How to Store Winter Clothes & Other Seasonal Items

Many people find that packing up seasonal items and putting them into indoor storage units can help keep their homes more organized and make it easier to get to the items you need when you need them. Often one of the first steps in spring organization is to pack up your unneeded winter items. It can seem daunting at first, but following our helpful tips can make the process run smoothly.

Store winter clothes

Go through your wardrobe and determine what you can put away through the spring and summer months. This is also a great time to donate any of the unwanted items you have taking up space in your dressers or closets. For items you want to keep, heavy winter coats, mittens, wool hats, scarves, boots, long johns and cold weather sweaters can all be stored. You may want to group like objects together, which will help save space and make unpacking easier.

Make sure all your clothing is clean and ready to be stored. You don’t want to put dirty clothing away for several months. Zip all zippers and button all buttons to make the most of space. Carefully fold your items. Next, consider the best container. Garbage bags and cardboard boxes run the risk of trapping moisture and molding. Plastic bins and vacuum sealed bags are popular options for clothing. You may want to throw in a dryer sheet or moth balls to keep your clothing smelling fresh.

Seasonal sports equipment & snow removal

Besides clothing, sports equipment is another popular item to store in the off-season. Snowboard storage and snowmobile storage can free up a lot of space since you won’t likely be using these items in the warmer months anyway. You can also store skis, poles, sleds, ice skates, hockey equipment and more. Plus, you can put any kind of snow removal equipment you have into storage for the spring and summer. Snow shovels, snow blowers and any leftover salt can all be put away until the following winter. Unlike clothing, sports equipment and snow removal tools are often harder to store and can’t be folded neatly into bins. Using shelving in your storage unit can provide places to store smaller items. Bigger items, like snowboards and snowmobiles, need to be covered before being stored. You can also use pallets to keep them off the ground.

Consider any special storage requirements

Depending on what you’re storing, you may determine your items need special requirements, such as climate controlled self-storage units. Certain fabrics and electronics may do better in a climate controlled environment, so be sure to discuss your questions with the facility before you make a decision. Climate control will ensure that your individual unit is kept within a specific temperature range. Without heating or air conditioning, a regular unit’s temperature may be reflective of the temperature outside. Whether you need a climate controlled environment or not will depend on your stored belongings. Keep in mind that items that require stringent climate control should not be stored in self-storage units.

Use winter storage to make spring organization easier

Storing winter items that you won’t need until the next snowfall will help make it easier for you to do a thorough spring cleaning and effective organization of your home. Remember that you can always access your storage unit if you take a summer trip to the mountains and need your winter gear.