Look your best

Now that winter is over, it’s time to store away all those winter clothes until next season. Follow these simple rules to keep your winter fashions looking good season after season.

• Wash and dryclean everything before storage. Some stains that are now invisible may darken with age. Dirt and food are also invitations to insects.
  
  
• Make all necessary repairs—sew sagging hemlines, replace missing buttons, and fix split seams— before cleaning and storing for the season.
  
  
• Store all items in a cool, well-ventilated area. Hot attics, damp basements, and garages are to be avoided.
  
  
• Store away from natural and artificial light. A cool, dark closet is a good location for storage. Store woolens in cedar chests or other airtight containers. Second choices for storage are cloth or canvas bags and cardboard boxes. If you store your garments in a closet, drape a cloth sheet over your clothes to protect them from dust and light. Do not store leathers, furs, and woolens in plastic. Plastic encourages moisture, which can create mildew.
  
  
• Pack airtight containers (other than cedar chests) with mothballs suspended above or separate from the clothes—never place mothballs directly on the clothes. Cedar blocks or chips also discourage moths.
  
  
• To decrease wrinkles in sweaters, fold them and wrap in white tissue paper before storing. If you hang your sweaters, fold over the cross bar to avoid shoulder stretches. Down, like all winter clothing, should be cleaned (either washed or drycleaned according to the care label) before storage. Down should be stored loosely to allow for air circulation.
  
  
• Furs should be stored on a wellpadded hanger in a cool, dark place, ideally with a professional fur storage company or a drycleaner with fur storage capacity.
  
  
• If you do not have proper storage space, ask us about box storage. You can get your clothes cleaned and properly stored all at the same time.
  
  

After a long slumber, your spring and summer clothes will need to be awakened and taken out of storage. Warmer clothing, such as long skirts and heavy jackets can be safely tucked away to make room for the less-inhibiting light fabrics of spring.

How your stored spring and summer wardrobe looks when it comes out of storage has a lot to do with what precautions you took when you put it in.

Going In

Sweaters and coats, long skirts, and scarves: all of these items are going to be a little too warm to wear in the spring and summer months to come. Here are some tips to help you store you garments so they will be ready to serve you when we slow back down into next Fall and Winter.

1. Clean the garments to ensure that left over body oils or spills don’t attract insects. Insects can sniff out a spot of ginger ale from miles away and they have ways of getting inside your closet or attic.

2. Fold and store the garments in a dark, well-ventilated area. Do not store in plastic bags. Many dyes fade if exposed to sunlight or artificial light. This is especially true for silk. Fume fading is caused by a reaction of atmospheric oxides of nitrogen with certain dyes, resulting in permanent color change. Make sure your boxes are stored away from exhaust gasses or heating fumes.

3. Make sure the storage area is dry. Mildew is more than just an unpleasant odor. It is a fungus that usually develops on soiled garments or items that are stored in damp or humid conditions. Mildew appears as irregular purple, gray, black or yellow speckled stains.

Coming Out

When you get your garments out of storage, check for any of the above listed damages, and then wake them up. Your warm-weather clothing has been sitting in boxes for a few months by now and it’s time to bring them back to life so you can look your best.

Look for small holes, worn areas, and discolored lines on the portions of the garment that had spills or stains that were never removed. The odor from moth balls or crystals is difficult to remove. Try airing the garments by hanging them outside in the shade. If this does not completely remove the odor, cleaning the garments should bring them back into action

Many people store their clothing in the off-season to keep it safe, but by not taking the proper precautions you could be putting next year’s wardrobe into jeopardy. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially since many of the different types of damage that can befall fabrics while in storage are preventable, but irreversible.

 

The key to preventing mildew is to avoid storing soiled articles in damp conditions.

Soiled clothes should be kept dry and should be cleaned as soon as possible. Dirty clothes that are damp should not be stored in a pile or in a clothes hamper.

Store clothes for long periods only when they are clean, dry, and unstarched.

Storage areas should be clean and dry. Fabrics should not be stored in damp closets, bathrooms, or basements. Storage containers and/or drawers should be clean.

Prevent high humidity in the storage areas with good ventilation, air conditioning, and/or a dehumidifier. A burning light bulb in a storage closet can help keep air dry.

During periods of high humidity, exposing garments to air and sun can help prevent mildew.

Correct any causes of excessive dampness in the house. Any problems with drainage, waterproofing or caulking should be corrected immediately.

Sarni Cleaners offers off-season garment storage services. Call us at 1-800-727-6475 for free pickup and delivery.