A Cleaner World Blog
Pulling Your Winter Clothes Out of Storage
It is time to start transitioning your closet from shorts, t-shirts, and sleeveless dresses to pants, long-sleeve shirts, and sweaters. If you stored your winter clothes properly at the beginning of spring, you should be able to pull them out, place them in your closet or dresser, and start wearing them immediately. Even though I store my out-of-season clothes properly, I always give them the once over to make sure nothing needs to be addressed.
Getting Winter Clothes Out of Storage
- Check Their Smell
If they smell musty, it could be a sign of mold or mildew, which can happen if you put items away in plastic or when they were damp. It could also occur if you store your out-of-season clothes in a damp, musty basement. Check for signs of mold or mildew; a simple washing could do the trick, but be prepared, especially if there are signs of mold to take items to a professional. - Look for Stains
If you didn’t wash or dry clean all items before storing them away, a spill could have oxidized while in storage leaving discoloration. Address stains immediately, checking to be sure it has been removed before placing the garment in the dryer. If it remains, consider dropping it off at one of our locations, explaining that the garment sat in storage and the method you used to try and remove the stain. Remember – the longer a stain sits on a garment, the more difficult it becomes to remove. - Examine for Holes
Moths like to munch on all kinds of fabric where stains, spills, dead skin cells, and perspiration are left behind. Clothes may initially appear to be fine when you pull them out of storage, but holes can appear after the first washing. Often, the munching weakens the fibers, but they do not eat all the way through the fabric. Then heat and agitation from a washing machine or a dry-cleaning machine will cause the fibers to then break. That is another reason why we always say to wash or dry clean everything before storing it away. Adding cedar chips or lavender and rosemary sachets will not only keep your clothes smelling fresh, they will also help keep critters away.
If you find a few issues as you pull clothes out of storage and need some help, you can always stop by one of our locations where we are happy to provide assistance.
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