Transitioning to Your Fall Wardrobe

I’m always sad to see summer come to a close; I’m definitely a warm weather person.  There are a number of reasons for my love of summer – the slower paced days, the fact that I’m cold natured, but the biggest reason of all is that I like summer clothes far better than winter clothes.  Transitioning your closet to a new season is never a fun job, but if you follow our recommendations, your favorite fun wears will be ready for you again next spring.  But before you start packing your things away, consider this – not every piece should be stored away until warm weather returns.  As you pack things up, take a look at your tanks, t-shirts, and dresses to see if you have some pieces that will still work during fall.  For instance, tanks might look nice layered under a sweater and dresses could be matched with a cardigan or jacket. 

For those items you definitely want to store away, here’s what we recommend:

1. Make sure your summer clothes are properly cleaned before placing them in storage.  Even if you only wore something for a few hours and it looks clean, make sure you launder or dry clean it before storing it away.  If you’re not sure if you wore something or not, be sure to launder or dry clean it before storage.  The bottom line is that unless you are certain it is clean, launder or dry clean it.  A garment can look clean but have invisible stains like a clear beverage spill or sweat, both of which will turn yellow over time.  Plus these, along with dead skin cells, will attract moths and other insects that will want to feed on the dirt on your clothes while they are in storage.
2. Break your clothes into two categories – fold and hang.  Fold things like sweaters, shirts, and some pants and dresses to reduce the chances of stretching and distortion.  Hang things like blazers, suit jackets, and some dresses, avoiding flimsy wire hangers and instead opting for wooden suit hangers or strut hangers with shoulder guards so that items will not become misshapen.
3. When placing your garments into the appropriate container, use clear plastic bins with air-tight lids for your folded items; they seem to work best for keeping both pests and moisture out.  For items that will hang, never use our plastic poly bags as they will suffocate your clothes and possibly cause staining or mildewing; instead, opt for garment bags.
4. Choose the storage location carefully.  Never place your clothes in a damp basement or a non-climate controlled attic; try to find a dark and dry place with a consistent temperature.  Extreme temperature variations could eventually damage your clothes, and too much sunlight can also cause color fading or yellowing in whites.
5. Finally, use cedar chips or lavender and rosemary sachets to help keep your clothes smelling fresh and as additional help in warding off pests.

If all of this seems like too much work, then A Cleaner World will be glad to handle it for you.  To learn more about storing out-of-season garments at A Cleaner World, simply click here or stop by one of our locations and speak to a manager.  We’ll be glad to help make this semi-annual task much easier for you.