Tips and advice for storing your off-season items…
• Start by sorting through everything. Check your winter clothes and linens, etc for wear and tear (stains and damage). Be honest with yourself about things you haven’t worn or used the whole season and let them go.
• Next – give everything a thorough clean. Dirty clothes can discolour over time and stains can set and be impossible to get out later. This applies to winter linen too.
• Baskets at the top of your wardrobe are great for storing winter clothing. Use square ones, as they’re easier to line up in a cupboard or on shelves than round ones and will maximise your storage space. Or you can go low with storage bins (with lids) under the bed.
• Sometimes the best solution for your seasonal storage may be at the foot of your bed with a storage bench that doubles as a seat – perfect for blankets and winter sheets.
• Garment bags will keep winter items, like coats and suits that need hanging, protected and separate until you need them again. Just remember to remove everything from pockets and fasten all buttons and zips.
• Don’t hang jerseys – they can lose their shape. Also, try rolling delicate shirts to keep them from getting deep creases from long-term storage.
• Throw in some scented sachets (lavender is always a winner) to discourage moths and make your clothes smell fresher for longer.
• Ottomans with built-in storage and/or vintage trunks and suitcases are great for storing shoes and boots. While it’s always better to keep a boot standing upright, space can be a problem. Lay them flat on their sides, separating each pair with a pillowcase or something similar. As with your clothing and linen, make sure your winter footwear is clean and dry before storing (wash off any mud and grass, etc).
• You can also invest in clear plastic shoeboxes to stack in a spare-room cupboard and swop out your summer footwear for winter’s and vice versa.
• Loosely pack your winter shoes with clean tissue paper before storing to help them maintain their shape.
• Compress blankets inside vacuum bags so that they take up less space at the top of the linen cupboard.
• Large baskets and trunks are ideal for storing bulky bedding, plus they can double-up as ‘tables’ around the house.
• Label anything you can’t easily see into. When things are stored above your head or deep under the bed, it’s much easier to get to what you need when the contents are clearly marked.
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