How to Best Prepare Winter Clothes and Linens for Storage

Now that winter is over and spring is officially here in the Triangle, it is time to think about transitioning from the cold weather, winter wardrobe to a warm weather, spring wardrobe. Before enjoying this spring season, one must make room for their spring clothing by doing the following pair of things.

• Cleaning Winter Clothes Correctly.
• Properly Packing and Storing Winter Clothes.

Mr. Laundromat knows how important it is to not overlook either of these steps when transitioning out of winter clothing. Following those steps can not only protect the clothes, but also save time and money months from now when winter comes again and there is no need to throw away expensive winter clothing or have to spend hours laboring over trying to clean them. Let us now look at the first step to properly taking care of  winter clothes now that spring has arrived.

Cleaning the winter clothes correctly means:

• Wash All Winter Clothes: Do not put this task off until the fall or next winter. Not only will this result in an unpleasant smelling winter wardrobe, but any stains will have had a great deal of time to set and ruin some favorite winter clothing items.
• Clean Winter Coats Correctly: This is a common mistake people make, but not washing big winter coat at all or washing it incorrectly it could cause it to lose some of its puffiness as well as decrease its effectiveness in keeping out warmth. Most experts recommend having one’s winter coat professionally cleaned.
• Clean the Accessories the Right Way: While some winter accessories such as mittens and hats can be tossed into the home wash, more expensive items such as leather items or luxe/silk scarves require a more technical approach where a trip to the dry cleaner is necessary.
• Take Care of Sweaters: It can be a tricky and long process cleaning all of the winter sweaters and cardigans, especially those that are made of materials such a wool and cashmere. Experts recommend not using a home washing machine, and instead either washing such items by hand or at a high quality delicate washing machine such as those found at professional laundry services.

Now that the winter clothes have successfully been taken care of and cleaned correctly, it is time to look at the second step of taking care of any winter wardrobe: storage.

In order to properly pack and store winter clothes, start by:

• Pick the Location First: A good rule of thumb when storing clothes is a dark, cool, and dry location with good ventilation to combat mildew. A sunny location can quickly fade clothing, while a humid, warm space is ripe for bug problems.
• Choose the Right Containers: It can be tempting and convenient to store winter clothes in that cardboard box that is laying around the house, but cardboard is terrible protection against humidity and bugs. Instead Laundromat recommends using clear, air-tight, plastic containers, or vacuum-sealed bags.
• Hang or Fold: When trying to deiced whether to hang or to fold different articles of winter clothing, a good rule of thumb is to go by the type of fabric they are made of. For natural fibers like cashmere and wool it is best to fold to prevent them from becoming over stretched. When hanging clothes make sure to use the correct type of hangar. For example, thin materials like silk and cotton can be drawn out by unpadded hangers. For more information on which types of hangers to use for certain materials, contact professionals such as those at Laundromat.
• Avoid Mold and Mothballs: If clothing not packed away and stored correctly then the chances of mold and bug dramatically increase. To fight these, many people use mothballs but mothballs have a distinctly bad scent, instead experts like those at Laundromat recommend alternatives like lavender, cedar, and lemon rinds to keep winter clothes fresh and smelling good.

One more important things that should not be forgotten when cleaning and storing winter items is the cleaning and storage of winter linens or sheets. Many people are under the assumption that they should just be thrown into a closet or attic, but in order to take the best care of large comforters, blankets, and other winter linens there are certain steps that should be taken.

The best way to put up winter comforters, blankets and sheet is:

• Clean and Repair: This may sound like a broken record, but taking the time to have comforters and blankets professionally washed can make all of the difference in the longevity of all linens.
• Storing Correctly: Like with clothing it is important to store one’s winter linens in a cool, dry place that is dark. Many storage experts also recommend using vacuum sealed bags in order to save space that these bulky items would otherwise occupy, in addition vacuum sealed bags do an excellent job keeping bugs and other nastiness out, so long as the comforters and blankets have been professionally cleaned beforehand.

The transition from winter to spring and summer is filled with fun and happiness. Don’t get bogged down trying to figure out how to best treat, clean, pack, and store winter wardrobe and winter linens. Come visit the laundry experts at Mr. Laundromat in Garner for advice on how to best clean and care for a variety of winter clothes and bedding. As a reputable and high quality laundry business, not matter what winter, spring, summer, or fall laundry cleaning needs are, Mr. Laundromat can fulfill them in an efficient and effective way.

Call Mr. Laundromat today at 919-332-4195 for answers to any questions about laundry. Then bring

any winter clothing items to our location in Garner at 106-2 Bratton Drive.