5 common mistakes when storing clothes

Storing clothes doesn’t sound like a complicated task, but many people tend to make the same mistakes. It really isn’t hard or complicated to store them the right way, but you first have to know what are the best guidelines for doing it properly. That’s what we’ll focus on in this article. We’ll tell you what are those 5 common mistakes when storing clothes and how to avoid them. Finding and renting reliable self-storage Seattle has to offer is only half of it. The rest will be up to you to make sure your clothes are stored the right way, to avoid any damage over time. Let’s get straight to it.

Not having an organized system when storing clothes 

Protecting your clothes from pests and damage is very important, but what is also crucial is to be well organized when storing clothes. Many people tend to load their clothes into bags and bins and just dump them in a storage unit. That is not the way to go! It’s very important to have a good plan and to stick to it. First of all, make sure you separate your winter clothes from the summer ones.

You don’t want to be confused when you start unpacking them and spend more time than needed sorting through them. Once you’ve separated your clothes by season, you should also sort them by their type. Pants, shirts, sweaters, and other types of clothes should be packed separately. To know exactly what’s inside each box, make sure you label them. It will help you greatly when it’s time to take them out!

This is especially true if clothes are your business and you’re selling them! Being organized is a key step in running a successful business. Sort your things, label them, and use only the best business storage Seattle has to offer, to ensure your business keeps thriving!

Not washing your clothes before storing them is a common mistake

This is the most common mistake people tend to make. They just take their clothes out of their wardrobes, put them in a box, rent a storage unit, and think that the job is done. That can’t be further away from the truth. Unwashed clothes, especially if they’d been sitting for long in your wardrobe, attract moths much easier. That’s especially true for items made of wool or other animal-derived product.

To combat this, make sure you wash your clothes before storing them away. It can really prolong the life of your clothing items while in storage.  Just make sure they are fully dry before storage. You don’t want any mold to appear on your clothes! To add another layer of protection against moths, make sure to add some lavender or cedar as these two things are really good moth repellents. 

Cramming too many clothes into one container or box

Next up on this list of common storing mistakes is putting too many items into a single container or box. There are a few reasons why this is bad. First of all, clothes require some room to breathe, especially if they are made from wool. Not having enough breathing room can accumulate damage and small tears on your clothing item. That’s certainly something you want to avoid.

The other reason is that if you are using regular packing boxes, they can easily break. Once your box gets some holes in it, your clothes will begin to deteriorate. The holes will be easy access to moths who can’t wait to get in. Apart from that, if the storage unit is not climate-controlled, your clothes can get some mold or mildew on them, and that’s something that will be hard to make disappear.

Not using adequate protection from moths and mold

There are a few ways to combat moths, mold, and other hazards to your clothes. We already mentioned lavender and cedar. These are the most common moth repellents that people use and they are quite effective. The essential oils in lavender and cedar will kill off any moth larvae that can potentially find their way inside your storage. Apart from using them in the form of small balls or blocks that you can place inside, you can also put those oils inside a spray bottle and spritz your clothes individually for extra protection.

Next up, we recommend that you use mothballs. These balls contain lethal chemicals to moths called paradichlorobenzene and naphthalene. Don’t worry, they cannot damage your clothes in any way! Stock up on those and fill your storage unit with them to be extra safe. 

There are some other good natural alternatives too. Dried herbs like rosemary and thyme, put inside drawstring bags, are also a popular option. These herbs are also natural moth repellents so explore those too. Of course, it’s important to follow other steps too to ensure your clothes are safe from pests and damage. It’s imperative that your clothes are washed and completely dry before you even think about the other measures of protection. All of these steps of keeping clothes intact and free from moths are equally important, so make sure you follow them all.

Using vacuum bags is one of the most common mistakes when storing clothes

As we’ve mentioned already, using vacuum bags is one of the most common mistakes when storing clothes. They need room to breathe so they can remain fresh and wearable when they are out of the storage unit or your closet. However, if you insist on using them, just follow this simple trick. Vacuum bags can sometimes let some air in when the seal opens up even just slightly. Make sure to reseal those bags every month just to be on the safe side. A good alternative to vacuum bags is storing bins. They can be collapsible cotton bins, which are great for sweaters as the cotton allows the wool to breathe while keeping pests away. Other types of storage bins are made of plastic or metal. For clothes made of cotton, those are also great options. Make sure to ask your Bellevue self-storage company for those!