. (but do not store them in the dry cleaning bags after you pick them up)
- Brush out the jackets and coats, especially around pockets, armholes, cuffs, and collars where moth eggs love to hide. Do this outside.
- Hang wool coats and jackets in cotton storage/hanging bags–individually. That way if one is infected it won’t infect the others. You can put them in any closet, as long as they’re protected by the cotton bags.
- Add a cedar block to the hanging bag for extra protection.
- Store all the other woolen items in airtight plastic bins or plastic bags. Add a cedar block to each bin for extra protection. I like to organize the bin by family member.
- If you have wool handbags or boots (yes, they are both a thing), clean them thoroughly. Then stuff them with tissue paper and put them into a bin with a cedar blocks. (cedar blocks can be purchased in bulk from both Walmart and Amazon).
- If you purchase any woolen items on sale, clean them well before storing them in separate bins or bags. You have no idea what they’re carrying on them from the store/warehouse.
- Store the plastic bins in a place without extreme temperature. Under a bed or in the back of a closet is ideal. Uninsulated attics and basements are NOT ideal.
Now that your Winter clothes are clean, organized, and put away, you can take out you Summer things. And, since you went through the same process six months ago when you stored your Summer clothes, they should be all set to go–even if the are a bit wrinkled. Good luck!
