How to Properly Store Your Summer Clothing – Knits

Fall is here and it’s time to switch your closets from summer to fall/winter wardrobes. Proper handling and maintenance of your summer garments is critical as it can extend the life of certain pieces by several years. Therefore, the wardrobe storage experts at Garde Robe created important tips that will help preserve your offseason wardrobe.

– Do not overcrowd your closets. Clothes need to breath. Crowded closets with minimal airflow and dark spaces, can promote mildew growth and create nesting places for insect larvae to feed on fabric.

– It is doubly important that items be stainfree before returning them to the closet. Carefully inspect the item for soil in good lighting before storing. Be sure to have stained garments cleaned before returning them to the closet.

– Fold and shelve summer knits to help them keep their shape. This is particularly important for seasonal and long-term storage. Knits hung under their own weight suffer from the unequal distribution of support by hangers. This can cause distortion and result in a garment that no longer retains its original fit.

– Store all your finest summer clothing in zip or snap-closure breathable bags. The ideal storage bag is breathable, has no digestible protein for insect consumption, has a zipper or snap closure, and a transparent window, so that the contents can be seen without opening the bag.

– Use the proper hanger for summer knits that are hung for short-term storage. A padded or broad shoulder hanger will prevent the telltale “rabbit’s ear” signature of a wire hanger. Clip hangers for skirts provide better support than safety pins. Folding a long dress at the waist over a suit strut hanger may be easier on the knit than hanging from the shoulder.